Abstract

ESPINOZA-GUZMAN, Marco Antonio et al. Dynamics of changes in the agroecosystem of a shade-grown coffee plantation in the upper La Antigua river basin, Veracruz. Madera bosques [online]. 2020, vol.26, n.2, e2621974.  Epub July 03, 2020. ISSN 2448-7597.  https://doi.org/10.21829/myb.2020.2621974.

In Mexico, shade-grown coffee agroecosystems form part of the agroforestry landscape and provide shelter for a wide range of biological diversity. However, they are subject to transformation processes derived from the needs of producers and market demands, which affects the configuration of the agroecosystem. The present study aimed to quantify the transformations of land use cover related to coffee plantations in the upper La Antigua river basin, that has occurred over a period of 24 years. The dynamics of change in the coverage of land use and vegetation was analyzed, by generating cartography with the supervised classification technique of the LANDSAT images (TM, ETM, and OLI) of the years of 1993, 2003 and 2017 and the analysis of the factors that have promoted the changes that determine the current configuration of the agroforestry landscape, based on interviews with key stakeholders in the region. The results show that the transformation of the agroforestry systems in shade-grown coffee plantations is caused by land use changes and the government programs implemented in the region. Coffee growing represents one of the main sources of income in the Ecological Corridor of the Sierra Madre Oriental of the state of Veracruz, which requires the development of strategies that guarantee the maintenance and sustainability of this economic activity in the zone to avoid the potential impacts to the local development of the communities, as well as the affectation or loss of the natural ecosystems remaining in the region.

Keywords : land use cover change; supervised classification; agroforestry systems; Sierra Madre Oriental; remote sensing.