Conectividade estrutural em redes de fragmentos florestais

Abstract

The fragmentation of native vegetation on the North Coast of Paraíba compromises the continuity of remaining forests and reduces the landscape's capacity to sustain ecological flows, reinforcing the need for spatial analyses applied to conservation. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the structural connectivity of the Forest Formation class in the landscape, based on graph theory, under different distance scenarios, seeking to evaluate the landscape's response to different dispersion scales, understand the structural role of each patch, and identify priority fragments. The study covers the North Coast Microregion of Paraíba, using land use and land cover data from MapBiomas in 2024, processed in a geographic information system and a connectivity modeling program. Remnants of Forest Formation were extracted and simulated in different dispersion scenarios. The results indicated a fragmented landscape, with a low proportion of forest cover and a predominance of small patches. Connectivity increased with increasing distance, but remained low, revealing a poorly integrated structure; that is, the identified connectivity patterns are robust, as they do not vary even in different distance scenarios. It was also found that a few fragments are of greater importance for maintaining the network, including extensive remnants and strategically positioned patches. It is concluded that regional structural connectivity depends on the conservation of the largest remnants and connecting fragments, whose maintenance can strengthen environmental planning and conservation actions.