Applying ecological landscape concepts and metrics in urban landscape management

Abstract

The concepts of Landscape Ecology applied to urban planning may favor the hierarchical classification of vegetation fragments, identifying the most important ones according to the city zones’ land use. We present the case study of Sao Goncalo do Rio Abaixo, a town that is going through a deep transformation process due to the iron mining activities in the Iron Quadrangle in the state of Minas Gerais. The methodological process presupposes the classification of RapidEye satellite images and mapping of use and land cover; application of landscape metrics (area, perimeter, distance to nearest neighbor, core area, shape index and NRVI); and the integration of metrics using multi-criteria evaluation. Areas that are appropriate for the application of public policies, which promote the management of the vegetation cover, have been identified. These comprise not only the institutional green areas but also private properties, since the vegetation cover must be understood as a systemic network.