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Land
Special Issues
Landscape Fragmentation: Effects on Biodiversity and Wildlife
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Landscape Fragmentation: Effects on Biodiversity and Wildlife

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Landscape Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1891

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jesús Alejandro Prieto-Amparán

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Periférico Francisco R. Almada km. 1, Chihuahua 31453, Mexico
Interests: landscape fragmentation; biodiversity; habitat conservation; LULC changes; remote sensing; spatial analysis; multi-criteria evaluation
Dr. Federico Villarreal-Guerrero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Periférico Francisco R. Almada km. 1, Chihuahua 31453, Mexico
Interests: landscape fragmentation; biodiversity; land use/land cover changes; ecosystem services; remote sensing; multi-criteria decision-making; eco-hydrology
Dr. Alfredo Pinedo-Alvarez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Periférico Francisco R. Almada km. 1, Chihuahua 31453, Mexico
Interests: landscape fragmentation; biodiversity; habitat connectivity; LULC changes; GIS; remote sensing; ecosystem services; landscape ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Landscape fragmentation is a widespread consequence of changes in land use and land cover, particularly in forested and semi-desert areas. This process, driven by factors such as population growth, agricultural expansion, urbanization, and climate change, disrupts ecological connectivity, degrades habitat quality, and poses significant threats to biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Understanding the impacts of landscape fragmentation on biodiversity and wildlife in these critical regions is crucial for developing targeted strategies that mitigate its effects and ensure the sustainability of ecosystems and the services they provide.

This Special Issue focuses on advancing the understanding of the ecological, spatial and functional consequences of landscape fragmentation in forest and semi-desert ecosystems. By integrating advanced tools and analyses such as remote sensing, spatial analysis, ecological connectivity models, machine learning and multi-criteria decision making, this collection aims to shed light on the spatial dynamics, habitat fragmentation and ecological processes that influence biodiversity and ecosystem services. The goal is to inform conservation planning, habitat restoration, and sustainable land management with practical, data-driven approaches.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Impacts of landscape fragmentation in forested and semidesert ecosystems on biodiversity, ecological connectivity, and ecosystem services.
  • Habitat biodiversity modeling and species distribution in fragmented forested and semidesert landscapes.
  • Applications of advanced remote sensing techniques, GIS, and geomatics for assessing and monitoring fragmentation in forested and semidesert areas.
  • Multi-criteria evaluation and decision-making tools for prioritizing restoration and conservation efforts in fragmented ecosystems.
  • Scenario analysis of land use/land cover changes and their projected impacts on biodiversity and ecological resilience in forested and semidesert environments.
  • Integration of eco-hydrological processes in understanding and mitigating the effects of landscape fragmentation on water resources and ecosystem sustainability.
  • Exploration of machine learning and spatial analysis tools for predicting the long-term impacts of landscape dynamics on biodiversity.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions that adopt interdisciplinary approaches and innovative methodologies to explore the challenges and solutions associated with landscape fragmentation, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem sustainability.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Jesús Alejandro Prieto-Amparán
Dr. Federico Villarreal-Guerrero
Dr. Alfredo Pinedo-Alvarez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • landscape fragmentation and biodiversity conservation
  • ecological connectivity modeling
  • land use/land cover changes (LULCC)
  • habitat quality (HQ)
  • ecosystem services
  • remote sensing and spatial pattern analysis
  • machine learning applications
  • multi-criteria evaluation
  • sustainable land management
  • artificial intelligence in landscape analysis

