ANALYSIS OF LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE URBAN-RURAL GRADIENT OF THE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT OF QUITO
ANALYSIS OF LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE URBAN-RURAL GRADIENT OF THE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT OF QUITO

Summary/Abstract: The relocation of services in the peripheries and the new urban expansion patterns have dramatically altered the periurban landscapes. However, due to its transformation speed, there is limited knowledge regarding the spatiotemporal changes of these interstitial territories. By calculating landscape metrics in high resolution satellite images, this research analyses spatiotemporal transformations in the Metropolitan District of Quito urban-rural gradient, testing a novel and accurate method to identify urbanisation tendencies. The results evidence the main role that new road infrastructures have had in urban expansion. Also, the analyses reveal significant changes in agricultural coverages (related to the subdivision of rural lots) and the processes of vegetation fragmentation, evidencing the environmental fragility of these territories in transformation. Finally, the Markov chains modelling technique was applied, exploring the landscape change probabilities in the following years. This methodology can be particularly useful in land-use planning policies since it provides precise knowledge about the main tendencies of urbanisation

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