Análisis multitemporal del cambio de cobertura vegetal en el área de conservación La Capilla, Cañar

Abstract

A multitemporal analysis of vegetation cover change in the La Capilla conservation area, in the Cañar canton, during the period from 1986 to 2021 was carried out. Using Landsat satellite images and by generating spectral signatures, a supervised classification of nine categories of occupation was carried out. The objective was to identify significant changes in the different vegetation covers of the study area over 35 years. A table of evolution and annual rate of change of the area was applied together with a cross-tabulation matrix analysis. In general terms, native forest cover increased considerably during the periods from 2001 to 2021. This increase was temporarily affected by the development of pine plantation forest cover between 1996 and 2001. After this period, an increasing trend of native forest recovery was observed. On the other hand, shrub vegetation showed a decreasing trend until 2016, recovering slightly in 2021. The main patterns of change within the study area are related to accidental fires and soil degradation, the latter conditioned by past cattle ranching. The strategy of earmarking the area for conservation has generally worked. However, more active restoration measures and integration of more sustainable productive measures are needed due to the strong anthropic pressure on the area's borders. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring and conserving vegetation cover in La Capilla to mitigate environmental impacts and guarantee the provision of ecosystem services