Three decades of habitat fragmentation dynamics and landscape transformation in the Cerrado–Amazon transition

Abstract Context The Cerrado–Amazon transition (CAT) is a vast ecotone where rapid agricultural expansion and recurrent fires have reconfigured habitat patterns. Yet region-wide, long-term evidence on how fragmentation evolved and how it relates to disturbance agents remains limited. Objectives (1) Quantify decadal changes in habitat fragmentation across the CAT from 1990–2020; (2) classify landscapes into fragmentation levels and track transitions through time; (3) link fragmentation dynamics to disturbance histories to infer processes and management implications. Methods We derived land-cover mosaics from MapBiomas and computed landscape metrics capturing area, edge, shape, and connectivity. A dimensionality-reduction and clustering workflow grouped pixels into ordered fragmentation classes. Disturbance histories were compiled from multi-decadal Landsat time series to attribute disturbance types. Transitions among fragmentation classes and disturbance–fragmentation couplings were assessed at regional scale. Results Cerrado domains exhibit earlier and more extensive fragmentation, consistent with a longer agricultural footprint, whereas Amazon forest vegetation shows more recent and dynamic increases in edge density and isolation. Clear-cutting is the primary driver of transitions toward higher fragmentation classes, while fire more strongly alters shape complexity and edge configuration. Fragmentation trajectories differ systematically between biomes and through time. Conclusions The CAT’s fragmentation reflects biome-specific disturbance regimes. In the Cerrado, we emphasize addressing the risk of regional vegetation extirpation by halting habitat loss and rebuilding connectivity; in the Amazon, conserving large intact patches and reducing new edges is critical. Our research support risk monitoring and the prioritisation of protection, restoration and management across CAT.