Class and landscape level habitat fragmentation analysis in the Bale mountains national park, southeastern Ethiopia

A significant decline in natural habitats within the Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, has been documented over three decades, with grasslands experiencing the most substantial reduction (9.36%) and farmland expanding by 43.67%. This study, using Landsat imagery and FRAGSTATS analysis, reveals a progressively fragmented landscape, characterized by increased patch numbers, edge density, and reduced mean patch size and core area. The findings indicate a critical loss of habitat for core-dependent species such as the Mountain nyala, Ethiopian wolf, and Bale monkey, underscoring the urgent need for conservation prioritization, particularly in forestland and grassland habitats.

Muhammed, A., & Elias, E. (2021). Class and landscape level habitat fragmentation analysis in the Bale mountains national park, southeastern Ethiopia. Heliyon, 7(7), e07642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07642