Abstract
It is widely recognised that changes in size and isolation of habitat patches have a negative impact on species richness and the distribution and persistence of populations. Thus, the aim of the research was to analyze the change, distribution and spatial characteristics of woodlands in an urban fringe landscape. The results indicated that there was a common trend of woodland loss across all landscape types while no new woodlands were established during 1976 and 2009. Small patches (less than 5 ha in size) were particularly vulnerable to and more likely to disappear due to human activities such as urbanisation. Changes in woodland cover were clearly observed between 1976 and 2009. Loss of many woodlands was caused by residential and infrastructural developments. As a result, woodlands were becoming smaller and more isolated. This trend probably had adverse effects on biodiversity. This woodland information can be used to identify the potential and specific needs for conservation planning in rapidly developing urban areas.
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