Relation between floristic composition and landscape fragmentation indicators in a transition forest-savanna area of Cote d'Ivoire

Relation between floristic composition and landscape fragmentation indicators in a transition forest-savanna area of Cote d'Ivoire. Forest landscape fragmentation is known to be a significant factor of forest degradation. In this article, we analyze the case of forest-savanna contact of East Cote d'Ivoire, where savannas progress quickly to the detriment of forests. Using forest inventories and the spectral and spatial properties of a Landsat ETM+ image, we established the existence of two independent floristic gradients within forests, which were correlated to various aspects of forest fragmentation. The main floristic gradient was correlated with the degree of opening of forest stands and with the abundance of heliophilics. Spectrally, this gradient clearly correlates with a variation in the red and near infra-red bands. In terms of landscape structure, it is significantly related on the size and the isolation of small forest patches. A second floristic gradient is correlated to the perimeter of forest fragments, and may thus reflect an edge effect. These results make it possible to consider an operational approach based on multispectral data of average resolution and pattern metrics for operational assessment and monitoring of forest degradations on regional scales.