Monitoring Horizontal and Vertical Cropping Pattern and Dynamics in Bihar over a Decade (2001–2012) Based on Time-Series Satellite Data

Increasing population and natural disasters like drought, flood, cyclone etc., has impacted global agriculture area and hence continuously modifying cropping pattern and associated statistics. The present study analysed agriculture dynamics over one of the densely populated and disaster prone state (Bihar) in India and derived vital statistics (single, double and triple cropping area, and monthly, seasonal, annual and long term status at the state and district level) for the years 2001–2012. The study used time-series MODIS vegetation index (EVI; MOD13A2, 1 km, 16 day, 2001–2012), MODIS annual Land Cover product (MCD12Q1, 500 m, 2001–2012) and Global Land Cover map (Scasia_V4, 1 km, 2000; Globcover_V2.2, 300 m, 2005/2006 and V2.3, 2009, 300 m), and extracted horizontal (i.e., area change) and vertical (i.e., cropping intensification) agriculture change pattern. The results were inter-compared, and validated using government reports as well as with high spatial resolution data (IRS-LISS III 23.5 m). From 2001–2006 to 2007–2012, the net horizontal and vertical change in agriculture area is +145.24 and +907.82 km 2 , respectively, and net change in seasonal crop area (winter, summer and monsoon) is +959.21, +1009.84 and −1061.64 km 2 , respectively. The districts which are located along the eastern part of Ganges experienced maximum positive changes and the districts along Gandak river in the north-western part of the study area experienced maximum negative changes. Overall, the study has quantified and revealed interesting space–time agriculture change patterns over 12 years including impacts caused by droughts and floods in the study area.