Abstract

In the Mediterranean Region, habitatloss and fragmentation severely affect coastalwetlands, due to the rapid expansion of anthropogenicactivities that has occurred in the lastdecades. Landscape metrics are commonly usedto define landscape patterns and to evaluate fragmentationprocesses. This investigation focuses onthe performance of a set of landscape patternindices within landscapes characterized by coastalenvironments and extent below 1,000 ha. The aimis to assess the degree of habitat fragmentationfor the monitoring of protected areas and to learnwhether values of landscape metrics can characterizefine-resolution landscape patterns. Thestudy areas are three coastal wetlands belongingto the Natura 2000 network and sited on theAdriatic side of Apulia (Southern Italy). TheHabitat Maps were derived from the Vegeta-tion Maps generated integrating phytosociologicalrelevés and Earth Observation data. In the threesites, a total of 16 habitat types were detected. Aselected set of landscape metrics was applied inorder to investigate their performance in assessingfragmentation and spatial patterns of habitats.The final results showed that the most significantlandscape patterns are related to highly specializedhabitat types closely linked to coastal environments.In interpreting the landscape patternsof these highly specialized habitats, some specificecological factors were taken into account. Theshape indices were the most useful in assessing thedegree of fragmentation of habitat types that usuallyhave elongated morphology along the shorelineor the coastal lagoons. In all the cases, to bemeaningful, data obtained from the application ofthe selected indices were jointly assessed, especiallyat the class level.

Autore Pugliese

• Tomaselli Valeria Maria Federica

Tutti gli autori

• V. Tomaselli; P. Tenerelli; S. Sciandrello

Titolo volume/Rivista

Environmental monitoring and assessment

Anno di pubblicazione

2011

ISSN

1573-2959

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Numero di citazioni Scopus

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Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Settori ERC

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Codici ASJC

Non Disponibile