Evaluating land use at the sub‐regional level in the Atlantic zone of Costa Rica, considering biophysical land potentials

Abstract

Abstract. Soils and land use in the Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica were mapped independently at a scale of 1: 100000. At this scale, mapping units are often composite, both in terms of soil type and land utilization type. Combinations of given soil and land utilization types were produced by overlaying the soil and land use maps, on which there was 63% coincidence of unit boundaries. Each combination of land unit and land use was evaluated in terms of bio‐physical potentials. From expert judgement land use was shown to be (a) in balance with the use potential, (b) exceeding the use potential (‘over‐use’) or (c) less than the use potential (‘under‐use’). 18% of the area is over‐used, in non‐sustainable forms of land use, but 51% is under‐used and could be put to more demanding types of land use.