Changes in the distribution of agroforestry systems in landscapes of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley
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Abstract
Vallejo, M., Ramírez, M. I., Casas, A., Reyes, A., López-Sánchez, J. G. 2018. Changes in the distribution of agroforestry systems in landscapes of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, México. Ecosistemas 27(3):96-105. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.1501
Agroforestry systems (AFS) in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, México, are spaces with high ecological, cultural, and landscape richness. Recent studies have documented that AFS of the region are under pressures that cause their intensification and conversion into conventional agricultural systems (CAS). This study aimed at identifying the changes in the distribution of ASF in the territory and the landscape components influencing their processes of loss or increase. We digitalized by visual interpretation, scale 1:20 000, the AFS and conventional agriculture land uses of five agrarian communities within the region for the years 1995 and 2012. Throughout a spatial analysis we identified the agricultural land use changes and their relation to dominant landscape elements: slope, distance to roads and distance to rivers. We found that along the 17 years of observation the agriculture land use in the region has been is highly dynamic, having recorded increases of both CAS and AFS in some areas, while decreases in others. Contrary to what was expected, we identified that in general terms AFS have increased their extension over CAS. This is relevant for a region of high biological diversity like this, where AFS are productive schemes more compatible with the biodiversity conservation and ancestral cultural tradition.