Abstract

CORTINA VILLAR, Sergio; MACARIO MENDOZA, Pedro  and  OGNEVA-HIMMELBERGER, Yelena. Cambios en el uso del suelo y deforestación en el sur de los estados de Campeche y Quintana Roo, México. Invest. Geog [online]. 1999, n.38, pp.41-56. ISSN 2448-7279.

Landsat MSS satellite imagery from 1975 to 1990 were analyzed in order to estimate the rates of conversion of tropical forests and savannas to cropland and pasture in the southern Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. The area of southeastern Campeche and southern Quintana Roo was subject of a federally financed directed-colonization program during the seventies, which included felling the tropical forests to establish modern agricultural and livestock areas, Although it was believed that most of the area understudy had been deforested, it was found that by the end of the period, 25% of the tropical forests had been deforested and 4-3% of the newly opened agricultural area had been abandoned from the intended cropland and livestock use and covered instead by shrubby or tree secondary vegetation.

Keywords : Land-use change; tropical forest resources; satellite imagery; Campeche; Quintana Roo; Mexico.

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