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Introduction: Changes in Land Cover Use (CLCU)
The CLCU are the result of complex interactions between physical, biological,
social, economic, and environmental factors that develop at different spatial and
temporal scales (Lambin et al. 2001; Longmire et al. 2016). Overpopulation, the
scarcity of resources that leads to growing pressure for the production of food and
other basic products, either through the intensification of existing agricultural
land or the incorporation of new production areas, changes in the regional economy, and global markets, are examples of the multiple factors that can lead to
transformations in land cover and use (Aide and Grau 2004; Barbier et al. 2010).
Hydrological processes in drylands like precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff,
and aquifer recharge are affected by CLCU and climate change (CC). These
changes can occur at global and regional scales. Research on CC and CUCV has
allowed simulating the effects of changes in precipitation, runoff, and evapotranspiration, but predicting the recharge and depletion of aquifers (DWL) have been
more difficult (Kumar 2012; Scanlon et al. 2016). The relatively high interannual
variability in climatic conditions in socio-ecological systems (SES) of drylands
exerts a crucial influence on their dynamics and stability equilibrium (D’Odorico
and Abinash 2012).
The impacts of CLCU processes have been widely discussed at length in tropical
and temperate forest ecosystems (Rosete et al. 2008), and despite the importance and
extent of arid and semi-arid ecosystems in Mexico, there are few studies aimed at
determining the factors that determine CLCU processes. An exhaustive literature
review (Rosete et al. 2014) revealed that just over 85% of the studies developed in
Mexico on changes in CLCU focused on determining rates of degradation and deforestation exclusively in tropical and temperate forest ecosystems and only in nine of
the 92 studies examined the factors that modulate or determine the processes of
change. Drylands, due to their geographic location, climatic characteristics, geological and topographical varieties, host a large number of endemic species, biological
richness, and mosaics of plant communities ranging from xerophilous shrub, vegetation of sandy deserts, as well as extensive areas covered by grassland (Hyot 2002;
CONABIO 2006). Despite being seriously threatened by extreme climatic variations
and constant anthropogenic pressures (agricultural expansion, overgrazing, and
urbanization), there are few studies aimed at understanding the socio- environmental
conditions that determine changes in CLCU.
In the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico, CLCU processes show a constant dynamic
in the annual losses of surface covered by primary vegetation. The change in land
use between 1993 and 2013 reflects an increase of 14% in agricultural land, 63% in
urban areas, and 16–27% in primary and secondary temperate forests, respectively
(Table 4.1). Conversely, the loss of surface area covered by primary vegetation of
grassland and shrubland decreased by 178% and 421%, respectively. Secondary
grasslands also lost about 69% during the 20 years of monitoring and assessment,
while the secondary shrublands had an increase in 175%.
V. M. Reyes Gómez et al.
Introduction: Changes in Land Cover Use (CLCU)
The CLCU are the result of complex interactions between physical, biological,
social, economic, and environmental factors that develop at different spatial and
temporal scales (Lambin et al. 2001; Longmire et al. 2016). Overpopulation, the
scarcity of resources that leads to growing pressure for the production of food and
other basic products, either through the intensification of existing agricultural
land or the incorporation of new production areas, changes in the regional economy, and global markets, are examples of the multiple factors that can lead to
transformations in land cover and use (Aide and Grau 2004; Barbier et al. 2010).
Hydrological processes in drylands like precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff,
and aquifer recharge are affected by CLCU and climate change (CC). These
changes can occur at global and regional scales. Research on CC and CUCV has
allowed simulating the effects of changes in precipitation, runoff, and evapotranspiration, but predicting the recharge and depletion of aquifers (DWL) have been
more difficult (Kumar 2012; Scanlon et al. 2016). The relatively high interannual
variability in climatic conditions in socio-ecological systems (SES) of drylands
exerts a crucial influence on their dynamics and stability equilibrium (D’Odorico
and Abinash 2012).
The impacts of CLCU processes have been widely discussed at length in tropical
and temperate forest ecosystems (Rosete et al. 2008), and despite the importance and
extent of arid and semi-arid ecosystems in Mexico, there are few studies aimed at
determining the factors that determine CLCU processes. An exhaustive literature
review (Rosete et al. 2014) revealed that just over 85% of the studies developed in
Mexico on changes in CLCU focused on determining rates of degradation and deforestation exclusively in tropical and temperate forest ecosystems and only in nine of
the 92 studies examined the factors that modulate or determine the processes of
change. Drylands, due to their geographic location, climatic characteristics, geological and topographical varieties, host a large number of endemic species, biological
richness, and mosaics of plant communities ranging from xerophilous shrub, vegetation of sandy deserts, as well as extensive areas covered by grassland (Hyot 2002;
CONABIO 2006). Despite being seriously threatened by extreme climatic variations
and constant anthropogenic pressures (agricultural expansion, overgrazing, and
urbanization), there are few studies aimed at understanding the socio- environmental
conditions that determine changes in CLCU.
In the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico, CLCU processes show a constant dynamic
in the annual losses of surface covered by primary vegetation. The change in land
use between 1993 and 2013 reflects an increase of 14% in agricultural land, 63% in
urban areas, and 16–27% in primary and secondary temperate forests, respectively
(Table 4.1). Conversely, the loss of surface area covered by primary vegetation of
grassland and shrubland decreased by 178% and 421%, respectively. Secondary
grasslands also lost about 69% during the 20 years of monitoring and assessment,
while the secondary shrublands had an increase in 175%.
V. M. Reyes Gómez et al.