Abstract

(Introduction):   Anthropization studies of protected natural areas are generally carried out using fauna studies, grids, and other indicators.

(Objective):   To determine the degree of anthropization of a protected natural area using the vegetation cover anthropization index, which takes the physical-geographic landscape as the evaluation unit.

(Methodology):   Anthropization was calculated using the vegetation cover anthropization index, which quantitatively and qualitatively evaluates the anthropic modification of the landscapes of a territory, taking as a case the natural protected area Pico Azul-La Escalera, with the support of physical-geographic landscapes, which allows establishing their differentiation in the territory.

(Results):   Highly anthropized landscapes represent 2.45% of the territory, are the flattest, and show a predominance of anthropization by agricultural activities; landscapes categorized as anthropized occupy 22.36% of the territory, are related to low-sloping reliefs and optimal soils for agriculture; landscapes with a medium-level index rating cover 24.46% of the area and serve as a buffer zone between the most and least anthropized landscapes; landscapes showing low anthropization values represent 42.13% of the area, and unmodified landscapes represent 8.60% of the area and are the least accessible landscapes with steeper slopes and less fertile soils.

(Conclusions):   This proposal is a reliable option for differentiating the degree of anthropization of landscapes and, in particular, for assessing the modification of vegetation cover in a protected natural area.

Keywords: Anthropization; land cover; landscape cartography; natural protected area; physical-geographical landscape