Anthropogenic pressures create a complex pattern of forest habitat shape structure in Radhanagar Forest Range (RFR) in Bankura district. Habitat landscape design controls existing bio-geographical process. High fragmented and more complex habitat make imbalance in ecological process in the study area. Therefore, a measure is very urgent to control fragmentation process. Spatial alteration is one of the best methods to improve habitat quality which reduces habitat shape complexity. Fragmentation and structural composition of habitat will be understood through the interpretation of several geometric indices like perimeter area ratio (PAR), shape index (SI), and fractal dimension (FD). These indices are used to know the nature of habitat fragmentation in Radhanagar Forest range. The main objective of the study is to reduce habitat shape complexity by spatial alteration. Therefore, two types of map, one is existing forest land cover and another is selected areas altered forest land cover of Radhanagar Forest Range are prepared using ERDAS 9.3 and ArcGIS 10.3 version software. Then these maps are analyzed through FragStat 4.2 version software to get above mentioned indices. The study compares the indices values to know the structural quality of forest shape from both maps. The comparison address that altered forest habitat structural quality is better than existing forest landscape habitat quality. Therefore, landuse alteration in a forest matrix is obviously area specific in respect of its shape structure.
ARTICLE HISTORY
Habitat interior function effect from an area of specific edge depth in a forest patch. Every habitat has obviously an interior area, small or large size. Structurally it depends on the shape and edge depth ratio of the specific patch. The amount of habitat interior strengthens movement, connectivity, protection and availability of species, especially for large size animal. Habitat interior plays a vital role in sustaining their biological behaviour and activities. Forest habitat is developed by plantation after 1980 through different social forestry programs in Panchet Forest division. For this reason, forest cover is increased and it is spatially fragmented in nature. Fragmented habitat has a negative impact on forest interior. So demarcation of habitat interior or core is very urgent for biodiversity conservation and managing habitat structure. Thus the present study tries to investigate and identify the amount of habitat core using geospatial techniques and field verification. Major objectives are to suggest practical methods to increases the amount of interior as well as to minimize the gap between isolated patches to enhance the functional capability of habitat core in Panchet Forest Division under Bankura District.
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