Dynamics of tropical deforestation around national parks: Remote sensing of forest change on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica

摘要: National parks and biological reserves play an important role in counteracting the effects of tropical deforestation mountainous environments, a leading cause biodiversity loss worldwide. Unfortunately, information is sparse on nature, dynamics, spatial dimension land use cover change processes that contribute to park vulnerability. This article assesses current state landscape fragmentation structure Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, using Landsat Multispectral Scanner Thematic Mapper satellite scenes between 1979 1997. The Peninsula hosts Corcovado Park, which contains only protected region Tropical Wet forest Pacific slopes Mesoamerica, including significant number species are endemic, threatened, or new science. level isolation Park based degree ecosystem degradation produced by frontal processes. Our results indicate proportion covered declined from 97% 91% 1987 89% Total area 977 km2 896 These pose questions regarding effectiveness conservation efforts this mountain biodiversity-rich Mesoamerica.