Analysis of forest fragmentation and connectivity in the sub-basin of the tapezco river, Costa Rica: Connecting the forest to protect water

Abstract

Rural areas are exposed to forest fragmentation processes due to the development of environmentally unsustainable agricultural activities. This article studies the forest fragmentation and connectivity in an agricultural sub-basin to the northwest of the Central Valley of Costa Rica. By using gis applications, a connectivity network was established based on vegetation linkages from the drainage network. Results showed that fragmentation of the sub-basin is differential, depending on the distribution and intensity of land use. Thus, the higher areas feature a greater coverage and a greater continuity of the forest, while in the lower areas, the remnant vegetation is located almost exclusively along the river banks. The uses generating the greatest fragmentation are horticultural crops, followed by grasses, grasses with dispersed trees, and, to a lesser extent, urban uses, generally found along communication routes.