Landscape Fragmentation at Arauco Province in the Chilean Forestry Model Context (1976–2016)

Land Cover–Land Use Changes (LULCC) and landscape fragmentation have been a common research topic for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) scientists since the middle of 20th century; particularly, they helped to make accessible spatial characteristics land management through time. We researched LULCC in Arauco Province Chile using satellite image analysis (1976–2016) FRAGSTAT software. This area is constant struggle use between agroindustry, urban sprawl, expansion exotic plantations (pine-eucalyptus) subsidized by Chilean government. The main results are: (1) we obtained surface percentages each cover , (2) net changes adding losing (ha), (3) transition map that enlightens transformations its four processes substitution, abandonment, habilitation, regeneration degradation, (4) native forest loss first half period (1976–2001) was 1.85%/year, meanwhile second (2001–2016) it 6.5%/year, (5) occurred patches deforestation driver, (6) aggregation changed started substitution forest, (7) habilitation agricultural lands degradation wooded masses with species increased their 90%.