TITLE:
Identification of Potential Areas for Establishment of Plantations of Agave lechuguilla Torr. in Coahuila, Mexico
AUTHORS:
David Castillo-Quiroz, Oscar Ulises Martínez-Burciaga, Diana Yemilet Ávila-Flores, Francisco Castillo-Reyes, Juan David Sánchez-Chaparro
KEYWORDS:
Agave lechuguilla, Forest Plantations, Natural-Fiber, Geographical Information Systems
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Forestry,
Vol.4 No.5,
October
21,
2014
ABSTRACT: Adverse weather conditions
and intensive use for fiber production have caused decline of natural
populations of Agave
lechuguilla. By these reasons, it is important to develop a
sustainable management of this specie to avoid this situation. One of the first
steps is to establish forest plantations as an alternative to restore A. lechuguilla habitat and increase its
range while at the same time indirectly reducing erosion rates. The aim of this
study was to identify the potential areas for establishment of plantations of A. lechuguilla in the State of
Coahuila, Mexico. Areas for planting establishment were selected according to
multi-criteria analysis using Geographic Information System (GIS) Idrisi32 Ver
2.0 and 3.2 Arc.View. The analysis was based on comparison of climate and soil
requirements in contrast to environmental conditions of the tested area. The
evaluated variables were: soil type, texture, depth, average annual
temperature, annual precipitation, elevation and slope. Results derive in
potential area maps, geo-referenced and their distribution by Agricultural
Development District. An area of 5 million 159,273 hectares was determined with
potential for establishment of A. lechuguilla forest plantations in the State of Coahuila. It was concluded that, use of
GIS is a reliable tool to determine potential areas for A. lechuguilla forest plantations, where this specie has higher
probability of success in survival and biomass production. This study will
support programs aimed to strengthen the economy of rural producers and also
recover and preserve the arid state.