Batistella, Mateus 
  
The relative importance of edge lengths and area of patch types is given by the landscape shape index. Lower values are 
observed for Machadinho. As the areas of all classes but water are similar in both settlements, the results also highlight 
the complexity of Anari’s landscape, marked by its elongated patches. 
Mean nearest neighbor distances do not differ significantly for the forest patch type in both study areas, suggesting 
important similarities between the settlements in terms of the isolation of forest fragments. In this case, the use of a 
more detailed classification may also change the neighborhood relationships. The interspersion/juxtaposition index 
measures adjacencies within a patch type in a landscape. The higher numbers found for forest in Machadinho indicates 
a higher contiguity of these fragments. 
6. CONCLUSION 
This comparative study confirms the hypotheses that forest fragmentation in Rondönia is affected by settlement design. 
Even taking one date into account (1998), differences in terms of landscape structure in Machadinho and Anari are 
clear. Further multitemporal examination is suggested for a better comprehension of landscape transformation in these 
areas. Also, the use of more detailed classifications, based on training samples, may maximize the potential of certain. 
indices for the study of ecological processes, such as deforestation and secondary succession. Edge contrast and nearest 
neighbor indices are potential options. 
The interpretation of these findings will contribute to the evaluation of different models of rural settlement in the 
Brazilian Amazon, assisting in the creation of colonization designs with less environmental impact. In this sense, this 
paper represents a preliminary initiative based on the use of integrative analytic methods. Studies on vegetation 
structure and composition, LULC history and institutional arrangements may also bring important elements for an 
increasingly synthetic approach to building a theoretical model of space in Amazonian colonization areas. 
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154 International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XX XIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000. 
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