Land-use monitoring of tree-crop diversification in eastern Côte d’Ivoire: Landscape structure changes and implications for sustainable landscape development
Abstract
Tree-crop
diversification
is
increasingly
adopted
in
tropical
agricultural
landscapes
as
a
resilience
strategy
amidst
fluctuating
commodity
markets,
environmental
change,
and
policy
shifts.
However,
its
spatial
implications
at
the
landscape
level
remain
underexplored.
This
study
examines
structure
dynamics
of
mosaic
eastern
Côte
d’Ivoire,
region
characterized
by
heterogeneous
landscapes,
response
to
tree-crop
trends
their
for
sustainable
management.
Using
multi-temporal
Landsat
imagery
(1986,
2016,
2023),
remote
sensing
classification
with
Random
Forest
algorithm,
metrics,
we
evaluated
changes
land-use/land-cover
(LULC),
composition
(diversity,
regularity),
configurational
heterogeneity
(complexity
fragmentation).
Results
reveal
substantial
increase
rubber
plantations
(net
gain
50.35%),
concurrent
declines
cropland
(−147%),
cocoa
(−45.28%),
sparse
vegetation
(−61.48%).
Although
diversity
increased
slightly
(Shannon
index:
0.99
1.07),
fragmentation
intensified,
mean
patch
size
decreasing
12.3%.
While
introduced
new
compositional
complexity,
it
often
manifested
monoculture
expansion
rather
than
ecologically
restorative
land-use.
The
resulting
structural
transformations,
high
edge
densities
smaller,
isolated
patches,
suggest
diminished
functional
connectivity
natural
habitats
increasing
ecological
vulnerability.
These
raise
critical
questions
about
long-term
sustainability
current
land-use
trajectories.
We
argue
that
diversification,
while
enhancing
economic
stability,
can
erode
without
integrated
landscape-level
planning
intervention.
recommend
landscape-scale
strategies
promote
agroecological
corridor
conservation,
inclusive
governance
mitigate
maintain
multifunctionality
these
rapidly
transforming
landscapes.
Research Square (Research Square), Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown
Опубликована: Май 15, 2025
Язык: Английский