Resumen

PERALTA-RIVERO', Carmelo et al. Deforestation Rates in the Mexican Huasteca Región (1976-2011). CienciAgro [online]. 2014, vol.3, n.1, pp. 1-20. ISSN 2072-1404.

The current study aims to analyze temporal land use and land cover changes in the Huasteca región. We used cartographic information of land use and vegetation for the years 1976, 1993, 2002, 2007, and 2011, with a scale of analysis of 1:250,000 from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography of México. The cartography data was corrected, standardized, and affected áreas by deforestation were quantified and mapped. Different techniques of Geographic Information Systems were developed to demónstrate that process of land use and land cover changes have occurred in 17.43% of the region's surface. Agriculture and the increase of pasture could be identified as the main human-induced activities that have led to the modification of the forest covers. The forest and rain forest were affected by deforestation and the rate of change was higher than the national average, mainly in the period 1976-2002. Further important alterations include a change from natural land cover to non-original land cover affecting an área of 4,874.28 km² between 1976 and 1993, and 2,474.93 km² in the period 1993-2002. Smaller changes could be detected for the periods 2002-2007 and 2007-2011. Mapping for the years of analysis made it possible to identify the land use and land cover changes in the Huasteca región. The techniques used are tools that can be employed to assess the negative impact on the vegetation, and to propose altematives for the management and sustainable use of natural resources

Palabras llave : Land use change; deforestation; GIS; temporal analysis; Huasteca.