Landscape dynamics of the aeolian savanna: Santos Luzardo National Park 1988–2018

Abstract

This research defines the savanna aeolian landscape dynamics of the ‘Santos Luzardo’ National Park in the Llanos of Venezuela between 1988 and 2018, using images from the LANDSAT series to elaborate and compare ecosystems maps. The ecosystem dynamics show that the landscape changes naturally since the transitions occurred towards other types of natural savanna due to soil water seasonality. The savannas are the dominant matrix of the landscape, occupying between 69.1 and 76.7%. The dynamics of transformation of the aeolian savanna landscape are mainly associated with soil water content. The application of temporal studies contributes to understanding the aeolian savanna landscape transformation processes and evaluating their conservation status.