Pavithra G.M. and Venkataramana G.V.
Abstract
This study investigates the Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes in the Bandipur and Nagarhole National Parks over 37 years, covers 1,517 square kilometers of area, are the continuous stretch of the oldest landscapes of the Western Ghats and the richest biodiversity hotspots, comprising various forest types including deciduous forests, evergreen forests, and scrub forests located at the cradle of Karnataka Kerala and Tamil Nadu state boundaries. Often driven by the expansion of agriculture and encroachment of human settlements around park boundaries in the vital ecosystems. This study identifies transitions across six key classes: barren land, built-up areas, cropland, moderately dense forest (MDF), Very Dense Forest (VDF), and water bodies over four distinct periods: 1985, 1995, 2005, 2017, and 2022. The findings revealed a notable increase in barren land, particularly from 2017 to 2022, highlighting significant land degradation and urban pressure, Infrastructure Development, tourism-related activities, and road cuttings increase the risk of wildlife road accidents and further fragment habitats. This study analyzed the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) to understand the transition matrix and its impact on HWC. The results represented in the heat maps reveal that the distribution of compensation amounts related to HWC reveals the following percentages: agricultural crops account for 35.04%, human injury or death represents 14.71%, livestock losses comprise 17.42%, plantations contribute 27.56%, and property damage stands at 5.27%. Conflicts are particularly prominent in H.D. Kote and Gundlupet, where the Kapila River intersects Bandipur and Nagarhole National Parks.