Abstract Landscape fragmentation is a growing problem throughout the region of Jabal al-Akhdar in northeastern Libya where forest fragmentation has been a common occurrence in the past few decades. A greater part of the surviving shrub cover in the upper and lower terraces of Jabal al-Akhdar and their escarpments consist of isolated patches and disconnected corridors. The primary cause of fragmentation is agricultural development, especially clearing the land for dry farming. This paper presents some of the principles of landscape ecology as they pertain to the management of natural resources. A further aim is to enhance public awareness of the negative effects of natural habitat disturbance and give an overview of a method for evaluating the processes and effects of land use change at the landscape level. In this regard, the use of satellite images can greatly enhance the visual assessment of land cover dynamics at a particular time and space.