**1. Introduction**

226 Cartography – A Tool for Spatial Analysis

*Sciences Spécialité Sciences de l'Ingénieur*. 162 pages.

*Remote Sensing*, vol. 26, nº 14, p. 2917 - 2936.

*Physics*, vol. 26, pp. 1824 - 1835.

*Remote Sensing*, vol. 26, nº 4, p. 733 - 745.

*IEEE Transactions PAMI*, vol. 21, nº 4, pp. 291-310.

Université de Yaoundé I (Cameroun), 60 pages.

*(CARI'06)*, Cotonou (Bénin), 6-9 novembre 2006.

n° 7, ISSN 0851-4453.

*SMC*, vol.11, pp. 191-204.

*Thèse présentée à l'Université de Nice- Sophia Antipolis pour obtenir le titre de Docteur en* 

Lucieer, A.; Stein, A.; Fisher, P. (2005). Multivariate texture-based segmentation of remotely sensed imagery for extraction of objects and their uncertainty. *International Journal of* 

Marceau, D.,J.; Howarth, P., J.; Dubois, J-M., M.; Gratton, D., J. (1990). Evaluation of the gray-level co-occurrence matrix method for land-cover classification using SPOT imagery*. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing*, vol. 28, n° 4, pp. 513-518. Oliver, C., J. (1993). Optimum texture estimators for SAR clutter. *Journal of Physics D: Applied* 

Otsu, N. (1979). A threshold selection method from gray-level histograms. *IEEE Trans. On* 

Peckinpaugh, S., H. (1991). An improved method for computing gray-level co-occurrence matrix based texture measures. *Graphical models and Image Processing*, vol.53, pp. 574-580.

Puissant, A.; Hirsch, J.; Weber, C. (2005). The utility of texture analysis to improve per-pixel classification for high to very high spatial resolution imagery. *International Journal of* 

Randen, T.; Husoy, J., H. (1999). Filtering for texture classification: a comparative study.

Reed, T., R.; Hans Du Buf, J., M. (1993). A review of recent texture segmentation and feature

Rudant, J-.P.; Baltzer, F.; Tupin, F.; Tonyé, E. (1997). Distinction entre formations végétales littorales et continentales dans leur rapport avec la géomorphologie: intérêt des images ERS-1. *Symposium ERS-1, Publications ESA*, pp. 1069-1073, Florence, 14-21 mars 1997. Talla Tankam, N. (2003). Nouvelle méthodologie d'évaluation des paramètres de texture d'ordre n>1: Application aux images radar du Mont Cameroun. *Mémoire de DEA*,

Talla Tankam, N.; Dipanda, A.; Tonyé, E.; Akono, A. (2006a). Classification d'images satellitaires radars RSO par valeurs propres de texture. Application à la mangrove littorale Camerounaise. *Actes du Colloque Africain sur la Recherche en Informatique* 

Talla Tankam, N.; Kouamé Koffi, F.; Dipanda, A.; Akono, A.; Bernier, M.; Tonyé, E.; Affian, K. (2006b). Caractérisation des discontinuités-images par l'approche de vecteur de texture: application à des images RSO d'ERS-2. *Journal des Sciences pour Ingénieurs (JSPI)*,

Talla Tankam, N. (2008). Une nouvelle approche d'analyse automatique de texture d'images : application à l'étude de la dynamique d'occupation spatiale sur le Mont Cameroun et ses environs. *Cotutelle de thèse de Doctorat/PhD en Informatique*, Université

Ulaby F., T.; Kouyate, F.; Brisco, B.; Lee Williams T., H. (1986). Textural information in SAR

Unser, M. (1995). Texture classification and segmentation using wavelet frames. *IEEE Trans.* 

de Yaoundé I, Cameroun et l'Université de Bourgogne, France, 194 pages.

images. *IEEE trans. Geosci. Remote Sens.* GE-24, pp. 235-245.

*On Image Processing*, vol. 4, n°11, pp. 1549-1560.

extraction techniques. *CVGIP: Image Understanding*, vol. 57, n° 3, pp. 359-372.

Pratt, W. (1991). *Digital image processing* (2nd edition, Willey-interscience). 698 pages.

