Monitoring the Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Forest Gaps and Health in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Western Uganda

Research reveals that forest gaps in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Uganda, have exhibited significant spatio-temporal variability from 2013 to 2025. The study found non-linear patterns of disturbance, with gap sizes peaking at 1,421.49 hectares between 2015 and 2019, followed by reductions and a sharp resurgence in 2025 (1,381.1 hectares). Vegetation health declined notably in 2017 and 2025, likely due to illegal logging, fire, landslides, and climate stressors, while canopy density also fluctuated, declining significantly by 2025. Multiple linear regression analysis explained 97.2% of canopy density variation, highlighting the strong positive effects of NDVI, EVI, elevation, slope, and rainfall, whereas temperature negatively influenced canopy density. The findings underscore that forest gap formation is driven by both natural and anthropogenic pressures, necessitating enhanced monitoring, stricter conservation policies, and elevation-sensitive forest management to prevent long-term degradation in this ecologically sensitive montane ecosystem.

Nuwagira, U., Barasa, B., Muhesi, N., Namayengo, S., & Hakiza, A. (2026). Monitoring the Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Forest Gaps and Health in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Western Uganda. East African Journal of Environment and Natural Resources, 9(3), 159–184. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajenr.9.3.5356