1Centre for Geoinformatics, Natural Resource Management Division Integrated Rural Technology Centre, Palakkad-678 952, India
2Department of Zoology and Environmental Science, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar-249 404, India
Department of Natural Resource Management, College of Forestry, Kerala Agriculture University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur-680 656, India
*Email: srinivasan.k@kau.in
Online published on 2 July, 2022.
The study was conducted to figure out the landscape fragmentation in and around Rajaji National Park using landscape indices viz., total Class area (CA), number of patches (NP), patch density (PD), interspersion and juxtaposition Index (IJI) and largest patch index (LPI) over the classified LULC map of the study area during 1993 and 2015. Landsat imageries through spatial analyst programme FRAGSTATS 4.2. Comparative study of the landscape indices inside the protected area (2000 m buffer) and innermost protected area (excluding 2000 m buffer area) during 1993 and 2015 indices such as NP, PD, LPI decreased over time while, IJI got increased with respect to forest patch, which means interspersion is more and patch adjacency is getting increased during the analyzed period, which means inside the protected area fewer disturbances were observed. Meanwhile, comparison of landscape indices outside protected area (2000 m buffer outside PA) during 1993 and 2015 revealed that NP, PD increased overtime while, LPI and IJI decreased over time. Lower values of IJI characterize landscapes in which the patch types are poorly interspersed, means the outer side of protected area are more fragmented with respect to the inside boundary.
Landscape fragmentation, Digital image processing, Patch density, Largest Patch Index
