S.P.A.C.E.

Monterrey Tech, Campus Saltillo

Spring 2016
Deforestation factors in Mexico.

Using satellite data for the study and measurement of deforestation by human and
natural activity in Mexico from January 2005 to January 2015.

Team Members:

Oliver Alejandro Velzquez Flores Monterrey Tech

Laura Mariana Flores Gmez Monterrey Tech
Juan Carlos Zavala Gmez Monterrey Tech
Miguel ngel Barroso Fosado Monterrey Tech
Carlos Eduardo Vsquez De La Cruz Monterrey Tech
Michel Armando Duarte Flores Monterrey Tech
Gerardo Guillermo Garza Tamez Monterrey Tech

Advisors & Mentors:

Giovanni Colberg Paniagua

Applied Sciences National Applications Addressed:
Ecological forecasting.
Mexico is highly diverse from both the natural and cultural points of view. The country
encompasses about 2 million square kilometers. Major climatic zones include tropical
dry and humid, temperate, arid and semi-arid zones. Forests and other vegetative cover
are thus complex and diverse. The tropical and temperate forest cover has diminished
by at least 50 percent since the time of the first European settlements (Toledo, 1988;
Masera, Ordez and Dirzo, 1992).
Estimates of the annual rate of deforestation in Mexico have varied from 370 000
(SARH, 1994) to 1.5 million hectares (Toledo, 1988); the divergence cannot be
explained by difference in dates alone. These conflicting figures call for repeated,
precise and spatially detailed forest inventory. The current Mexican effort, involving
government and academic institutions, is producing updated and precise multiple-use
land cover information which will help to identify current rates of deforestation and areas
with a high conversion rate.

Study Area:
Forest inventory in Mexico traditionally focused on the quantification of available wood
resources for productive purposes. More recently, the Ministry of Environment has
adopted an approach intended to support increasing demands for data on other forest-
related goods and environmental services including water, soils and biodiversity.

The inventory aims to provide timely information on the extent, status, changes and
sustainable development of Mexicos forests on which to base policy decisions
concerning natural resource management. For this there is a need for consistent and
complete area coverage, uniform definitions and consistent quality of data collection.

Due this, there have been serious problems with the areas in Oaxaca, Puebla,
Michoacan, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Coahuila, Monterrey, due to human, fire and
natural activity that have been deteriorating the nearby areas of the states and have
diminish important flora and fauna.

Study Period:
For the research the study period is marked from January 2005 through January 2015.
A classification scheme for vegetation and land use was developed over ten years
gathering national experts in vegetation mapping, including staff of the National Institute
of Statistics, Geography and Informatics (INEGI).

The goal was to generate a compatible and comparable land use and vegetation
classification system that could be compared with other mapping efforts at the national
scale and would allow land-cover change estimations.

Community Concerns:
Due Deforestation, the flora and fauna of the given locations, pollution, green areas are
diminished. The carbon dioxide cycle is directly affected by the absence of flora.
Species change their way of living to adapt to the new environment they have to their
disposal. Contamination is consider a problem in Mexico due to pollution.

Abstract:
We described the progressive deforestation process that is affecting Mexico in the last
10 years from January 2005 to January 2015. As well, we are going to demonstrate that
some human processes are connected to this problem. Areas like Michoacan, Oaxaca,
Chiapas, Veracruz, Nuevo Leon and some others will be reviewed and analyzed to
show the results from regional factors that might propitiate deforestation. That factors
could be natural, such as disasters, climate, and humidity, other factors could be the
ones caused by humans like constructions and overpopulation.

Partners/Collaborators:
SEMARNAT, EARTH EXPLORER, DIVAGIS, USGS, INEGI
Current Management Practices & Policies:

Prevent the deterioration of jungles and forests in Mexico.

STRATEGY 3.1 Conduct forest restoration programs through the national territory as
ecosystem conservation scheme.

STRATEGY 3.2 Promote sustainable use of forest resources.

STRATEGY 3.3 Design and implement mechanisms for payment of environmental

services to communities that preserve and protect its forests and jungles.

STRATEGY 3.4 Develop and implement comprehensive programs for analysis,

prevention and control of forest fires.

STRATEGY 3.5 stop the advance of the agricultural frontier on forests and jungles.

STRATEGY 3.6 Strength processes and initiatives to prevent and eradicate impunity for
environmental crimes flora and fauna.

Benefit to End-User:

All those who have access to the information contained in this project, are able to be
informed about the deforestation, since its causes, whether natural or caused by
humans, to its consequences and how it affects the environment, is also spoken of the
worst affected areas in Mexico, all within a range of 10 years. On the other hand, the
reader is provided with some rules imposed by the government to prevent this
phenomenon. For a better understanding of the information given, maps are included to
evaluate and classify certain data.

The struggle to save the worlds rainforests and other forests continues and there is a
growing worldwide concern about the issue. In order to save forests, we need to know
why they are being destroyed. Distinguishing between the agents of deforestation and
its causes is very important in order to understand the major determinants of
deforestation. The agents of deforestation are those slash and burn farmers,
commercial farmers, ranchers, loggers, firewood collectors, infra-structure developers
and others who are cutting down the forests. Causes of deforestation are the forces that
motivate the agents to clear the forests.

