Profiling Agro-Forest Landscape Types at the Wildland-Urban Interface: An Exploratory Analysis

A diachronic investigation of land cover changes (1990-2000) in a Mediterranean region with high human pressure (Attica, Greece) was developed in the present study with the aim to profile different agro-forest types and their evolution over time. Changes in the distribution of 31 land cover classes and their spatial relationships were assessed using multivariate analysis. Our results highlight the shift from a spatially-heterogeneous and diversified agro-forest landscape towards a land-use structure polarized in medium- and low-quality areas with homogeneous (natural or urban) uses of land. These transformations may impact negatively the environmental functions and determine ecological fragility on a local scale. Agro-forest landscapes around cities require permanent monitoring and dedicated conservation measures counterbalancing the increased human pressure.