ARTÍCULO
TITULO

Spatial patterns over a 24-year period show an increase in native vegetation cover and decreased fragmentation in Andean temperate landscapes, Chile

Robert Petitpas    
José Tomás Ibarra    
Marcelo Miranda    
Cristián Bonacic    

Resumen

Changes in landscape pattern were studied in a temperate landscape of the La Araucanía Region, Chile. Using aerial photographs from 1983 and 2007, we created land use/land cover maps. We then quantified the changes in composition and configuration by using landscape metrics and an adjacency matrix. By 2007, the dominant land cover had changed from agriculture to native vegetation. Residential areas showed the largest relative increase (670%) and had significant adjacency with native vegetation. The native vegetation increased by 375 ha, but the number of patches decreased by 45% and the mean patch area increased by 124%, which indicated that fragmentation decreased. The growth of tourism and the preference for ?natural? spaces by new residents are suggested as the main drivers of this native vegetation recovery. Understanding the process of forest recovery may be helpful for reversing the general trend of forest loss in temperate forests of South America. This research is a first approach in exploring specific cases of native vegetation recovery and decreases in fragmentation in this Global Biodiversity Hotspot. Los cambios en los patrones espaciales fueron estudiados en un paisaje templado de la región de La Araucanía, Chile. Se hicieron mapas de cobertura y uso del suelo a partir de fotografías aéreas de los años 1983 y 2007. Los cambios en composición y configuración del paisaje se obtuvieron a partir de métricas y una matriz de adyacencia. Para el año 2007, la cobertura dominante cambió desde agricultura a vegetación nativa. Las áreas residenciales presentaron el mayor aumento porcentual (670%) y una importante relación de adyacencia con la vegetación nativa. La vegetación nativa aumentó en 375 ha, pero el número de parches de esta disminuyó en un 45% y el área media de los parches aumentó un 124%, lo que indica una disminución en la fragmentación. El incremento del turismo y la preferencia de espacios naturales entre los nuevos residentes del área sería la principal fuerza de cambio detrás de la recuperación de la vegetación nativa. Considerando la pérdida actual de la vegetación nativa en el área, se hace importante que futuros estudios consideren casos específicos de recuperación de esta, para así entender los factores asociados a este proceso. Esta investigación es una primera aproximación para entender la recuperación y disminución de la fragmentación de la vegetación nativa de los ecosistemas templados de América del Sur.

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