usv_Anp_2015_huautla.rar

Vegetation and Land Cover Maps (VLCM) are vital for conducting scientific research in landscape ecology and macroecology. The Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve (REBIOSH) is a national protected area in the central region of Mexico that harbors high biodiversity values and protects one of the greatest remnants of tropical dry forests in central Mexico. However, to date, the reserve only possesses the initial map of land use and vegetation (MLUV) and does not count with an equivalent more recent MLUV that allows to exploration of temporal changes within the REBIOSH. Therefore, we present here a newer MLUV generated from the processing of high spatial resolution satellite images through Geographic Information Systems and reanalyze the spatial data used for the initial map to compare both maps and estimate changes in time. In addition, all the geospatial information of the elements of the area is updated and the current levels of fragmentation of the natural formations were analyzed. Eighteen categories of land use and vegetation were defined, of which nine are associated with the predominant vegetation types in the area. The levels of fragmentation of the natural vegetation are high. This map fills a valuable information gap and will be key to supporting ecological studies to quantify the fundamental components of landscape structure in REBIOSH, as well as assessing the dynamics of abundance, geometric complexity, fragmentation, and other landscape attributes. From there, analyses can be conducted to compare alternative landscape scenarios or to understand changes in landscape conditions over time and provide definitive, quantitative data on the exact relationship between landscape structure and function.