Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Land Cover Change in Ayvacık District of Çanakkale Province Using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System

Temporal changes occur in Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) due to natural and anthropogenic impacts. It is important to determine the changes in LULC, to monitor their effects on ecological processes, and to contribute to sustainable land management, environmental policies and planning studies. Ayvacık, which is rich in natural and cultural heritage values, where tourism activities are active in coastal areas, provides the main source of livelihood with agriculture, and is located at a critical point in terms of transportation, has been experiencing a tendency to change in recent years due to these factors. In this study, it was aimed to determine the change in Ayvacık District of Çanakkale Province between 1985-1997-2010 and 2023 in a multi-temporal manner by using Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) techniques. Machine learning based Support Vector Machines (SVM) algorithm was used in the classification process through ArcGIS 10.8 programme. As a result, the temporal and spatial change of the district was determined and change matrix and change map were produced. In 38 years, a total of 44184.42 hectares of land in the study area has been changed, while 43452.45 hectares of land has maintained the same class characteristics.