Territorial transformations in the peri-urban horticultural area of Mar del Plata (Argentina) and its incidence on water erosion processes

Abstract

The peri-urban spaces of Latin American cities exhibit deep territorial transformations and emerging problems from occupation without planning. The horticultural production, that characterizes numerous peri-urban areas, tends to expand and intensify without considering the potential and limitations of the resources that support it. The present paper characterizes the horticultural transformations of the peri-urban of Mar del Plata (Argentina) city, and analyze its incidence on erosion processes. Based on previous studies, a Landsat image (2017) was classified and the Universal Soil Loss Equation was applied in three landscape units previously defined. The open field horticultural surface increased 80% between 1989 and 2017, as well as current and potential erosion that reach 68,612 tn/year and 221,219 tn/year in 2017, respectively. It is proposed to advance in the diagnosis of the problem to define territorial management strategies in accordance with the principles of sustainability.