Transformation dynamics of the natural cover in the Dry Chaco ecoregion: A plot level geo-database from 1976 to 2012.

VALLEJOS, M.; VOLANTE, J.; MOSCIARIO, M.J.; VALE, L.; BUSTAMANTE, L.; PARUELO, J.M.

JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2015 vol. 123 p. 3 - 11

0140-1963

The aim of this work is to characterize the spatial and temporal dynamics of natural cover change in the Dry Chaco ecoregion from 1976 to 2012, using Landsat satellite imagery. The study area includes a total of 50 Landsat scenes, including Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia. This is the first study based on tracking individual transformed plots, including the entire Dry Chaco region, covering more than 30 years and using the same protocol. Dry forests in this region have one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. Until the end of 2012 approximately 15.8 million ha of natural habitats were transformed into croplands or pastures. Our study revealed that the greater annual rates of change were observed in Paraguay, where deforestation increased dramatically in the last decade, reaching values higher than 4.0 % in 2010, the highest historical value in the entire region. The size of the transformed plots increased significantly for the period studied in Argentina and Paraguay, while in Bolivia decreased. At the landscape level, the use of several indices of fragmentation showed the disruption of the continuity and connectivity of the natural vegetation. The spatially explicit description of the dynamics of transformed areas is an indispensable tool for natural resources management, territorial planning and deforestation impacts research, among others. The database is then available on request for further analyses and use upon request.