Ecological and spatial analysis helps us to characterize the territory and know the spatiotemporal relationship between different components of the landscape. Landscape ecology has developed several methods of assessment and analysis of indicators by using Geographical Information Systems [1-4]. Such methods allow characterization of changes in land structure and land uses, as well as the interpretation of the ecological consequences of these dynamics [5]. They also facilitate analysis of the territory, trying to recognize and compare different spatial configurations, using patches of different shapes, numbers, classes, etc. [6-8].

Several authors have carried out research attempting to integrate the study of territorial dynamics, from an ecological perspective, using Geographic Information Systems [9, 10]. The landscape is influenced by natural and anthropic processes, and the effects of both factors are expressed either at local or regional scale on the territory, showing changes in their structure and composition [11]. Clearly, the landscape appears to us as a complex of many different elements that can reach a great diversity [12]. In Mediterranean areas, the landscape is characterized by a heterogeneous mosaic of land uses and vegetation, where natural subsystems coexist adjacent to other systems at different degrees of perturbation due to human intervention and, therefore, with different degree of ecological maturity, separated by clear boundaries [13, 14]. The intense dynamic of land use changes occurred in these areas over recent decades has caused important changes in the structure of the landscape, as a result of fragmentation processes [14-19]. This influences various ecological processes, including those relating to the matter and energy flows between patches, by altering the composition and distribution of communities, the survival and coexistence of species, and species diversity [20-25].

© 2012 De Las Heras et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2012 De Las Heras et al., licensee InTech. This is a paper distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The region of Madrid, due to its geographical location (centre of the Iberian Peninsula), and physiographic variability, -from the Cordillera Central to the river Tagus depression-, has a variety of lithological, mesoclimatic, edaphic and geomorphological traits, which have resulted in a great diversity of ecosystems, land use types and landscapes, some of them of great natural value. For example, It is noteworthy the contrast between areas of the Guadarrama Range (belonging to the Central Mountain Ranges), where summits and slopes covered by pine and oak forests, dehesas and grasslands of high nature value, are wellpreserved, compared to other areas intensely humanized, that have a very deteriorated landscape, such as the metropolitan area of Madrid. In the recent history of this region there is a clear abandonment of traditional agricultural activities that had provide the maintenance of semi-natural systems with a high degree of functionality, which has resulted in a clear instability [26]. Thus, at present, there is a heavily modified landscape, more homogeneous and probably more polluted, that has lost much of the typical positive externalities of the traditional landscape (natural services, basic ecological processes, biodiversity, aesthetic tourist-recreational values, etc).

Cartography of Landscape Dynamics in Central Spain 229

Programme in 1992 designated the area as a Biosphere Reserve, due to the high ecological value of the area as well as for its cultural heritage and agricultural and landscape values.

Demography, recreation and urban and transport infrastructures development are the most important pressures in this PNA [28]. This Park was declared a PNA in 1985 abarcando una extensión de casi 53.000 ha [29]. Biogeographically, this territory belongs to the

**Figure 1.** Study area: Location in Madrid region (A) and the location of the three study cases (B):

**Figure 2.** Guadarrama Range and piedmont with open woodland and urban development in PNA

Cerceda (1), Torrelodones (2). Fuencarral (3) into boundary of PNA (shadow).

(Cuenca Alta del Río Manzanares)

Mediterranean Iberian-Atlantic region in the Central Mountain Range.

For this reason, much of the territory of Madrid Region is protected by European Community legislation, as well as national and regional laws, which aim to consolidate the protection and conservation of natural diversity, and at the same time, seek to promote (uphold, improve) sustainable development.

Since 1985, the autonomous government of Madrid has declared seven protected areas, which represent 14% of its surface, so it is the sixth region in Spain in terms of protected territory. In parallel, along decades, there has been a very important socio-economic development in the region, a great population growth and a deep process of change in the use and exploitation of the area's resources. This study was conducted in a Protected Natural Ares stated at 1985.

The aims of this study were, firstly, to analyse the main changes in land use occurred inside the Protected Natural Area (PNA) over a period of 35 years, in order to determine the principal territorial dynamics occurred, and the consequences of these processes of change on the landscape configuration and on the evolutions of territorial structure in this PNA. Secondly, in a smaller geographical context, GIS tools are combined with key ecological parameters such as richness of uses, diversity (by Shannon) [27], evenness, connectivity and fragmentation, to analyze the structure and organization of the territory.

