Spatio-temporal analysis of land use in Palakkad district, Kerala

The present paper analyse the spatio-temporal variations in different type of land use in Palakkad District, Kerala. Agriculture is the main activity and 89% of the district population is rural in nature. The utilization of land for different purposes in the district indicates the relationship between the existing environmental condition and human society. The data on general land use for the period 2001 and 2011 were collected and processed by using simple statistical techniques and the results are cartographically mapped and interpreted. The analysis of the land use in the district revealed that land use is mainly controlled and determined by the topography nature of the surface and socio-economic setup of the district. The introduction of irrigation schemes, new developmental activities and expansion of the existing urban centres caused the major changes in the land use of forest, cultivable waste, fallow lands and area under cultivation in the district.