Trends in fragmentation and connectivity of Paspalum quadrifarium grasslands in the Buenos Aires province, Argentina.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite its wide distribution worldwide, only 4.6% of temperate grasslands are included within systems of protected areas. In Argentina, this situation is even more alarming: only 1.05% is protected. The study area (central area of the southern Salado River basin) has a large extent of grasslands of Paspalum quadrifarium (Pq) which has been target since the middle of the last century of a variety of agricultural management practices including fire burning for cattle grazing.

Methods

Five binary images of presence-absence data of Pq from a 42-year range (1974-2016) derived from a land cover change study were used as base data. Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA), Morphological Change Detection (MCD) and Network Connectivity Analysis (NCA) were perf

SUBMITTER: Gandini ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6397632 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature