Abstract
Abstract. Toledo, the southernmost district, is the hub of Belize’s Mayan population, descendants of the ancient Mayan civilization. The Toledo District is primarily inhibited by Kekchi and Mopan Mayans whose subsistence needs are met by the Milpa slash-and-burn agricultural system and the extraction of forest resources. The poverty assessment in the country indicates that Toledo is the district with the highest percentage of household an individual indigence of 37.5 % and 49.7 % respectively. Forest cover change in the area can be attributed to rapid population growth among the Maya, together with increase in immigration from neighboring countries, logging, oil exploration and improvement and construction of roads. The forest cover change analysis show that from 2001 to 2011 there was a decrease of Lowland broad-leaved wet forest of 7.53 km sq, Shrubland of 4.66 km sq, and Wetland of 0.08 km sq. Forest cover change has resulted in soil erosion which is causing the deterioration of soils. The land cover types that are contributing the most to total erosion in the Rio Grande watershed are no-forest, lowland broad-leaved wet forest and submontane broad-leaved wet forest. In this study the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was employed in a GIS platform to quantify and assess forest cover change and soil erosion. Soil erosion vulnerability maps in Toledo’s Rio Grande watershed were also created. This study provides scientifically sound information in order to understand and respond effectively to the impacts of soil erosion in the study site.
Highlights
In Central America, domesticated, as well as non-domesticated lands are under increasing pressure because of increasing population and demands for services and products from a fixed natural resources base, increasing use of marginal lands, and scarce resources, and intensification of agriculture on existing cultivated and pasture lands (Farrow and Winograd, 2001)
In the Toledo district soils from agricultural lands are becoming degraded as a result of soil erosion
Studies have identified a strong influence of land use changes on soil erosion and sediment transport rates (Alkharabsheh et al 2013)
Summary
In Central America, domesticated, as well as non-domesticated lands are under increasing pressure because of increasing population and demands for services and products from a fixed natural resources base, increasing use of marginal lands, and scarce resources, and intensification of agriculture on existing cultivated and pasture lands (Farrow and Winograd, 2001). According to FAO, forest cover change during 2000-2010 in Central America and South American countries was estimated at 1.2% and 0.5% annual rates respectively, compared to 0.49% annual rate in Africa, 0.19% in Asia and the Pacific region, 0.03% in North America, and 0.09% in Europe (PortilloQuintero et al 2012). Latin America, is an example of a particular region experiencing large-scale land use land cover change (LUCC) (Zeledon and Kelly, 2009). According to Lapointe, in the Caribbean region, pollution from land-based sources is considered one of the most important threats to the marine environment and to the sustainable use of its resources
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