Sujit Kumar
Zoology
September 2025
This research examined the different ways that human activities impacted forest ecology, biodiversity, and conservation. Using a descriptive-analytical research design, the analysis of data from 50 forest locations included protected forests, community forests, wildlife habitats, and watershed/riverine through field surveys, direct observations, and secondary sources including records from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and satellite imagery of last several years. This analysis found that deforestation and agriculture are the first and second drivers of forest degradation with losses of considerable amounts of habitat, habitat fragmentation, and loss of species richness, both flora and fauna. Urbanization, forestry, mining, and tourism contribute to these ecological impacts; increasing habitat degradation and threatening ecosystem stability. The ecological state of forests is most affected from human activities in wildlife habitats and community forests with protected and watershed forests being least impacted due to regulations, including conservation and limiting human access in protected areas. Overall, the findings demonstrate the importance of developing a more comprehensive forest ecosystem management plan that resulted in a balance between protecting habitats, land use planning, community participation, reforestation programs, and strong policy standards to reduce the impacts of human activities on forest ecosystems. Developing and supporting resilient forest ecosystems that promote biodiversity, a diverse array of ecosystem services, and environmental sustainability are recommended.
640- 652
© Airo Journals 2021
