Landscape diversity in the Chiapas state, Mexico

Abstract

The goal of this research is to understand and evaluate the distribution of the complexity and heterogeneity of the physical-geographical landscapes of Chiapas, Mexico. In order to achieve this goal, two indicators of complexity, one of richness and two of geoecological diversity, were applied to the map of the physical-geographical landscapes of the Chiapas State, in a 1: 250 000 scale. The results indicate a spatial coincidence between diversity and complexity landscape. The high and very high levels of this correlation are represented by a minority of extensive landscapes of tectonic–karstic, tectonic–accumulative and tectonic–intrusive origin; the physical-geographical regions with these kinds of landscapes are Sierra Lacandona, Sierras del Norte de Chiapas and Sierras del Sur de Chiapas. The researchs about geoecological heterogeneity through the Complex Physical Geography approach generate relevant contributions to the Land-use planning studies, because the results allow clearly and objectively to identify the areas with the greatest geodiversity.