Spatialization of the remnants of grasslands (estepes) national park in the campos gerais, paraná, brazil

SPATIALIZATION OF THE REMNANTS OF GRASSLANDS (ESTEPES) NATIONAL PARK IN THE CAMPOS GERAIS, PARANÁ, BRAZIL

KARINE DALAZOANA
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geografia, UEPG, Paraná, BR
TIAGO AUGUSTO BARBOSA
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geografia, UEPG, Paraná, BR
GABRIEL GOMES RAMOS
Graduação em Agronomia, UEPG, Paraná, BR
Rosemeri Segecin Moro
Departamento de Biologia Geral, UEPG, Paraná, BR
CARLOS HUGO ROCHA
Departamento de Ciência do Solo e Engenharia Agrícola, UEPG, Paraná, BR

Introduction
The National Park of Campos Gerais, located in the Second Plateau of Paraná, hosts a mosaic of fragments with native Araucaria and grasslands and high diversity of natural environments, species and endemics. The study area covers a selected place in the reverse of the Devonian Escarpment, focusing in the grasslands as unit of analysis. This landscape is highly threatened by the expansion of the agribusiness and little understood in its space.

Methods
The map of land use was obtained through the analysis of 2005 SPOT images, provided by Paraná Cidade, a state agency for urban planning. We calculated the number of remnant patches (larger than 1,000 m2) for each type (class) of vegetation, perimeter and area of fragments, and the circularity index (CI). Remnant Patches by type were grouped into size classes, and these data were interpreted based on patterns observed in satellite images and field observations.

Results
In an area of 6.952 ha were identified 616 fragments corresponding to 3.781 ha of native grasslands; 74% characterized as Wet Grasslands, 7% as Rocky Grasslands and 19% as Dry Grasslands. We identify 548 patches smaller than 10 ha, totaling an area of 808.2 ha; there are 40 patches between 10 and 25 ha with 610,7 ha; 13 patches between 25 and 50 with 415.7 ha; and 15 fragments over 50 ha, totaling 1,946.4 ha. The average index of circularity to the dry grasslands was 0.54, 0.49 to the rocky grasslands, and 0.60 to the wet grasslands.

Discussion