Spatial patterns transformation due to deforestation in the Paraguayan Pantanal Ecoregion from 1987 to 2020

Understanding the effects of land use on landscape configuration as a proxy for ecological connectivity is necessary to envision territorial management and planning and promote natural resource conservation. This study aimed to identify the landscape configurations that resulted from land-cover change processes within the Paraguayan Pantanal Ecoregion (PPE), one of the largest and most biodiverse wetlands, in 1987, 2004, and 2020, with a special emphasis on forest and aquatic vegetation spatial patterns. Forest fragmentation between 1987 and 2020 was determined using landscape ecology metrics. In 1987, natural vegetation was highly connected, with two main forest patches of 12 887 and 15 910 km2. However, in 2004 and 2020, several categories of forest patches were identified, with the largest measuring 9197 and 2461 km2, respectively. Although forest and aquatic vegetation remnants remained viable in 2020, appropriate measures to reduce forest loss should be adopted to ensure the long-term viability of PPE biodiversity.