Fragmentation has become a central issue in landscape ecology and conservation. The breaking up of large land areas into smaller patches is known to influence many ecological patterns and processes. Thus, landscape fragmentation needs to be assessed and monitored. In this study of the Lockyer Creek Catchment in Queensland, landscape fragmentation was quantified using 1973 and 1997 Landsat images and other thematic layers. Landscape metrics (focusing on the size, shape, density, and isolation of woody vegetation) were calculated using the Patch Analyst (Grid) extension of ArcView GIS. The nature of fragmentation was further characterised based on landscape features including land use/cover, tenure, slope, as well as distance to roads and streams
