Dasymetric Mapping of Population Using Land Cover Data in JBNERR, Puerto Rico during 1990–2010

Marianne Cartagena-Colón (), Hernando Mattei and Chao Wang
Additional contact information
Marianne Cartagena-Colón: Environmental Sciences Department, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan 00925, Puerto Rico
Hernando Mattei: Social Science Department, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Science Campus, San Juan 00921, Puerto Rico
Chao Wang: Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: Accurate and precise spatial population data are critical to the allocation of resources for socioeconomic development and to the decision-making process for environmental management in any country. However, this type of data is not always directly available but can be estimated through spatial statistical analysis. The geo-spatialized population estimates data can provide indispensable evidence for analyzing the potential ecological threats of anthropogenic activities in ecologically protected watersheds. In this study, we applied a multiclass dasymetric mapping to estimate the geospatial distribution of the residential population of JBNERR (a natural research reserve that is located across two municipalities in southeastern Puerto Rico). We then analyzed the spatial variation of the population residing within the reserve watershed over a thirty-year period from 1990 to 2010. The result showed that the population increased by 19.5% with a growth rate of 0.97%, adding 5583 new inhabitants from 1990 to 2010 for the entire area. Where the highest population density corresponds to an urban developed area, with 254.8 ± 12.3 inhab/900 m 2 in 1990, 71.2 ± 7.1 inhab/900 m 2 in 2000, and 94.0 ± 4.8 inhab/900 m 2 in 2010. It was followed by pastures or open areas that increased their maximum population density from 1990 to 2000 but decreased from 2000 to 2010, unlike urban areas. Our methods and results help assess the impact of urban growth on ecologically fragile areas, such as urban development in JBNERR, that may indirectly threaten the recreational activities and ecological envrionments within protected areas.

Keywords: intelligent dasymetric mapping; census data; land use and land cover (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/12/2301/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/12/2301/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:12:p:2301-:d:1004238

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().