Abstract
Abstract. The use of satellite images is a modern strategy for the evaluation and prediction of various weather scenarios. In addition, this is a key tool for the development of environmental sciences. Since the end of the last decade, Chile has been suffering from a megadrought associated with climate change. In this context, this study proposes to evaluate the role of land use change in the Middle Maule River sub-basin, located in the Maule Region, Chile. This is an important sector characterized by a significant agricultural and hydroelectric contribution. To do so, this study performs a supervised classification of land cover through the usage of QGIS software and Landsat images for the years 1999 and 2019. The results show the growth of areas without vegetation due to a great drought facing the Central Zone of the country. Additionally, there is a decrease in available bodies of water. This article leaves open future research on the impact of the main economic activities of the region.
Highlights
1.1 General InstructionsHuman activities change the land cover and use, since it alters the natural surfaces and thermal (Kalnay and Cai, 2003), radiative (Morais et al, 2018), and physical properties (Huntra and Keener, 2017), influencing in the atmosphere (Pielke et al, 2011)
This study aims to analyze the changes in Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) in the Middle Maule River sub-basin, which is important for the power generation and water supply of the Maule region in south-central Chile, between the years 1999 and 2019
The amount of soil has remained almost constant with a decrease of 0.3%
Summary
1.1 General InstructionsHuman activities change the land cover and use, since it alters the natural surfaces and thermal (Kalnay and Cai, 2003), radiative (Morais et al, 2018), and physical properties (Huntra and Keener, 2017), influencing in the atmosphere (Pielke et al, 2011). Anthropogenic and natural changes in the soil involve several environmental problems such as the impact on biodiversity through degradation or destruction of habitats, it degrades the soil, pollutes water bodies as a result of the removal of forests (Newbold et al, 2015). It produces changes in atmospheric temperature due to the emission of greenhouse gases. The monitoring of biodiversity and the environmental impact resulting from human activities is essential since it helps to design mitigation and adaptation activities to prevent higher losses of biological diversity At this point, the evaluation of space-time changes in ecosystems is critical (Pettorelli et al, 2014)
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