Forest cover assessment, fragmentation analysis and secondary forest detection for the Chorotega Region, Costa Rica

A forest cover assessment for the Chorotega region, Costa Rica (2000) was carried out at the regional and at the life zone levels using remote sensing and geographical information systems techniques. At the regional level, forest represents 45.1% of the study area (mainly secondary growth). At the life zone level, the tropical moist forest is the life zone with the largest forest area (58%). A forest fragmentation analysis was performed to determine the composition and configuration of forest patches. This analysis showed that fragmentation at the regional and life zone levels is the product of forest restoration rather than forest division. Finally, a novel methodology integrating ecology and remote sensing was used to map secondary growth within the Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica. By accurately mapping four successional stages within the Santa Rosa National Park this analysis showed the advantage of integrating both high and medium resolution satellite imagery.