Remote sensing based indicators of changes in a mountain rural landscape of Northeast Portugal

Landscape metrics were used to analyze landscape changes and related driving forces in a mountain rural landscape of Northeast Portugal over three decades. This landscape has great heterogeneity, which favors high levels of diversity and provides for a variety of habitats. The landscape metrics were obtained from land cover maps derived from Landsat images of 1979, 1989 and 2002. Results indicate a trend for increased landscape fragmentation, decrease of annual crop fields (−43%) and, mainly, increase of meadows (+60%). Results relate with decline and aging of the rural population, and to several measures and policies of subsidies implemented in the region in application of the Common Agriculture Policy, which contributed to the replacement of annual crops by meadows. Results are potentially useful to base appropriate policies for landscape management and conservation planning.

► Landscape metrics derived from Landsat images were used to analyze landscape changes.
► Metrics indicate an increase of landscape fragmentation and decrease of annual crops.
► Meadows total area increased and also increased the contiguous areas for this class.
► Results relate with several agri-environmental measures and agricultural policies.
► Population dynamics contributed to annual crops decrease and substitution by meadows.