Established in 1987 ,Celaque National Park encompasses ~ 266 〖Km〗^2. Much controversy exists regarding park as management regimes ( Bruner et al.2001 ).Although the effects of protected-area establishment on local livelihoods is well documented , there are few case studies that examine whether parks experience rates and of land-cover change compared to non-protected areas. Geographers have the perfect suite of tools to undertake such studies.
The area where Celaque National Park was established faces a high demand for land ; it typifies the conflict in many developing nations between land for development and conservation. The park contains the highest mountain peak in Honduras ; but it has been little studied due largely to its inaccessibility . Prior research has land-use changes in this region , which helps inform our interpretations of land-cover change ( Southwort et al.2002 ; Munroe et al.2002 ; Nagendre et al. 2002 ). The park was established relatively recently and so we are able to use satellite imagery of constant spatial , and radiometric resolution ( landsat TM imagery ) to examine whether landscape fragmentation and land-cover change differs within and outside park boundaries since the park´s creation. And thus gain fundamental information to evaluate park effectiveness. Most protected