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Landscapes Forest and Global Change - ESA - Escola Superior ...

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F. Peña-Cortés et al. 2010. Spatial <strong>and</strong> temporal dynamics <strong>and</strong> future trends of change in La Araucania, Chile<br />

85<br />

Spatial <strong>and</strong> temporal dynamics <strong>and</strong> future trends of change in the<br />

coastal l<strong>and</strong>scape of La Araucania, Chile<br />

Fern<strong>and</strong>o Peña-Cortés 1* , Daniel Rozas 1 , Enrique Hauenstein 1 , Carlos Bertrán 2 , Jaime<br />

Tapia 3 & Marco Cisternas 4<br />

1 Laboratorio de Planificación Territorial, Escuela de Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de<br />

Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Chile<br />

2 Instituto de Zoología, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile<br />

3 Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Talca, Chile<br />

4 Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Pontificia Universidad<br />

Católica de Valparaíso, Chile<br />

Summary<br />

In the coastal rim of La Araucania l<strong>and</strong> use has significantly changed during the last 100 years<br />

mainly due to anthropic effects, though to significant natural events too. The aim of this study is<br />

to identify the direction <strong>and</strong> magnitude of change patterns that l<strong>and</strong>scape units have had from<br />

1980 to 2007. The analysis was made in base of information obtained by remote sensing <strong>and</strong><br />

cadastral mapping of vegetation, evaluating the change of spatial patterns to propose a<br />

prospective model to 2017. The prospective method was based on Markov chain <strong>and</strong> Cellular<br />

automata. The results show significant changes in usage patterns, denoting especially forest<br />

expansion <strong>and</strong> fragmentation of natural habitats. For the year 2017, the survey indicates a trend<br />

of maintaining the forest, although, however, is expected for a stabilization in the fragmentation<br />

process.<br />

Keywords: Coastal rim, l<strong>and</strong>scape units, time series, Markov chains.<br />

1. Introduction<br />

The change in l<strong>and</strong> use is one of the most relevant events in the relation between man <strong>and</strong><br />

environment. While in many cases the spatial configuration of the territory is due to natural<br />

events, are human activities, in particular, economic activity, one of the main agents of change<br />

modelers (Van der Veen & Otter 2001; Fan et al. 2008; Koomen et al. 2008).<br />

According to Peña-Cortés et al. (2009), original l<strong>and</strong> use in coastal watersheds of La Araucania<br />

has significantly changed in the last 100 years. L<strong>and</strong>scape has been strongly altered by man <strong>and</strong><br />

by important natural events like the earthquake <strong>and</strong> tsunami of 1960, <strong>and</strong> the recent one from<br />

February 2010, creating a cultural l<strong>and</strong>scape dominated by an agricultural matrix <strong>and</strong> a matrix<br />

exponential occupation of forest from 30 years ago. In this sense, temporal analysis of<br />

l<strong>and</strong>scape dynamics provides us with, on the one h<strong>and</strong>, some relevant information about<br />

ecological processes associated to magnitude <strong>and</strong> direction of the changes (Torrejón & Cisternas<br />

2002; Bender et al.2005; Peña et al. 2006), also a historical synthesis of socio-economic events<br />

which resulted in the territory, <strong>and</strong> the evolution of state policies concerning the use of natural<br />

resources.<br />

* Corresponding author. Tel.: 56-45-205469 - Fax: 56-45-205469<br />

Email address: fpena@uct.cl<br />

<strong>Forest</strong> <strong>L<strong>and</strong>scapes</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Global</strong> <strong>Change</strong>-New Frontiers in Management, Conservation <strong>and</strong> Restoration. Proceedings of the IUFRO L<strong>and</strong>scape Ecology<br />

Working Group International Conference, September 21-27, 2010, Bragança, Portugal. J.C. Azevedo, M. Feliciano, J. Castro & M.A. Pinto (eds.)<br />

2010, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal.

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