**2. Methodology for the study**

Sustainability of BTNR is impacted upon by many factors, such as the increasing numbers of urban development around the forest and its resultant edge effects, the rising numbers of forest visitors and their impact on the forest interiors, the perceptions of the urban visitors who shape the forests' future through public participation. This study looks at these issues and analyses (i) the encroachment from non-forested urban development that impacts the forest peripheral environment (ii) the physical impacts of the heavy usage in the forest interiors, and (iii) the perceptions of stakeholders towards this remnant forest that may well influence the future sustainability of the forest.Forest peripheral environment was assessed by measuring the ambient temperature, and relative humidity along the forest boundaries, skirting the urban landuse such as the residential developments and the roads around the forest. Data was then mapped using GIS to ascertain the environmental gradient resulting from edge effects of the development.

To quantify the impact of hiking, jogging on soil properties, a post-impact sampling framework was employed, covering forest, trail, and trail-side segments along the forest paths. Following park-designated hiking trails, measurements were taken along transects through forest, trail and trail-sides, mostly at regular 100m intervals. The results were then compared with adjoining undisturbed forested slopes (used as a control), to ascertain the degree of compaction and other changes trails and trail-side sites have gone through.

Visitors to the forest are an increasingly important factor in determining the future sustainability of the forest. Hence, apart from getting data on visitors visiting the forest, their profiles, usage preferences, surveys were also conducted to assess the perceptions these people have about the forest, its value as a nature reserve, and its services as a nature reserve. It is thought that such perceptions among the public users of the forest may well influence the sustainability of the forest.
