Cambios en los usos y coberturas del suelo en el municipio de Elx (1956-2005)

Abstract

The main aim of this article is to highlight the land use-cover dynamics between 1956 and 2005 in the municipality of Elx, eastern Spain. Photo interpretation of aerial photographs dated from 1956, 1985 and 2005 and map analysis based on Geographical Information Systems was performed to establish the land use/cover changes at a detailed scale (1:10,000). Sixteen indicators to assess the degree of environmental sustainability have also been applied. The results show some important changes occurred during the period studied: a) increase of urban and built-up area, mainly in the most fertile and better-connected areas, b) intensification of agricultural practices, mainly transformation of dry farming fields into irrigation fields, and c) decrease of forest and semi-natural areas.