Spatial and temporal analysis of habitat quality

Objective: This study aims to analyze the spatio-temporal changes in habitat quality associated with land use/land cover (LULC) change and landscape characteristics in the Manisa province from 1995 to 2020. Material and Methods: Open access LULC maps obtained from the European Space Agency (ESA) for the years 1995 and 2020 and Landsat satellite images of the same years were used in the study. After determining LULC changes for 1995 and 2020, habitat quality was modelled and evaluated for these years using the InVEST software's Habitat Quality Module. Results: Between 1995 and 2020, Agricultural Land decreased, and Urban areas increased in the study area. The increase in Shrubland and Forests has improved the Habitat Quality, especially in and near upland areas. Despite these LULC changes, the average Habitat Quality increased very little, with high quality areas increasing and low-quality areas decreasing. Conclusion: This study showed that Habitat Quality can be maintained by managing LULC changes, and that protecting and enhancing vegetation-rich areas would support high Habitat Quality.