Spatial modeling for the definition of priority and strategic areas for the restoration of degraded lands aiming at increasing connectivity of indigenous lands in the Western Amazon
Land Use; Analytical Hierarchy Process; Landscape Metrics; Indigenous Lands; Forest Fragment
The state of Rondonia has a history of territorial occupation characterized by policies promoting the removal of natural forests, replaced by economic activities such as agriculture and cattle ranching. These practices have resulted in significant loss of forest cover in the region. In this context, the definition of priority areas for conservation and restoration represents a critical step in designing territorial management strategies, guiding the expansion of anthropogenic activities. This study aims to map and analyze land use and land cover in the Zona da Mata region of Rondonia, employing remote sensing imagery and geoprocessing techniques to validate geospatial data within Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The focus is on identifying priority degraded areas for restoration. For this purpose, Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) integrated with GIS was applied, combined with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) methods. The analysis considered five factors for identifying priority areas for restoration and four factors for proposing ecological corridors, assigning distinct weights based on environmental fragility or conservation significance. The result is a synthesized map ranking these areas. The land cover and use maps reveal an intense conversion of natural vegetation into areas for anthropogenic activities, predominantly pastures, with a high degree of territorial fragmentation observed in the region. According to the priority areas map, 43.47% of the territory was classified as low or very low priority for forest restoration, 35.22% as medium priority, and 21.31% as high or very high priority. The study demonstrated that multicriteria analysis techniques integrated with GIS provide an effective tool for allocating priority areas for restoration and proposing ecological corridors. As a flexible method, it allows the use of multiple factors, is easy to implement, and produces maps offering practical solutions to support actions aimed at slowing deforestation processes.