Multitemporal analysis of land use change in the Terrestrial Protected Landscape Miraflor Moropotente Nicaragua, 1993-2011

Abstract

Multitemporal analysis to detect changes between different reference dates, deducing the evolution of the natural environment or the impact of human action on the environment.The purpose of the study was to evaluate the change in land use in the Miraflor Moropotente Terrestrial Landscape in the period 1993-2011, through satellite images in order to determine the status of landscape fragmentation. Changes in land use classification were derived from three Landsat TM images with a spatial resolution of 30 meters taken in February 1993, April 2000 and January 2011. We conducted a field verification to identify land cover and corroboration in satellite images.

Fragmentation was performed with the calculation of metrics and indices of landscape-level fragmentation. The main results show that changes in land use are determined by anthropogenic degradation, mainly in the conversion of native vegetation to agricultural areas and the expansion of livestock. Population growth and monocultures are putting pressure on the forest, transformed areas for forestry to agricultural crops. Coverage changes meant a fragmented landscape with varying degrees of disruption, leading to a decrease in surface natural habitats, reducing the size of the fragments and isolates thereof.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/farem.v0i11.1605

Revista Científica de FAREM-Estelí No.11 2014: 57-68