Characterizing landscape structure using landscape metrics in Melokoza Landscape, South Ethiopia

not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Landscape structure is a significant factor in ecological integrity, sustainable land management, and policy making. Assessing landscape structure is therefore critical for understanding its current state and providing support for its protection. Consequently, the current study was carried out in the Melokoza district, which includes a variety of land uses/covers, to investigate the spatial layout of the landscape structure at various scales using landscape metrics. Landsat photos were used to assess land use/cover types, and landscape indices were generated to characterize the landscape structure by employing the FRAGSTATS software. The study area’s landscape is distinguished by a progressive increase in values of all the landscape metrics related to agriculture and settlement, including patch number (73 and 70), total area (42.877 and 33.169 ha), patch density (9023.17 and 8652.35 ha), largest patch index (4855.56 and 3566.67 ha), Shannon Diversity Index (8.6474 and 11.52), and Shannon evenness index (12.11 and 15.15). Conversely, the values among all the landscape metrics related to bare land, forest, and shrub land were declined. These declined metrics included patch number (3, 5 and 3), total area (1.62, 2.43 and 0.81 ha), patch density (370.82, 618.03 and 370.82 ha), largest patch index (177.78, 266.67 and 77.78 ha), Shannon Diversity Index (0.53, 0.88 and 0.68), and Shannon evenness index (0.76, 1.27 and 0.62). In light of these findings, significant losses in forests, shrub lands, and barren areas combined with widespread farming and populated areas have caused previously unheard-of fragmentation levels of the landscape. Given the growing population in the area, it is likely that this fragmentation tendency will continue. This requires scientific-based knowledge and the participation of the local community and stakeholders in conservation and restoration.