Using landscape composition and configuration metrics as indicators of woody vegetation attributes in tropical pastures

Abstract Seasonally dry tropical forests in the Neotropics are typically transformed into pasture-dominated landscapes that represent a major threat to habitat biodiversity. Developing alternative management strategies that minimize the loss of native biota in agricultural landscapes is crucial. In a fragmented landscape in Veracruz, Mexico, we analyzed the community attributes of woody vegetation present in pastures in which different types of arboreal elements are common. We hypothesized that different landscape patterns, distinguishable using GIS land-cover maps, would be linked to woody plant diversity and its spatial variation. We created a detailed map of our study area distinguishing six forest cover types. We sampled the woody vegetation within 16 circular plots (100 m radius) each centered on an isolated fig tree and that varied in the amount of arboreal cover and proximity to remnant forest. We used a multimodel-inference approach to assess the relationship between different landscape metrics and woody vegetation response variables. Forest cover within each plot ranged from 3% to 44%. A total of 1777 woody plants (density = 35.4 plants ha −1 ), belonging to 88 species were recorded. Landscape composition and configuration metrics, particularly the type and amount of arboreal cover, were strong indicators of woody plant richness and abundance, while landscape structural heterogeneity was strongly related to floristic composition. In contrast proximity metrics were weak explanatory variables. Tall canopy forest fragments and isolated trees explained most of the variation in richness and abundance. Results suggest that maintaining 20–40% woody cover within pastures and maximizing the heterogeneity of arboreal elements promotes the conservation of biodiversity in rural landscapes dedicated to livestock. Further, easily obtained landscape metrics can be used as a tool to enhance vegetation assessment and help in the development of more convenient management practices that seek to increase native species richness, while improving landscape connectivity and resilience.