Abstract

VEGA-VELA, Valeria et al. Analysis of landscape fragmentation in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Veracruz, Mexico. Ecosistemas y recur. agropecuarios [online]. 2018, vol.5, n.14, pp.227-238. ISSN 2007-901X.  https://doi.org/10.19136/era.a5nl4.1442.

Landscape analysis characterizes ecological structure and functioning to propose mitigation strategies for addressing environmental problems. The objective was to analyze the spatial configuration of landscape elements in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve (LTBR), from 1995, 2006 and 2016 LANDSAT images. These were rectified and classified according to the land cover and use types; each one was analyzed with landscape metrics using FRAGSTATS 3.3 software. For 2016, 60% of the landscape corresponds to an agricultural profile, with 95% aggregation and a matrix density of 0.9; acahual (fallow land) constitutes 77.62% of the landscape and is composed of 6 242 fragments, with dispersed and disaggregated cover, with a density of 4.05; rainforest/cloud forest (CF) accounts for 27% of the landscape with 2 141 fragments, 94.9% aggregation and a matrix density of 1.38. The rainforest/CF is the cover with the highest connectivity index, so actions must be taken to conserve these areas and even increase them, while the acahuales are in processes of ecological succession and those that are transitioning to rainforest must be identified, to channel these properties as private conservation areas. The LTBR is increasing the rainforest/CF, acahual and mangrove cover and diminishing the agricultural matrix, which leads to the conservation of biodiversity.

Keywords : Protected natural area; conservation; rainforest; mangrove; disturbance.

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