Land use and deforestation in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico

Deforestation rates and land-use changes related to environmental factors ( slope angle and soil type), in addition to some local population and econom ic attributes, were estimated from Landsat MSS satellite images of two muni cipalities of different sizes and for a greater portion of the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Annual deforestation rates for 1974-84 and 1984-90 were 1 .58 and 2.13%, respectively, in the central highlands of Chiapas; 1.84 and 1.10% in the highly populated Huistan; and 0.46 and 3.42% in the relatively unpopulated Chanal. Changes in the proportion of habitat types differed be tween the two municipalities between 1974 and 1990 (p<0.001). Dense forests decreased irrespective of slope angle, while increases were observed in op en forested habitats and developed areas. Soil properties also determined t he locale and rate of deforestation. In addition to permanent deforestation , a highly dynamic pattern of land-use change was found, and a gradient of degradation of forest structure and floristic composition. These processes appeared to be related to land-use history, as well as to environmental and socioeconomic attributes in each municipality. The current situation in th e study region suggests the maintenance and even increasing impact of these processes, complicating the development of solutions to the generalized tr end of impoverishment and resource depletion. The results encourage caution in the interpretation, use and analysis of data on the causes and conseque nces of deforestation, which frequently may not take into consideration the many aspects and scales of this process within a given region. (C) 2000 El sevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.