This study was carried out at the county Lagoa da Confusão, Tocantins, Brasil, aiming to diagnose natural forest fragments, denominated "ipucas", as well as to map different phytophysiognomic features and anthropic land uses. The basic tool used was a Geographic Information System (GIS - Idrisi 2.0 for Windows). The main results achieved were: the disturbance history of the region increased after creation of the state of Tocantins and the implementation of the Rio Formoso rice crop project; 11 cover types were identified and mapped in the area; seventy three "ipuca" natural forest fragments could be individualized and mapped, being 56% smaller than 5.00 ha and only four greater than 100.00; about 50% of these fragments have elongated shape, indicating a high perimeter/area relationship, while only three presented a circularity index close to 1.00; eight neighborhood types were identified, with five from natural environments and three resulting from anthropic effects.
Forest fragments; remote sensing; geographic information system (GIS)
