Assessment of the Dynamics of Atlas Cedar Decline (Cedrus atlantica Manetti) by Remote Sensing in the Aurès area, Algeria

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the decline of Atlas cedar forest in the Aurès area by studying spatial data, using remote sensing and GIS. In order to show the dynamics of changes during different periods, a multi-data set of satellite images (Landsat: 1987, 1995, 2003 and 2016) have been processed (classification, geometric correction, and segmentation). The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is adopted with a field request. The data analysis of the dynamic decline of the Atlas cedar allowed us to distinguish three areas (area of increase, of decrease and of no change). The areas of increase showed a great loss of Atlas cedar due to several factors.