Patterns of Change and Successional Transition in a 47-Year Period (1973–2020) in Rangelands of the Tamaulipan Highlands, Northeastern Mexico
Rangelands in arid and semi-arid regions are the main source of livestock feed. The fragmentation of these ecosystems by continuous grazing gives rise to the modification of ecological processes, which alters the structure and functionality of plant communities. Therefore, the use of geographic info...
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/4/815 |
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| author | Lucas Hernández-Hernández Pedro Almaguer-Sierra Ludivina Barrientos-Lozano Uriel Jeshua Sánchez-Reyes Aurora Y. Rocha-Sánchez Juan Flores-Gracia |
| author_facet | Lucas Hernández-Hernández Pedro Almaguer-Sierra Ludivina Barrientos-Lozano Uriel Jeshua Sánchez-Reyes Aurora Y. Rocha-Sánchez Juan Flores-Gracia |
| author_sort | Lucas Hernández-Hernández |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rangelands in arid and semi-arid regions are the main source of livestock feed. The fragmentation of these ecosystems by continuous grazing gives rise to the modification of ecological processes, which alters the structure and functionality of plant communities. Therefore, the use of geographic information systems and the analysis of satellite images are important to monitor spatial changes and to evaluate these areas in the Tamaulipan Highlands of northeastern Mexico. This work aimed to evaluate the current state of the rangelands and to determine the percentage of modified areas as well as propose the time of permanence, succession, or recovery of five different areas destined for rangelands. For the analysis, Landsat satellite scenes from the period 1973–2020 were used: they were classified into four categories using segmentation and maximum likelihood analysis, as well as a cross-tabulation method to determine the degree of succession. An increase in rangelands was found in three of the five areas analyzed in the period from 1973 to 2020. As rangeland areas increase, the coverage of pine–oak forests, submontane–thorny scrub, and anthropogenic areas, decreases. The disturbance processes were not linear, and the increase in rangeland areas was greater in xerophilous scrub and secondary vegetation. This work is the first contribution that evaluates the changes in land use and cover in grazing areas compromised by continuous grazing in the Tamaulipan Highlands and Mexico. In addition, the results indicate the importance of performing studies based on the coexistence of wildlife and livestock as well as the interaction between soil degradation and plant diversity with the increase in rangelands. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:01:12Z |
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| id | doaj.art-7cc700a1f5b6472cbec125b002ad1cf9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:01:12Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-7cc700a1f5b6472cbec125b002ad1cf92023-11-17T19:18:17ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072023-04-0114481510.3390/f14040815Patterns of Change and Successional Transition in a 47-Year Period (1973–2020) in Rangelands of the Tamaulipan Highlands, Northeastern MexicoLucas Hernández-Hernández0Pedro Almaguer-Sierra1Ludivina Barrientos-Lozano2Uriel Jeshua Sánchez-Reyes3Aurora Y. Rocha-Sánchez4Juan Flores-Gracia5Tecnológico Nacional de México-Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria-División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Boulevard Emilio Portes Gil No. 1301, C.P. 87010 Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, MexicoTecnológico Nacional de México-Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria-División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Boulevard Emilio Portes Gil No. 1301, C.P. 87010 Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, MexicoTecnológico Nacional de México-Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria-División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Boulevard Emilio Portes Gil No. 1301, C.P. 87010 Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, MexicoTecnológico Nacional de México-Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria-División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Boulevard Emilio Portes Gil No. 1301, C.P. 87010 Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, MexicoTecnológico Nacional de México-Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria-División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Boulevard Emilio Portes Gil No. 1301, C.P. 87010 Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, MexicoTecnológico Nacional de México-Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria-División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Boulevard Emilio Portes Gil No. 1301, C.P. 87010 Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, MexicoRangelands in arid and semi-arid regions are the main source of livestock feed. The fragmentation of these ecosystems by continuous grazing gives rise to the modification of ecological processes, which alters the structure and functionality of plant communities. Therefore, the use of geographic information systems and the analysis of satellite images are important to monitor spatial changes and to evaluate these areas in the Tamaulipan Highlands of northeastern Mexico. This work aimed to evaluate the current state of the rangelands and to determine the percentage of modified areas as well as propose the time of permanence, succession, or recovery of five different areas destined for rangelands. For the analysis, Landsat satellite scenes from the period 1973–2020 were used: they were classified into four categories using segmentation and maximum likelihood analysis, as well as a cross-tabulation method to determine the degree of succession. An increase in rangelands was found in three of the five areas analyzed in the period from 1973 to 2020. As rangeland areas increase, the coverage of pine–oak forests, submontane–thorny scrub, and anthropogenic areas, decreases. The disturbance processes were not linear, and the increase in rangeland areas was greater in xerophilous scrub and secondary vegetation. This work is the first contribution that evaluates the changes in land use and cover in grazing areas compromised by continuous grazing in the Tamaulipan Highlands and Mexico. In addition, the results indicate the importance of performing studies based on the coexistence of wildlife and livestock as well as the interaction between soil degradation and plant diversity with the increase in rangelands.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/4/815rangelandland use and changeLandsatclassificationxeric scrubsecondary vegetation |
| spellingShingle | Lucas Hernández-Hernández Pedro Almaguer-Sierra Ludivina Barrientos-Lozano Uriel Jeshua Sánchez-Reyes Aurora Y. Rocha-Sánchez Juan Flores-Gracia Patterns of Change and Successional Transition in a 47-Year Period (1973–2020) in Rangelands of the Tamaulipan Highlands, Northeastern Mexico Forests rangeland land use and change Landsat classification xeric scrub secondary vegetation |
| title | Patterns of Change and Successional Transition in a 47-Year Period (1973–2020) in Rangelands of the Tamaulipan Highlands, Northeastern Mexico |
| title_full | Patterns of Change and Successional Transition in a 47-Year Period (1973–2020) in Rangelands of the Tamaulipan Highlands, Northeastern Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Patterns of Change and Successional Transition in a 47-Year Period (1973–2020) in Rangelands of the Tamaulipan Highlands, Northeastern Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patterns of Change and Successional Transition in a 47-Year Period (1973–2020) in Rangelands of the Tamaulipan Highlands, Northeastern Mexico |
| title_short | Patterns of Change and Successional Transition in a 47-Year Period (1973–2020) in Rangelands of the Tamaulipan Highlands, Northeastern Mexico |
| title_sort | patterns of change and successional transition in a 47 year period 1973 2020 in rangelands of the tamaulipan highlands northeastern mexico |
| topic | rangeland land use and change Landsat classification xeric scrub secondary vegetation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/4/815 |
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