Conclusion

The Western Ghats, the repository of diverse biological organisms is one among 35 global hotspots of biodiversity. This region has been experiencing large-scale land cover changes with the fragmentation of primeval forests. Current research is attempting to quantify spatial-temporal patterns of land use dynamics and fragmentation of forests using temporal remote sensing data. The analyses would be useful in evolving appropriate forest management strategies to mitigate impacts of adverse land use dynamics. Temporal land use analyses show a decrease in the evergreen forest cover from 57.31% (1979) to 32.08% (2013). Forest fragmentation analysis based on remote sensing data of the 1979-2013 period helped in assessing the spatial patterns of forests changes under patch, transitional, edge, perforated and interior cover. The study region, as an ecologically fragile area, is now left with only 25.62% of interior forests and the spatial extent of non-forests is 47.3% (2013), which highlights the need to restore forests. The district has 18.5% of its area under monoculture plantations in the Haliyal and Mundgod taluks. Conservation planning of forest ecosystems needs to be holistic at watershed levels involving all stakeholders. Restoration of forests with native species would enhance hydrological services and biodiversity. By active participation in forest restoration initiatives and micro-level planning, stakeholders of the Western Ghats are likely to gain as promoters and guardians of biodiversity and hydrology. Rendering such service would help in mitigating global climatic change and serve the cause of forest ecosystems in global biodiversity hotspots.