The Identification and Classification of Arid Zones through Multicriteria Evaluation and Geographic Information Systems—Case Study: Arid Regions of Northwest Mexico
Arid and semiarid regions are geographic units that cover approximately 43% of the earth’s surface worldwide, and conditions of extreme drought and reduced vegetation cover predominate in these regions. In Mexico, arid and semiarid ecosystems cover more than half of the territory, with desertificati...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-10-01
|
| Series: | ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/10/11/720 |
| _version_ | 1797510118638616576 |
|---|---|
| author | Lidia Yadira Perez-Aguilar Wenseslao Plata-Rocha Sergio Alberto Monjardin-Armenta Cuauhtémoc Franco-Ochoa Yedid Guadalupe Zambrano-Medina |
| author_facet | Lidia Yadira Perez-Aguilar Wenseslao Plata-Rocha Sergio Alberto Monjardin-Armenta Cuauhtémoc Franco-Ochoa Yedid Guadalupe Zambrano-Medina |
| author_sort | Lidia Yadira Perez-Aguilar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Arid and semiarid regions are geographic units that cover approximately 43% of the earth’s surface worldwide, and conditions of extreme drought and reduced vegetation cover predominate in these regions. In Mexico, arid and semiarid ecosystems cover more than half of the territory, with desertification, mainly caused by anthropogenic activities and climatic events, as the main problem in these regions. The present research aimed to assess, identify, and classify arid and semiarid zones by employing a methodology based on multicriteria evaluation analysis (MCA) using the weighted linear combination (WLC) technique and geographic information systems (GIS) in the hydrological administrative regions (HARs) of the North Pacific, Northwest, and Baja California Peninsula, located in Northwest Mexico. Data related to aridity, desertification, degradation, and drought were investigated, and the main factors involved in the aridity process, such as surface temperature, soil humidity, precipitation, slopes, orientations, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and evapotranspiration, were obtained. For the standardization of factors, a fuzzy inference system was used. The weight of each factor was then determined with the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). To delimit arid regions, the classification of arid zones proposed by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was used, and the result was an aridity suitability map. To validate the results, the sensitivity analysis method was applied. Quantitative and geospatial aridity indicators were obtained at the administrative hydrological level and by state. The main results indicated that semiarid and dry subhumid zones predominated, representing 40% and 43% of the surface of the study area, respectively, while arid regions represented 17%, and humid regions represented less than 1%. In addition, of the states for which 100% of the surface lay in the study area, it was observed that Baja California and Baja California Sur had the largest arid and semiarid zones, while subhumid regions predominated in Sonora and Sinaloa. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:27:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f85fb2c63858430d84560b970a638027 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2220-9964 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:27:09Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information |
| spelling | doaj.art-f85fb2c63858430d84560b970a6380272023-11-22T23:35:49ZengMDPI AGISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information2220-99642021-10-01101172010.3390/ijgi10110720The Identification and Classification of Arid Zones through Multicriteria Evaluation and Geographic Information Systems—Case Study: Arid Regions of Northwest MexicoLidia Yadira Perez-Aguilar0Wenseslao Plata-Rocha1Sergio Alberto Monjardin-Armenta2Cuauhtémoc Franco-Ochoa3Yedid Guadalupe Zambrano-Medina4Facultad de Ciencias de la Tierra y el Espacio, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán 80013, MexicoFacultad de Ciencias de la Tierra y el Espacio, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán 80013, MexicoFacultad de Ciencias de la Tierra y el Espacio, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán 80013, MexicoFacultad de Ciencias de la Tierra y el Espacio, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán 80013, MexicoFacultad de Ciencias de la Tierra y el Espacio, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán 80013, MexicoArid and semiarid regions are geographic units that cover approximately 43% of the earth’s surface worldwide, and conditions of extreme drought and reduced vegetation cover predominate in these regions. In Mexico, arid and semiarid ecosystems cover more than half of the territory, with desertification, mainly caused by anthropogenic activities and climatic events, as the main problem in these regions. The present research aimed to assess, identify, and classify arid and semiarid zones by employing a methodology based on multicriteria evaluation analysis (MCA) using the weighted linear combination (WLC) technique and geographic information systems (GIS) in the hydrological administrative regions (HARs) of the North Pacific, Northwest, and Baja California Peninsula, located in Northwest Mexico. Data related to aridity, desertification, degradation, and drought were investigated, and the main factors involved in the aridity process, such as surface temperature, soil humidity, precipitation, slopes, orientations, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and evapotranspiration, were obtained. For the standardization of factors, a fuzzy inference system was used. The weight of each factor was then determined with the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). To delimit arid regions, the classification of arid zones proposed by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was used, and the result was an aridity suitability map. To validate the results, the sensitivity analysis method was applied. Quantitative and geospatial aridity indicators were obtained at the administrative hydrological level and by state. The main results indicated that semiarid and dry subhumid zones predominated, representing 40% and 43% of the surface of the study area, respectively, while arid regions represented 17%, and humid regions represented less than 1%. In addition, of the states for which 100% of the surface lay in the study area, it was observed that Baja California and Baja California Sur had the largest arid and semiarid zones, while subhumid regions predominated in Sonora and Sinaloa.https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/10/11/720aridityarid zonesmulticriteria evaluationGISweighted linear combinationstandardization |
| spellingShingle | Lidia Yadira Perez-Aguilar Wenseslao Plata-Rocha Sergio Alberto Monjardin-Armenta Cuauhtémoc Franco-Ochoa Yedid Guadalupe Zambrano-Medina The Identification and Classification of Arid Zones through Multicriteria Evaluation and Geographic Information Systems—Case Study: Arid Regions of Northwest Mexico ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information aridity arid zones multicriteria evaluation GIS weighted linear combination standardization |
| title | The Identification and Classification of Arid Zones through Multicriteria Evaluation and Geographic Information Systems—Case Study: Arid Regions of Northwest Mexico |
| title_full | The Identification and Classification of Arid Zones through Multicriteria Evaluation and Geographic Information Systems—Case Study: Arid Regions of Northwest Mexico |
| title_fullStr | The Identification and Classification of Arid Zones through Multicriteria Evaluation and Geographic Information Systems—Case Study: Arid Regions of Northwest Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Identification and Classification of Arid Zones through Multicriteria Evaluation and Geographic Information Systems—Case Study: Arid Regions of Northwest Mexico |
| title_short | The Identification and Classification of Arid Zones through Multicriteria Evaluation and Geographic Information Systems—Case Study: Arid Regions of Northwest Mexico |
| title_sort | identification and classification of arid zones through multicriteria evaluation and geographic information systems case study arid regions of northwest mexico |
| topic | aridity arid zones multicriteria evaluation GIS weighted linear combination standardization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/10/11/720 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lidiayadiraperezaguilar theidentificationandclassificationofaridzonesthroughmulticriteriaevaluationandgeographicinformationsystemscasestudyaridregionsofnorthwestmexico AT wenseslaoplatarocha theidentificationandclassificationofaridzonesthroughmulticriteriaevaluationandgeographicinformationsystemscasestudyaridregionsofnorthwestmexico AT sergioalbertomonjardinarmenta theidentificationandclassificationofaridzonesthroughmulticriteriaevaluationandgeographicinformationsystemscasestudyaridregionsofnorthwestmexico AT cuauhtemocfrancoochoa theidentificationandclassificationofaridzonesthroughmulticriteriaevaluationandgeographicinformationsystemscasestudyaridregionsofnorthwestmexico AT yedidguadalupezambranomedina theidentificationandclassificationofaridzonesthroughmulticriteriaevaluationandgeographicinformationsystemscasestudyaridregionsofnorthwestmexico AT lidiayadiraperezaguilar identificationandclassificationofaridzonesthroughmulticriteriaevaluationandgeographicinformationsystemscasestudyaridregionsofnorthwestmexico AT wenseslaoplatarocha identificationandclassificationofaridzonesthroughmulticriteriaevaluationandgeographicinformationsystemscasestudyaridregionsofnorthwestmexico AT sergioalbertomonjardinarmenta identificationandclassificationofaridzonesthroughmulticriteriaevaluationandgeographicinformationsystemscasestudyaridregionsofnorthwestmexico AT cuauhtemocfrancoochoa identificationandclassificationofaridzonesthroughmulticriteriaevaluationandgeographicinformationsystemscasestudyaridregionsofnorthwestmexico AT yedidguadalupezambranomedina identificationandclassificationofaridzonesthroughmulticriteriaevaluationandgeographicinformationsystemscasestudyaridregionsofnorthwestmexico |