Resumo

HERNANDEZ-ROJAS, Dulce A.; LOPEZ-BARRERA, Fabiola  e  BONILLA-MOHENO, Martha. Preliminary analysis of the land use dynamic associated with oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantations in Mexico. Agrociencia [online]. 2018, vol.52, n.6, pp.875-893. ISSN 2521-9766.

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) monocrop has increased worldwide. Plantations have had an impact on tropical landscapes decreasing natural vegetation or replacing other crops. The cultivation of oil palm in Mexico increased and this trend will likely continue. However, there are no documents about the regions where this crop has increased and its impact on the local land use dynamics. This information would help guide public policies. This study had the following objectives: 1) to analyze the trend in the change in the surface where oil palm has been cultivated in Mexico over the last 30 years; and 2) to evaluate changes to land use in municipalities with extensive cultivation surfaces. For this, government data was analyzed and palm plantations in four of the municipalities with major palm plantations were identified. Additionally, Geographic Information Systems were used to conduct a preliminary analysis of the area and of the covers that were replaced. In Mexico, the area in which palm is cultivated has increased seventyfold (from 1318 to 90 118 ha) from 1985 to 2016. Most of those plantations are located in Chiapas, Campeche, Tabasco, and Veracruz. Overall, palm plantations replaced other agricultural systems. In some municipalities, this area exceeded or was the same as the area used for corn (Zea mays) and sorghum (Sorghumn spp.) crops. This might have repercussions on food security. Although on a smaller scale, the expansion of palm crops also boosted the loss and transformation of natural vegetation in some of the municipalities that were part of this study.

Palavras-chave : biofuel; land use change; loss of natural vegetation; monocrops.