Evaluation of Land Use Patterns and Vegetation Recovery Status of Shifting Cultivation in Myanmar’s Mountainous Regions Using Satellite Imagery and Field Surveys

Mio, Kento; Shibata, Kyoko; Ye, Rongling; Watanabe, Osamu

doi:10.3390/rs18081164

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Evaluation of Land Use Patterns and Vegetation Recovery Status of Shifting Cultivation in Myanmar’s Mountainous Regions Using Satellite Imagery and Field Surveys

¹

Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Studies in Medicine and Engineering, Shinshu University, Nagano 399-4598, Japan

²

Terra People Association, Saga 840-0822, Japan

³

Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, Nagano 399-4598, Japan

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Remote Sens. 2026, 18(8), 1164; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081164

Submission received: 25 February 2026 / Revised: 2 April 2026 / Accepted: 8 April 2026 / Published: 13 April 2026

(This article belongs to the Section Earth Observation Data)

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Abstract

Shifting cultivation remains a primary farming system in Myanmar’s mountainous regions. However, population growth and economic pressures have disrupted its traditional balance. This study aimed to clarify historical land-use patterns and evaluate vegetation recovery in Lailenpi by integrating field surveys with multitemporal Sentinel-2 imagery from 2019 to 2025. We identified cultivation plots using NDVI differences and quantified recovery trajectories with a Bayesian hierarchical nonlinear model. Results confirmed that a systematic eight-year rotational cycle was maintained. However, the total cultivated area expanded from 0.93% to 3.13%, shifting toward steeper terrain. Bayesian modeling showed that canopy greenness recovered within 24 to 36 months. Despite this resilience, the shift to rugged terrain suggested mounting land-use pressure and soil degradation risks. These findings highlight the importance of combining field surveys with high-resolution monitoring to ensure the long-term ecological sustainability of tropical mountain regions.

Keywords: shifting cultivation; Sentinel-2; vegetation recovery; Bayesian hierarchical modeling

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MDPI and ACS Style

Mio, K.; Shibata, K.; Ye, R.; Watanabe, O. Evaluation of Land Use Patterns and Vegetation Recovery Status of Shifting Cultivation in Myanmar’s Mountainous Regions Using Satellite Imagery and Field Surveys. Remote Sens. 2026, 18, 1164. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081164

AMA Style

Mio K, Shibata K, Ye R, Watanabe O. Evaluation of Land Use Patterns and Vegetation Recovery Status of Shifting Cultivation in Myanmar’s Mountainous Regions Using Satellite Imagery and Field Surveys. Remote Sensing. 2026; 18(8):1164. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081164

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mio, Kento, Kyoko Shibata, Rongling Ye, and Osamu Watanabe. 2026. "Evaluation of Land Use Patterns and Vegetation Recovery Status of Shifting Cultivation in Myanmar’s Mountainous Regions Using Satellite Imagery and Field Surveys" Remote Sensing 18, no. 8: 1164. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081164

APA Style

Mio, K., Shibata, K., Ye, R., & Watanabe, O. (2026). Evaluation of Land Use Patterns and Vegetation Recovery Status of Shifting Cultivation in Myanmar’s Mountainous Regions Using Satellite Imagery and Field Surveys. Remote Sensing, 18(8), 1164. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081164

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Evaluation of Land Use Patterns and Vegetation Recovery Status of Shifting Cultivation in Myanmar’s Mountainous Regions Using Satellite Imagery and Field Surveys

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