A new methodology to quantify structural landscape impacts of land use/land cover change using moving window metrics: a case study in a Chilean coastal basin

Land use and land cover changes (LULC) result in alterations to landscape structure, with particularly significant consequences in the landscapes of coastal basins due to their unique characteristics and special sensitivity. The aim of this work was to introduce a new methodology to assess the impac...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Aguilera Benavente, Francisco Israel|||0000-0001-5710-2057, Vergara Fernández, Christian Andrés, Rebolledo Castro, Gonzalo, Peña Cortés, Fernando
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Alcalá (UAH)
Repositorio:e_Buah Biblioteca Digital Universidad de Alcalá
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ebuah.uah.es:10017/59546
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10017/59546
https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11355-023-00572-8
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Moving windows
Spatial landscape metrics
LULC
Systematic transitions
Land use planning
Forest plantation
Geografía
Geography
Descripción
Sumario:Land use and land cover changes (LULC) result in alterations to landscape structure, with particularly significant consequences in the landscapes of coastal basins due to their unique characteristics and special sensitivity. The aim of this work was to introduce a new methodology to assess the impacts of LULC transitions on landscape structure in a coastal basin of the Los Ríos Region in Chile. Changes in landscape patterns were assessed by analysing systematic transitions in conjunction with moving windows landscape metrics and spatial cluster analysis. An index measuring the impact of transitions on landscape structure change (ITSC) was calculated to assess the degree to which each systematic transition contributed to the spatial cluster of landscape change. The proposed method showed that transitions resulting from the replacement of native forest and especially those which involve its transformation into forestry plantations, have the greatest potential impact on landscape structure in the basin. Therefore, planning and management measures must be established to prevent such transitions, so avoiding a massive change in landscape structure.