Changing Landscapes Forest: Implications for its Conservation

Abstract

The forest landscape of southern Chile, which includes Chilean temperate forest ecosystem, has been designated as a hotspot for biodiversity conservation. However, this landscape has been transformed by land-use change. A proper knowledge about how land-use change impact this ecosystem would provide crucial information for planning conservation strategies. At the commune of Arauco – Chile, the impact of the land-use change on the spatial pattern of native forest ecosystem from 1990 to 2010 was evaluated at the landscape level. This evaluation was carried out using satellite images, landscape metrics and spatially explicit models. The loss of native forest ecosystem was of 40.7% (loss rate of 4.39% per year). Conversely, the exotic species plantations increased more than 150%. The number patches of native forest ecosystem increased more than 130%. The size distribution of patches (<100 ha) increased more than 22%. The aggregation index of native forest ecosystem decreased from 62.5 to 40.1. The loss of native forest ecosystem was caused by the expansion of exotic species plantations, which was associated with substantial changes in the spatial pattern of the forest landscape. As a strategy for conservation of the native forest ecosystem we suggest a landscape approach, using the corridor–patch–matrix model. We recommend that this strategy be complemented with land-use planning. Moreover, this strategy must be supported by a framework of environmental policies. We also recommend strengthening the existing ecological restoration programmes and developing new programmes to restore the native forest ecosystem.

Pérdida y fragmentación de ecosistemas boscosos nativos y su influencia en la diversidad de hábitats en el hotspot Andes tropicales

“…Ocho de los 10 ecosistemas boscosos registraron disminución en su agregación, lo que se observó en mayor magnitud para los ecosistemas bs-I, bs-MB y bmh-PM. Algunos estudios han registrado la disminución en la agregación de ecosistemas boscosos debido al incremento del uso de suelo antrópico (Echeverría et al, 2006;Otavo y Echeverría, 2017;Rodríguez-Echeverry, Fuentes et al, 2018). En este estudio, los cultivos incrementaron su área durante los 26 años de estudio, constituyendose en la matriz del paisaje.…”

State of the Landscape and Dynamics of Loss and Fragmentation of Forest Critically Endangered in the Tropical Andes Hotspot: Implications for Conservation Planning

“…We assessed the impact of land-use change and intensification of agricultural and urban land-use on the spatial pattern of Inter-Andean Dry Forest and Tropical Montane Forest by determining the changes of area, patch edge, core area, aggregation, shape, contrast, and proximity metrics (Table 1). The choice of the metrics used was based on the review of studies on landscape metrics that were representative of essential components of the landscape structure, such as the quality of the patches, the edge of the patch, the context of the patch in the landscape, and patch connectivity (Peng et al, 2010;Rodríguez-Echeverry et al, 2018b). The analysis of these metrics was carried out using FRAGSTATS (McGarigal et al, 2013) and the Spatial Analyst extension for ArcGIS 10.4 (ESRI, 2016).…”

Mapping and Environmental Diagnosis in Native Acai Areas in the Amazon

“…Therefore, knowing the spatial variability of soil attributes may assist in the management of areas of native Acai in this ecosystem with the use of geo-technologies, which supports the high-productive potential of the areas with the rich-natural fertility of the soils and productivity in the islands. Thus, Rodríguez-Echeverry et al (2018) recommend that such strategies for changing land use obtained with the use of geotechnologies can serve as crucial information for planning conservation strategies and also for subsidizing programs and other planning and other tools of territorial and environmental management and planning.…”