Abstract

The assignment of arbitrary spatial categories in landscape analysis is a limiting factor for interpreting socio-ecological processes that occur continuously in the landscape. The notion of urban-rural gradients has been used for avoiding this limitation. In this paper we analyze the relation between the structure of native vegetation patches and the degree of landscape anthropization in a watershed of southern Chile, in relation to the distance to the city. We used 14 transects to test the arrangement on anthropization gradients using the Hemeroby Index, landscape metrics, and topography. We found gradients of both anthropogenic intervention and class dominance in relation to the distance to the urban center. We distinguished three major sections associated with a dominance of the urban area, the forest class, and a transition zone. The transitions in the gradient are the basis for linking spatial patterns, socio-ecological processes and anthropogenic influences.