摘要：In the Campos Gerais region a mixed Araucaria forest has been fragmented mainly as a result of natural processes related to Quaternary climatic fluctuations. Yet these fragmented grassland patterns in South Brazil have not yet been settled; therefore, two preserved areas, Vila Velha and Guartelá State Parks, were selected to determine the region's current natural forest patterns. Mapping reveals a highly fragmented landscape on a fractal dimension. It was observed that most of the patches were smaller than 10 ha (90.3% of the total number of patches) and very few were larger than 100 ha (2.7%). The smaller patches were in simple regular shape, and exhibited increased edge effects. However, their sum makes up a small representation of the total area. The largest patch was over 100 ha, and was more complex and irregular in shape. The connectivity between all patches was considered good once they were at least 50 m apart. Several islets acted as "stepping-stone" corridors. From the ecological perspective, large patches can act as source areas and maintain biodiversity, whereas small patches can act as stepping-stones or migration corridors, refuges, or provide sites for nucleation. This natural pattern could act as a reference for further study in landscape restoration. This analysis discourages government efforts to increase hydroelectrical expansion, in Campos Gerais, as infrastructure will be built across the gorges and canyons that support the most demanding and sensitive species. Furthermore, public policies requiring landowners to protect small forest patches within their farmlands are needed because they are extremely important for maintaining these landscape connections.
