Temporal and connectivity analysis of landscapes in the Alto Paranapanema, SP: contributions to ecological conservation and restoration

• Grant number: 24/22579-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Debora Cristina Rother
• Grantee: Luana Lucato Rosalin
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências da Natureza (CCN). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Campus de Lagoa do Sino. Buri , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/12033-2 - Nature-based solutions for multifunctional landscapes management, AP.BTA.R

Abstract

In the development of the Municipal Plans for the Conservation and Restoration of the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado in municipalities of the Alto Paranapanema region (São Paulo), with the participation of UFSCar, a significant deficit in vegetation cover was identified, particularly in Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs), with approximately 50% of these areas being impacted. The reduction in vegetation is largely attributed to the expansion of agriculture and livestock farming, along with the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation-all of which directly affect ecosystem functioning and, consequently, the delivery of ecosystem services. It is essential to reassess the interaction between humans and nature, as well as the ecosystem services in the Alto Paranapanema Basin. This study aims to map and thoroughly analyze 36 landscapes in the region through: 1) processing and delineation of the landscapes; 2) quantification of land use and land cover classes from 1993 to 2023; 3) analysis of land use and land cover transitions over the decades (1993-2003, 2003-2013, 2013-2023); 4) analysis of the current connectivity of each landscape and their ranking based on the degree of connectivity. The results of this project will provide a fundamental database for understanding which landscapes enhance or hinder ecosystem services in agroecosystems studied under the project "Nature-based solutions for the management of multifunctional landscapes" (Biota Transformação, Process No. 23/12033-2).