Dinâmica de fragmentação e perda de habitat em uma região alvo de interesse de complexos eólicos no semiárido brasileiro

Abstract

Fragmentation is the process of habitat transformation and configuration in which the total forest area is reduced into several smaller fragments. In seasonally dry forests, the main areas have been fragmented primarily to accommodate various exploitative land use practices, such as agriculture, livestock farming, and, more recently, the construction of wind energy complexes. The first objective of this study was to investigate the primary spatio-temporal changes in the Caatinga vegetation and assess its potential habitat loss and fragmentation in the Seridó region of the Brazilian semi-arid zone. The second objective was to compare the spatial distribution of the largest forest fragments and wind turbines with contour line data, which represent elevation relative to sea level. This study utilized a historical series of satellite images spanning from 1985 to 2023, obtained from the MapBiomas Project Collection 9.0. Using QGIS software version 3.28, these images were reprojected and reclassified into the following land use categories: Forest, Agriculture, Non-Forest Natural Formation, Water Bodies, and Non-Vegetated Areas. Additionally, Fragstats 4.2 software was employed to calculate landscape metrics, including total area, percentage of area, number of fragments, and aggregation index. The analysis revealed a decrease in forest cover from 56.6% in 1985 to 46.8% in 2023, indicating an increase in habitat loss and fragmentation. Furthermore, the study highlighted that new wind energy developments are targeting higher-altitude areas, which are considered strategic for wind energy exploitation. This trend poses a significant threat to theseregions, contributing to increased habitat fragmentation and loss.