Resumen

SALAZAR CONDE, Erika del Carmen; ZAVALA CRUZ, Joel; CASTILLO ACOSTA, Ofelia  y  CAMARA ARTIGAS, Rafael. Evaluation spatial and temporal of the vegetation Sierra Madrigal, State of Tabasco, México (1973-2003). Invest. Geog [online]. 2004, n.54, pp.7-23. ISSN 2448-7279.

This study was carried out in the Sierra Madrigal, Tabasco State, México. The purpose was to evalúate the spatial distribution and transformation rate of tropical rain forest in 3 642 ha of Sierra Madrigal from 1973 to the year 2003. Maps of vegetation and land use for the years 1973,1984, and 2003 were made trough the interpretation of aerial photographs at scale 1:20 000. The vegetation and land use were characterized in the field. The rate transformation of land used and vegetation were obtained, and some soil properties were compared, based on the type of vegetation. The tropical rain forest of ramón (Brosimum nlicastrum) and huapaque (Dialium guianenese) lost 80% of their original distribution ín 30 years. Fire was de the principal cause of devastation of the rain forest, which led to the formation of secondary vegetation (56%) and grassland (10%) for cattle use. The change of rain forest to secondary vegetation and grassland diminished the organic matter and nitrogen in the layer of 0 to 30 cm of soil, which indicates a degradation.

Palabras llave : Tropical rain forest; secondary vegetation; grassiand; land use.