However, most of the existing literature typically distinguishes between two levels of
specific factors: direct and indirect causes of deforestation. Direct agents and causes of
deforestation, also typically referred to as sources of deforestation, first level or
proximate causes are relatively easy to identify but the indirect causes which are usually
the main divers of deforestation are the ones that cause most disagreement and the
ones that are hardest to quantify. Here are some direct causes of deforestation

About 60 per cent of the clearing of tropical moist forests is for agricultural settlement
with logging and other reasons like roads, urbanization and Fuelwood accounting for the
rest. Tropical forests are one of the last frontiers in the search for subsistence land for
the most vulnerable people worldwide. Millions of people live on the tropical forest with
less than a dollar a day where a third of a billion are estimated to be foreign settlers.
However, as the land degrades people are forced to migrate, exploring new forest
frontiers increasing deforestation.

Deforestation is proxied by the expansion of agricultural land. This is because

agricultural land expansion is generally viewed as the main source of deforestation
contributing around 60 per cent of total tropical deforestation.

Plantations are a positive benefit and should assist in reducing the rate of deforestation.
The fact that plantations remove the timber pressure on natural forests does not
translate eventually into less, but rather into more deforestation. Indeed, it is feared that
agricultural expansion which is the main cause of deforestation in the tropics might
replace forestry in the remaining natural forests.
Logging does not necessarily cause deforestation. However, logging can seriously
degrade forests. However, logging provides access roads to follow-on settlers and log
scales can help finance the cost of clearing remaining trees and preparing land for
planting of crops or pasture. Logging thus catalyzes deforestation.

Fires are a major tool used in clearing the forest for shifting and permanent agriculture
and for developing pastures. Fire is a good servant but has a poor master. Fire used
responsibly can be a valuable tool in agricultural and forest management but if abused it
can be a significant cause of deforestation.

Mining is very intensive and very destructive. The area of land involved is quite small
and it is not seen as a major cause of primary deforestation. Mining is a lucrative activity
promoting development booms which may attract population growth with consequent
deforestation. The construction of roads, railways, bridges, and airports opens up the
land to development and brings increasing numbers of peoples to the forest frontier. If
wood is used as fuel in mining operations and it is sources from plantations established
for the purpose, it can cause serious deforestation in the region. On the other hand,
mining can be labor intensive and take labor away from clearing forest.

National parks and sanctuaries beyond doubt protect the forests, but uncautioned and
improper opening of these areas to the public for tourism is damaging. Unfortunately,
the national governments of tropical and sub-tropical countries adopt tourism for easy
way of making money sacrificing the stringent management strategies. Further, many
companies and resorts who advertise themselves as eco-tourist establishments are in
fact exploiting the forests for profit.

Earth Observations & Parameters:

Retrieved data from different sources between a periods of 10 years from January 2005
to January 2015. Using this data in order to evaluate the zones that have more density
of forests in Mexico and from this, evaluate the changes that those zones have through
the last ten years in order to prove the loses of green zones. This information will be
attached in JPEG images from maps created using the QGIS of the zones that receive
more damage through the last years.
For exact Dataset retrieval, the coordinates are provided for better mapping information:
1. Oaxaca
North 18 39' South 15 39' North Latitude; East 93 52' West 98 32' West
Longitude.
2. Puebla
North 20 50' South 17 52' North Latitude; East 96 43' West to 99 04' West
Longitude.
3. Michoacn
It is located between the coordinates 20 23' 27" and 17 53' 50" North Latitude
and 100 03' 32" and 103 44' 49" West.
4. Guerrero
It is located 18 53' north and 16 19' south from north latitude; 98 00' east, 102
11' west from west longitude.
5. Nuevo Leon
North 25 48' South 25 29' North Latitude; East 100 10' West 100 25' West
Longitude.

Satellites, Sensors & Data:

Landsat.
Modis.
Trimm.
Goes.

Models Utilized

Ancillary Datasets Utilized

Possible layers:
Land cover.
Population for: gender, age.
Vegetation.
Software Utilized
 QGIS.
EARTH EXPLORER.

References:
Carta Natal online. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2016, from https://carta-natal.es/
Oferta comercial y cultural de Mxico. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2016, from
http://www.ocdemexico.org.mx/
Hora en el mundo hora actual en las 500 ciudades ms grandes del mundo. (n.d.).
Retrieved February 17, 2016, from http://dateandtime.info/es/index.php
Client Validation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2016, from
http://pnd.calderon.presidencia.gob.mx/index.php?page=bosques-y-selvas
FAO.1996. Forest resources assessment 1990 survey of tropical forest cover and
study of change processes.FAO Forestry Paper No. 130. Rome.
FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 main report. FAO Forestry
Paper No. 140. Rome.
Masera, O., Ordez, M.J. & Dirzo, R.1992. Emisiones de carbono a partir de la
deforestacin en Mxico. Ciencia, 43: 151-153.
Secretary of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources (SARH).1994. Inventario Nacional
Forestal Peridico Mxico. Memoria Nacional. Mexico City, Mexico, SARH,
Subsecretara Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre.
Toledo, V.M. 1988. La diversidad biolgica de Mxico. Ciencia y Desarrollo, 14(81): 17-
30.