2004 年 9 巻 1 号 p. 26-40
The objective of this study was to quantify temporal changes in the spatial structure and pattern of forest patches in the Langat Basin, Peninsular Malaysia in three different periods (1971/1972, 1981/1982 and 1991/1992) from two perspectives; firstly the changes that might impact the environment of the Basin, and secondly its implication for the forest management system. Based on these perspectives, forest patches defined in this study were classified into two groups : Group 1 : based on types of natural forest, and Group 2 : only fou based on status under the Peninsular Malaysian Forest Management Systems. For both groups landscape metrics were used to quantify landscape structure. Factor analysis was used to select the final metrics for describing landscape structure change of forest patches throughout the study period. A total of eight metrics were finally selected for Group 1 and r metrics for Group 2. This result suggests that metrics that have to be considered to give information about landscape structure change depending on how forest patches are defined. Landscape structure analysis in Group I showed that all types of forest in the Langat Basin had experienced fragmentation and deforestation particularly between the period of 1981/1982 and 1991/1992, and it occurred intensely particularly in peat swamp forests. This indicates that peat swamp forests are the most threatened forest ecosystem in the Langat Basin. At the forest management level (Group 2), most of the primary forests had changed to secondary forests between the periods of 1971/1972 and 1981/1982. The secondary forests were intensely analyses explained that human activities in the Langat Basin, including forest management systems, affect the spatial structure of the forest patches. This information is vital to influence future land use planning and forest management systems to ensure the sustainability not only of the forest ecosystems but also of the environment of the Langat Basin.
