EVOLUTION OF LAND USE AND LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS IN THE AREA AROUND THE RPPN CAFUNDÓ

Abstract

The objective of this study was to map the land use and occupancy classes and to analyze and quantify the structural changes of scenery, between the years 1970 and 2007, surrounding the Conservation Unit (UC) Private reservation of natural patrimony (PRNP) Cafundó, through the use of landscape ecology indexes. With the land use and occupation map itwas possible to characterize quantitatively, in terms of area, the present classes in the surroundings of the reservation. On the 37 evaluated years there were a few changes in the land use and occupancy surrounding the unit, with the areas mostly dominated by grazing. Landscape ecology metrics or indexes were obtained through the Patch Analyst extension by landscape and class level, and values were obtained for the 10 classes of land use and occupancy. The results of quantitative analysis by the use of metrics pointed to an increase in the fragmentation of the landscape surrounding the Units of Preservation PRNP Cafundó.