An Analysis of the Spatial Colonization of Scrubland Intrusive Species in the Itabo and Guanabo Watershed, Cuba

Abstract

During the last twenty years, numerous agricultural and farming areas of Cuba have seen a marked increase in invading plants; among the most common species found is the Marabú (Dychrostachys cinerea) and the Aroma (Acacia farnesiana). In the present study, an analysis was carried out of the expansion of these species over the last two decades, in the river basin of the Guanabo (17 km north-east of Havana). This was done by digital processing of satellite images and an analysis of the spatial and statistical data of the Geographical Information System (GIS). The zones most affected by this scrubland were mapped and a study of how natural factors may have influenced land use and the tendency of these species to increase was carried out.

Keywords

• Cuba
• scrubland intrusive
• land degradation
• GIS and remote sensing