A study of the human impact of Pompakale urban forest park in Rathnapura Divisional Secretariat Division.

Abstract

Our environment is deteriorating for the last two centuries and almost every part of the planet has been touched by it in one way or the other. The increasing population in urban areas has grown human intervention in forests. This research investigates the human impact on the urban forest park. The Pompakale forest park of Ratnapura Town North Grama Niladhari Division of Rathnapura divisional secretariat was selected as the study area. Primary and secondary data were used for this research. Primary data were collected using questionnaires, focus group discussion, and field observation while secondary data was collected reports, magazines, books, and the internet. The survey was done 30 selected individuals under the simple random sampling method. The satellite images obtained via google earth and those images were compared by a different time scale. The analysis was showed that 35.5% of hectares of wilderness, in 1913, and it has decreased up to 13.5% in 2010. The study suggests that the forest department should acquire the power to protect the Pompakale forest and the biological value.