Monitoring changes in ecology in the Kudremukh mining region

Iron-ore deposits of the Kudremukh region in Karnataka State, India, were discovered at the beginning of the present century. These deposits have only recently begun to be exploited by the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company. As a result the land cover, particularly the grassland areas, are becoming disturbed. This paper is the outcome of a joint study undertaken by three central and state government agencies in India for monitoring the ecological changes in the above region. Multitemporal LANDSAT MSS data together with aerial CIR photographs and ground data were used for the study. The study was mainly addressed to the mapping of land-cover changes, which is one of the most important indicators of ecological monitoring.