The Land Cover and Ecosystem Services Identification in the Special Purpose Forest Area (KHDTK) of Gurah, Blitar-Indonesia

¹ Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia
² Departement of Biology, Faculty of Mathemathics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia
³ Departement of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia
⁴ Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: alfi.sahrina.fis@um.ac.id

Abstract

The Special Purpose Forest Area (KHDTK) of Gurah is located in coastal and hilly area of Southern part of Blitar Regency. KHDTK of Gurah is located in protected and productive forests, which function as forestry education and training areas . The existence of these functional areas have a characteristic land cover that can be utilized, so zoning the area that had been managed, should be done. The aim of this search is to identify the land cover and ecosystem services in the Special Purpose Forest Area of Gurah. The method used in this research is by mapping the KHDTK of Gurah using drone. Mapping was conducted to aim the result in the form of aerial photograph that used in identifying the land cover in the area of Gurah KHDTK. Therefore, a ground check was conducted to see the suitability of land cover in Gurah KHDTK. Ground check location were determined randomly based on the aerial photograph obtained. The ecosystem services were analyzed descriptively based on the developing of land cover in Gurah KHDTK. The results of the ,research spatially show that the protected forest area in Gurah KHDTK has changed into dry fields or farmland. This has also been observed in several productive forest locations, where there have been changes in the area’s designation. The land cover that has developed in Gurah KHDTK includes forest, fields, open land, rice fields and shrubland.