Abstract

ROSETE VERGES, Fernando Antonio; PEREZ DAMIAN, José Luis  and  BOCCO, Gerardo. Land use change in the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Invest. Geog [online]. 2008, n.67, pp.39-58. ISSN 2448-7279.

This work analyzes the land use change in the Baja California Peninsula, at the level of vegetation types. The time period analyzed was 1978 (Serie I de INEGI) to 2000 (Inventario Nacional Forestal) at 1:250 000 scale. The spatial analyses were carried out in a GIS environment to identify the changes in the period. A transition matrix was elaborated and the changes detected were grouped in three major processes: scrubland depletion (deforestation of woody vegetation), recovery of natural vegetation cover, and urban growth. In the time period analyzed (22 years) 7.7% of the territory underwent land use changes. The deforestation and urbanization processes were more dynamic in the northern part of the peninsula, while recovery was more relevant in the south zone. The deforestation of scrubland for agriculture activities is the main process in the peninsula. The urbanization, in absolute terms, is the least important in the time period analyzed; however, the surface occupied for human settlements increased in almost 270%.

Keywords : Land use change; Baja California; scrubland depletion; urban growth.

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