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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22 pages, 11326 KB  
Article
Multitemporal Analysis of Tree Cover, Fragmentation, Connectivity, and Climate in Coastal Watersheds of Oaxaca, Mexico
by Manuel Juárez-Morales, Juan Regino-Maldonado, Juan José Von Thaden Ugalde, Fernando Gumeta-Gómez, Alfonso Vásquez-López and Jaime Ruíz-Vega
Land 2025, 14(9), 1808; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14091808 - 5 Sep 2025
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Abstract
The synergistic interaction between landscape fragmentation and climate change poses a critical threat to tropical forests. However, the long-term dynamics of these coupled pressures have been little explored. This study analyzes half a century (1979–2023) of changes in landscape structure and climate across [...] Read more.
The synergistic interaction between landscape fragmentation and climate change poses a critical threat to tropical forests. However, the long-term dynamics of these coupled pressures have been little explored. This study analyzes half a century (1979–2023) of changes in landscape structure and climate across five coastal watersheds in Oaxaca, Mexico a region of high biological and socio-economic diversity. Using multitemporal satellite imagery (Corona, Orthophotos, RapidEye and Planet), we quantified the trajectories of tree cover, fragmentation (Largest Patch Index, LPI; Simpson’s Diversity Index, SIDI), and connectivity (Probability of Connectivity Index, PC); and contrasted these with temperature and precipitation trends. Our results reveal that during the period 1979–2010, there was a slight increase in tree cover accompanied by positive landscape metrics, whereas in the period 2010–2023 a loss of tree cover was observed. Nonetheless, overall, between 1979 and 2023, the analysis indicates a net gain of 59,725 ha of tree cover, a reduction in fragmentation (LPI increased by 26.33% and SIDI decreased by 0.23), and an improvement in connectivity (PC increased by 0.35). During the same period, the average annual temperature increased by 2.3 °C, and precipitation decreased by 219 mm annually. The study concludes that the system is undergoing a transition from a spatial configuration limitation to a climate-induced habitat quality limitation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Fragmentation: Effects on Biodiversity and Wildlife)
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18 pages, 30453 KB  
Article
Does a Time-Lagged Effect Exist Between Landscape Pattern Changes and Giant Panda Density?
by Qingxia Zhao, Qifeng Zhu, Jiqin Huang, Yueduo Cui, Yutai Liu, Dong Chen and Xuelin Jin
Land 2025, 14(5), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14051075 - 15 May 2025
Viewed by 514
Abstract
Land use and land cover change (LULCC) can influence giant panda distributions by altering landscape structure and configuration. However, the spatial impacts and potential time lag effects of landscape pattern changes on giant pandas remain underexplored. In this study, we applied a random [...] Read more.
Land use and land cover change (LULCC) can influence giant panda distributions by altering landscape structure and configuration. However, the spatial impacts and potential time lag effects of landscape pattern changes on giant pandas remain underexplored. In this study, we applied a random forest classification method to analyze LULCC in 1990, 2000, and 2010, alongside calculating a set of landscape metrics to assess changes in landscape fragmentation, connectivity, and diversity. Random forest regression models were then used to evaluate the spatial relationships between landscape metrics and giant panda density, with the aim of identifying whether a time lag effect exists. The results revealed the following: (1) The random forest classification achieved high land use classification accuracy. Forests remained the dominant land cover, occupying approximately 97% of the study area throughout the period, with only minor fluctuations observed among other land use types. (2) Landscape metrics indicated increasing landscape fragmentation, connectivity, and diversity. While increased landscape fragmentation can negatively impact giant panda habitat, improvements in landscape connectivity and diversity could mitigate these effects by preserving movement corridors and enhancing habitat accessibility. (3) The strongest correlations between giant panda density and landscape metrics were observed when the time points aligned. Landscape metrics from 2010 showed the highest correlation with the 4th NGPS (around 2010), and landscape metrics from 2000 had the highest correlation with the 3rd NGPS (around 2000). The results revealed that giant panda density responded most strongly to contemporary landscape pattern changes, suggesting an immediate response. However, correlations with earlier landscape metrics also suggest that a relatively weak time lag effect may be present. All landscape metrics were derived from remote sensing data, enabling scalable and repeatable GIS-based analysis. These findings highlight the utility of spatial landscape indicators for monitoring species distribution patterns and underscore the importance of maintaining and enhancing habitat connectivity within giant panda conservation efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Fragmentation: Effects on Biodiversity and Wildlife)
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