### **2. Study area**

We conducted our study in the PNA (Cuenca Alta del río Manzanares), located quite close to Madrid city (approximately 50 km NW, Figures 1 and 2). This PNA is characterised by a mid-mountain Mediterranean landscape, with altitudes ranging from 660 m to 2,200 m. The summits with slopes of gneiss and granite are covered by oak (*Quercus pyrenaica*) and pine reforestation (*Pinus sylvestris*). On these slopes is located one of the most important granite landscapes of Europe, "La Pedriza", protected since 1930. A rocky piedmont covered by "dehesas" of *Quercus ilex* subsp. *ballota* links to the sedimentary river Tagus basin, where alternate cereal crops with oak forests. The Spanish Committee of UNESCO's MAB Programme in 1992 designated the area as a Biosphere Reserve, due to the high ecological value of the area as well as for its cultural heritage and agricultural and landscape values.

228 Cartography – A Tool for Spatial Analysis

biodiversity, aesthetic tourist-recreational values, etc).

(uphold, improve) sustainable development.

Natural Ares stated at 1985.

**2. Study area** 

The region of Madrid, due to its geographical location (centre of the Iberian Peninsula), and physiographic variability, -from the Cordillera Central to the river Tagus depression-, has a variety of lithological, mesoclimatic, edaphic and geomorphological traits, which have resulted in a great diversity of ecosystems, land use types and landscapes, some of them of great natural value. For example, It is noteworthy the contrast between areas of the Guadarrama Range (belonging to the Central Mountain Ranges), where summits and slopes covered by pine and oak forests, dehesas and grasslands of high nature value, are wellpreserved, compared to other areas intensely humanized, that have a very deteriorated landscape, such as the metropolitan area of Madrid. In the recent history of this region there is a clear abandonment of traditional agricultural activities that had provide the maintenance of semi-natural systems with a high degree of functionality, which has resulted in a clear instability [26]. Thus, at present, there is a heavily modified landscape, more homogeneous and probably more polluted, that has lost much of the typical positive externalities of the traditional landscape (natural services, basic ecological processes,

For this reason, much of the territory of Madrid Region is protected by European Community legislation, as well as national and regional laws, which aim to consolidate the protection and conservation of natural diversity, and at the same time, seek to promote

Since 1985, the autonomous government of Madrid has declared seven protected areas, which represent 14% of its surface, so it is the sixth region in Spain in terms of protected territory. In parallel, along decades, there has been a very important socio-economic development in the region, a great population growth and a deep process of change in the use and exploitation of the area's resources. This study was conducted in a Protected

The aims of this study were, firstly, to analyse the main changes in land use occurred inside the Protected Natural Area (PNA) over a period of 35 years, in order to determine the principal territorial dynamics occurred, and the consequences of these processes of change on the landscape configuration and on the evolutions of territorial structure in this PNA. Secondly, in a smaller geographical context, GIS tools are combined with key ecological parameters such as richness of uses, diversity (by Shannon) [27], evenness, connectivity and

We conducted our study in the PNA (Cuenca Alta del río Manzanares), located quite close to Madrid city (approximately 50 km NW, Figures 1 and 2). This PNA is characterised by a mid-mountain Mediterranean landscape, with altitudes ranging from 660 m to 2,200 m. The summits with slopes of gneiss and granite are covered by oak (*Quercus pyrenaica*) and pine reforestation (*Pinus sylvestris*). On these slopes is located one of the most important granite landscapes of Europe, "La Pedriza", protected since 1930. A rocky piedmont covered by "dehesas" of *Quercus ilex* subsp. *ballota* links to the sedimentary river Tagus basin, where alternate cereal crops with oak forests. The Spanish Committee of UNESCO's MAB

fragmentation, to analyze the structure and organization of the territory.

Demography, recreation and urban and transport infrastructures development are the most important pressures in this PNA [28]. This Park was declared a PNA in 1985 abarcando una extensión de casi 53.000 ha [29]. Biogeographically, this territory belongs to the Mediterranean Iberian-Atlantic region in the Central Mountain Range.

**Figure 1.** Study area: Location in Madrid region (A) and the location of the three study cases (B): Cerceda (1), Torrelodones (2). Fuencarral (3) into boundary of PNA (shadow).

**Figure 2.** Guadarrama Range and piedmont with open woodland and urban development in PNA (Cuenca Alta del Río Manzanares)
