Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Land Use and Land Cover, and Small-Scale Forest Expansion in Northwestern Ethiopian Highlands

In the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia, rapid land use land cover (LULC) change and small-scale forest expansion has taken place due to the engagement of small-holder farmers. This study was aimed to understand the trends, magnitudes, drivers of LULC changes, and small-scale forest expansion in three Woredas of the northwestern Ethiopian Highlands, during 1987 to 2020 periods. The study employed a hybrid classification technique to group the images in to LULC classes. Moreover, key informants were used to assess the drivers of LULC change and small-scale forest expansion. The results indicated that small-scale forest increased from 2.5