https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8639-2567
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Abstract
Understanding the effects of land use on landscape configuration as a proxy for ecological connectivity is necessary to envision territorial management and planning and promote natural resource conservation. This study aimed to identify the landscape configurations that resulted from land-cover change processes within the Paraguayan Pantanal Ecoregion (PPE), one of the largest and most biodiverse wetlands, in 1987, 2004, and 2020, with a special emphasis on forest and aquatic vegetation spatial patterns. Forest fragmentation between 1987 and 2020 was determined using landscape ecology metrics. In 1987, natural vegetation was highly connected, with two main forest patches of 12 887 and 15 910 km2. However, in 2004 and 2020, several categories of forest patches were identified, with the largest measuring 9197 and 2461 km2, respectively. Although forest and aquatic vegetation remnants remained viable in 2020, appropriate measures to reduce forest loss should be adopted to ensure the long-term viability of PPE biodiversity.
Acknowledgements
We extend our sincere gratitude to the ESPACE laboratory (Étude des Structures et des Processus d‘Adaptation et des Changements de l‘Espace), Université Côte d‘Azur, for their invaluable support in providing the necessary resources to conduct this research project. Additionally, we appreciate the valuable comments and suggestions provided by the reviewers.
Disclosure statement
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. All co-authors have seen and agree with the contents of the manuscript and there is no financial interest to report. We certify that the submission is original work and is not under review at any other publication.
Data availability statement
The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article, including its supplementary materials located in the Appendix section.
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Notes on contributors
Iris Carolina Valdez Achucarro
Iris Carolina Valdez Achucarro is a Ph.D. candidate in Geography at the ESPACE laboratory (Étude des Structures et des Processus d‘Adaptation et des Changements de l‘Espace), Université Côte d‘Azur. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Asunción and a master’s degree in Environmental Geography from the Université de Strasbourg. Her research focuses on analysing land cover dynamics and their implications for landscape configuration and the living conditions of inhabitants, with a particular emphasis on the Paraguayan Pantanal Ecoregion.
Julien Andrieu
Julien Andrieu is an assistant professor of geography at Université Côte d‘Azur, UMR CNRS ESPACE. His research focuses on the spatial analysis of vegetation, with a specialisation in remote sensing applied to mangrove dynamics.
Stéphane Bouissou
Stéphane Bouissou is a professor at the University of Côte d‘Azur and a member of the ESPACE laboratory (UMR 7300). Most of his research career has been dedicated to the study of fracture processes in superficial geological levels, with applications in the prevention of land-based hazards and natural resource management. In recent years, he has reoriented his research towards the reterritorialization of food systems and the evaluation of their environmental impacts. He is also actively involved in several professional training courses oriented towards socio-ecological transition. Since 2006, he has been the director of the GEDD (Gestion de l‘Environnement et Développement Durable) master’s degree. Additionally, since 2017, he has been responsible for the School Diploma in Sustainable Food Project Management, a program co-constructed with the City of Mouans-Sartoux and the association Un Plus Bio.