Assessment of the potential enhancement of rural food security in Mexico using decision tree land use classification on medium resolution satellite imagery
Por:
Bermeo, A., Couturier, S.
Publicada:
1 ene 2017
Resumen:
Because of its renewed importance in international agendas, food
security in subtropical countries has been the object of studies at
different scales, although the spatial components of food security are
still largely undocumented. Among other aspects, food security can be
assessed using a food selfsufficiency index. We propose a spatial
representation of this assessment in the densely populated rural area of
the Huasteca Poblana, Mexico, where there is a known tendency towards
the loss of selfsufficiency of basic grains. The main agricultural
systems in this area are the traditional milpa (a multicrop practice
with maize as the main basic crop) system, coffee plantations and
grazing land for bovine livestock. We estimate a potential additional
milpa -based maize production by smallholders identifying the presence
of extensive coffee and pasture systems in the production data of the
agricultural census. The surface of extensive coffee plantations and
pasture land were estimated using the detailed coffee agricultural
census data, and a decision tree combining unsupervised and supervised
spectral classification techniques of medium scale (Landsat) satellite
imagery. We find that 30% of the territory would benefit more than 50%
increment in food security and 13% could theoretically become maize
self-sufficient from the conversion of extensive systems to the
traditional multicrop milpa system.
Filiaciones:
Laboratory for Geospatial Analysis (LAGE), Geography Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Circuito Exterior s/n, Del. Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico
Natl Autonomous Univ Mexico UNAM, Geog Inst, Lab Geospatial Anal LAGE, Circuito Exterior S-N,Del Coyoacan, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
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