Forest conservation index and historical evolution in a coastal region: The São Sebastião Island, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the current conservation status of five forested watersheds which have been under different human pressures throughout history of São Sebastião Island to assess relations between pressures which have occurred in the past and the current environmental quality. Through maps of land use, landscape metrics, and the development of a forest conservation index, it was possible to identify in watersheds the greater landscape fragmentation, implications on quantity and quality of available habitat, and effects of boundaries.