Land use and land cover analysis in agroforestry and other land use categories in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh: a GIS-based analysis in North Western Himalayas

Agroforestry plays a pivotal role in shaping land use dynamics in the North Western Himalayas, particularly in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. As an integral component of subsistence agriculture, agroforestry supports rural livelihoods while promoting ecological sustainability. However, rapid land use transformations necessitate precise mapping and assessment to understand changing patterns. This study employs a GIS-based approach to analyze land uses in Shimla district in the year 2021 by using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. Seven distinct datasets incorporating spectral bands, biophysical parameters, vegetation indices, soil radiometric indices, and water radiometric indices were tested for classification accuracy. Dataset 7 an integration of 13 spectral bands, three biophysical parameters, 10 vegetation indices, four soil radiometric indices, and four water radiometric indices demonstrated the highest accuracy (81.55%) with a kappa coefficient of 0.78 as compared to other datasets which posess lower overall accuracies ranging between 74.07 and 80.04%. The land use classification revealed that out of a total area of 5131 km2, agroforestry covers 28.57% (1465.96 km2) of the district, followed by agriculture (776.43 km2; 15.13%), forests (2319.46 km2; 45.20%), built-up areas (196.98 km2; 3.84%), grasslands (113.69 km2; 2.22%), snow cover (97.11 km2; 1.89%), water bodies (33.40 km2; 0.65%), and barren land (128.33 km2; 2.50%). These findings highlight the significance of agroforestry in land use sustainability and resource management in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. These findings highlight the significance of agroforestry in land use sustainability and resource management in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, underscoring the need for targeted policy interventions to promote agroforestry in marginal and degraded lands as a strategy for enhancing ecological stability and rural income. By leveraging geospatial tools, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and land managers, facilitating sustainable agroforestry practices, conservation efforts, and improved land use planning in mountain landscapes.