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.
