Analysis of land cover and land use changes in the cuale river basin, Jalisco, Mexico

Abstract

The coverage of three Landsat satellite images (P030 and R046) from the 1990s (Sensor TM), 2003 and 2013 (Sensor ETM) were classified using ArcGIS 10 software (ESRI, 2008). Thematic maps were generated with four kinds of coverage. The reliability was 75%, 78% and 86% with Kappa coefficient estimates of 0.61, 0.67 and 0.80, respectively. The maps were compared using error matrices where evident processes were recorded such as the change in coverage to agricultural areas. The rate of change was 0.99% for temperate conifer forest cover, 1.02% for broad-leaved deciduous rainforest cover and 1.08% for agricultural areas with respect to the total watershed area. Urban areas were unchanged in the period under review likely due to the topographical conditions of the Cuale River basin.