Abstract

MEZA ELIZALDE, María Constanza  and  ARMENTERAS PASCUAL, Dolors. Land use and vegetation structure in forest remnants of fragmented landscapes in Amazonia, Colombia. Colomb. for. [online]. 2018, vol.21, n.2, pp.205-223. ISSN 0120-0739.  https://doi.org/10.14483/2256201x.12330.

Monitoring land use and knowledge about the vegetation state in forests remnants which are in a rapid fragmentation process are essential to support decision-making on land planning. We undertook a multitemporal analysis of land use change and landscape configuration for the period 1990-2016. Vegetation sampling transects were established in three forest relicts. Our results indicate a loss of 56.34% of forest area, an increase in the patches number, area reduction and a distance increase between the forest fragments. In the sampled forests, the dominance of generalist heliophyte species from disturbed ecosystems was found. Also, we observed a structural complexity reduction of the forest associated with an individuals low density with a DBH ≥ 10 cm in the upper tree layer, showing that landscape fragmentation has led to the forest degradation.

Keywords : multitemporal analysis; tropical rain forest; deforestation; forest degradation; fragmentation; Guaviare; landscape metrics..

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