Influence of Avocado Plantations as Driver of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Chile s Aconcagua Basin
Date
Authors
Duran-Llacer, Iongel
Salazar, Andrés A.
Mondaca, Pedro
Rodríguez-López, Lien
Martínez-Retureta, Rebeca
Zambrano, Francisco Cabrera
Llanos, Fabián A.
Frappart, Frédéric
Salazar, Andrés A.
Mondaca, Pedro
Rodríguez-López, Lien
Martínez-Retureta, Rebeca
Zambrano, Francisco Cabrera
Llanos, Fabián A.
Frappart, Frédéric
Authors
Date
Datos de publicación:
10.3390/land14040750
Keywords
Avocado - Land Planning - Land Use And Land Cover Change - Landscape Transformation - Sustainable Land Management - Agricultural Extension - Drought - Fragmentation - Fruit Production - Land Cover - Land Management - Land Use Change - Land Use Planning - Landscape Change - Patch Size - Plantation - Shrubland - Sustainability - Urban Area - Aconcagua - Andes - Argentina - Cordillera Principal
Collections
Abstract
Land use and land cover (LULC) change is a dynamic process influenced by various factors, including agricultural expansion. In Chile s Aconcagua Basin, avocado plantations are potentially driving territorial transformations. However, current land cover data lacks the resolution required to accurately assess this impact. Accordingly, our study used advanced geospatial analysis techniques to address this gap. Through a detailed analysis of the spatial and temporal changes, it was determined that the most significant expansion of avocado plantations occurred between 2003 and 2013, with an increase of 402%. This growth primarily took place at the expense of native vegetation, particularly sclerophyllous shrubland, as well as other agricultural lands, near agricultural and urban lands. By 2023, changes in avocado plantation were significantly slower, with minimal alterations in LULC (5%), suggesting a possible influence of drought on small-scale farmers. However, the small loss of avocado plantation was mainly replaced by fruit farm land. Moreover, our findings suggest that while avocado plantations have become larger, more dominant, and more isolated, native vegetation has become more fragmented and reduced in patch size. Based on these results, sustainable land management practices were proposed. These findings provide a crucial foundation for developing sustainable land management strategies that balance agricultural production with environmental sustainability, landscape transformation and the well-being of local communities. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Description
Keywords
Avocado , Land Planning , Land Use And Land Cover Change , Landscape Transformation , Sustainable Land Management , Agricultural Extension , Drought , Fragmentation , Fruit Production , Land Cover , Land Management , Land Use Change , Land Use Planning , Landscape Change , Patch Size , Plantation , Shrubland , Sustainability , Urban Area , Aconcagua , Andes , Argentina , Cordillera Principal
Citation
10.3390/land14040750