Abstract
This research tested the applicability of landscape indices for monitoring landscapes in a heavily disturbed environment. Landscape indices were calculated from land cover maps based on Landsat TM data using FRAGSTATS. According to the results, considerable land cover change occurred from 1985 to 1999 due to economic development. In the assessment of landscape structure, forest and agriculture patch types were progressively subdivided into smaller, morphologically simpler as a result of human land use activities. Diversity and configuration of landscape patterns increased, especially in the patches adjacent to forest edge and agriculture. Future research will be directed towards the detection of correlations between landscape patterns and specific environmental and socioeconomic landscape functions.
