Dynamics of change in urban and peri-urban ecosystems in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico

Abstract

The loss of forest ecosystems due to urbanization has numerous impacts on environmental and social services, which is why a detailed monitoring system for the fragmentation process of the two ecosystems is necessary. The objective of this research was to determine the rate of change in land use and the availability of urban and peri-urban ecosystems in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico. A multi-temporal analysis was carried out in QGIS 2.18.25, by means of a supervised classification of high-resolution satellite images from 1994 to 2020, and the availability of green areas per inhabitant (m-2 inhab -1) was obtained from the surface of the urban ecosystems and population growth by municipality. The results indicate that over a 26-year period, the Monterrey metropolitan area lost 33% of two urban ecosystems and 13 % of two peri-urban ones, at an average rate of -1.53 and -0.93, respectively. The availability of green areas per inhabitant increased from 68 to 32 m-2 inhab -1 and the trend indicates that in less than ten years some municipalities will have only 15 m -2 inhab -1. For that reason, it would be necessary to prioritize strategies of ecological restoration to regulate microclimatic conditions, mitigate the impacts of heat islands and maintain the provision of environmental services that these ecosystems provide to the Monterrey metropolitan area.