Aims: This study assessed six-year changes (2018–2023) in the vegetation cover of Golestan National Park, a critical habitat for the vulnerable urial sheep (Ovis vignei). The research specifically sought to quantify transformations in forest, woodland, and grassland classes and evaluate the implications of these changes for urial sheep habitat quality using a landscape-ecology approach.
Materials & Methods: Landsat 8 satellite imagery from 2018 and 2023 was analyzed using supervised classification in ENVI 5.6 and ArcGIS to produce vegetation maps categorized into forest, woodland, and grassland. Changes in habitat structure were quantified using six landscape metrics: class area (CA), percentage of landscape (PLAND), number of patches (NP), mean patch size (MPS), total edge (TE), and edge density (ED).
Findings: The analysis revealed a marked transformation in the park’s vegetation structure. Forest cover declined by 373 ha and woodland by 2,784 ha, while grassland, the urial sheep’s preferred habitat, expanded by 3,152 ha. Landscape metrics indicated a consolidation of grassland habitats, as evidenced by increases in CA and PLAND, decreases in NP, and increases in MPS. In contrast, forests and woodlands exhibited signs of fragmentation, with increasing NP and decreasing MPS.
Conclusion: The findings highlight a significant shift in the landscape of Golestan National Park, characterized by the fragmentation of forest and woodland and the consolidation and expansion of grasslands. This transformation is likely to enhance habitat suitability for the urial sheep. The study provides a scientific basis for developing targeted management and conservation strategies to maintain habitat quality and ensure the long-term sustainability of the urial sheep population.