Modelling landscape dynamics with LST in protected areas of Western Ghats, Karnataka |
Forest landscapes with diverse life forms are complex interactive ecosystems that support economy evident from the estimate of 4.7 trillion dollars annually through goods and services from global forest ecosystems (Krieger, 2001; de Groot et al., 2012). Unplanned developmental activities have led to the destruction of pristine forests and grasslands at regional as well as global scales (Lambin and Meyfroidt, 2011) evident from barren hilltops, reduced duration of stream flow, etc. Anthropogenic forces have modified over 83% of the Earth's land cover threatening sustenance of biological diversity (Sanderson et al., 2002 Fischer and Lindenmayer, 2007). Fig. 1. Consequences of LULC changes. Protected areas (PA), national parks (NP), sanctuaries, nature reserves, wildlife refuges, wilderness areas have been created through policy initiatives in order to protect the native habitat of endemic species and to reduce the magnitude of land conversion. Thus, PA system has evolved strategically to protect and maintain biological diversity, cultural resources at local to global scales. Maintaining ecological integrity in the protected area with buffer region is essential as most of protected landscapes are open systems that face anthropogenic and other biotic threats from adjacent areas. Alterations in landscape structure with a reduction in contiguous forests would increase the likelihood of invasive plants and animal range expansions, alter hydrologic regime (water availability), which leads to the erosion of integrity of the protected ecosystems. These are supposed to be managed through legal or other effective means from extinction especially those on the brink of extinction (Gaston et al., 2008). Globally, establishing PAs has gained impetus for conservation and according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), nearly 13% of the global land surface is now under some form of protection. Land use land cover (LULC) mapping and monitoring of PAs can serve as important indicators of landscape and environmental status, distributions, and patterns. PA networks, conservation reserves, sanctuaries are created under various policy initiatives (Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972, Forest Conservation Act 1980, Environment (Protection) Act 1986, Biodiversity Act 2002) in order to conserve the forests from unregulated exploitation. The landscape surrounding protected areas also known as buffer region, influences PA's ability to maintain ecosystem functions and achieve conservation goals. The health of any PAs indirectly depends on surrounding buffer regions (Kintz et al., 2006). Drastic LU changes in buffer regions around PAs can reduce their effective size and limit their ability to conserve biodiversity because of alterations in ecological processes and the ability of organisms to move freely among protected areas (Hamilton et al., 2013). LULC changes in buffer zones surrounding protected ecological reserves will have serious implications in the management and conservation of protected areas. Citation : Ramachandra T V, Bharath Settur, Nimish Gupta, 2017. Modelling landscape dynamics with LST in protected areas of Western Ghats, Journal of Environment Management (In PRESS)
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Contact Address : | |||
Dr. T.V. Ramachandra Energy & Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore – 560 012, INDIA. Tel : +91-80-2293 3099/2293 3503 - extn 107 Fax : 91-80-23601428 / 23600085 / 23600683 [CES-TVR] E-mail : emram.ces@courses.iisc.ac.in, tvr@iisc.ac.ina, energy@ces.iisc.ernet.in, Web : http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy |