Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Agricultural Plains of Cul-de-Sac, Maribahoux, and Léogâne (1997–2024): An Analysis Using Remote Sensing and Landscape Metrics

Roselande Jesuka (), Julien Bwazani Balandi, Waselin Salomon, Yannick Useni Sikuzani, Héritier Khoji Muteya, Henri Kabanyegeye, Léa Mukubu Pika, Médard Mpanda Mukenza, Kouagou Raoul Sambieni, Walguen Oscar, Bastin Jean-François, Jean Marie Théodat and Jan Bogaert
Additional contact information
Roselande Jesuka: Henry Christophe Campus of Limonade, State University of Haiti, National Road #6, Limonade HT 1130, Haiti
Julien Bwazani Balandi: Biodiversity, Ecosystem, and Landscape Axis, University of Liège—Gembloux Agro-BioTech, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Waselin Salomon: Henry Christophe Campus of Limonade, State University of Haiti, National Road #6, Limonade HT 1130, Haiti
Yannick Useni Sikuzani: Ecology, Ecological Restoration and Landscape Unit, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Héritier Khoji Muteya: Ecology, Ecological Restoration and Landscape Unit, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Henri Kabanyegeye: Research Centre of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Burundi, Bujumbura P.O. Box 2700, Burundi
Léa Mukubu Pika: Biodiversity, Ecosystem, and Landscape Axis, University of Liège—Gembloux Agro-BioTech, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Médard Mpanda Mukenza: Biodiversity, Ecosystem, and Landscape Axis, University of Liège—Gembloux Agro-BioTech, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Kouagou Raoul Sambieni: Faculty of Architecture, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Walguen Oscar: Laboratory of Mathematics, Computer Science and Applications (LAMIA), University of the French West Indies, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
Bastin Jean-François: Biodiversity, Ecosystem, and Landscape Axis, University of Liège—Gembloux Agro-BioTech, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Jean Marie Théodat: URBATeR, URBALaB, Faculty of Sciences, State University of Haiti, Corner of Joseph and Mgr Guilloux Street, Port-au-Prince HT 6110, Haiti
Jan Bogaert: Biodiversity, Ecosystem, and Landscape Axis, University of Liège—Gembloux Agro-BioTech, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-21

Abstract: In Haiti, uncontrolled urbanization is increasing pressure on agricultural landscapes, compromising both their ecological integrity and productivity. This study examines spatio-temporal land-use changes across three agricultural plains, Cul-de-Sac, Maribahoux, and Léogâne, between 1997 and 2024, using Landsat imagery and landscape metrics of composition (percentage of landscape, PLAND) and configuration (largest patch index, LPI). The findings reveal a rapid expansion of built-up areas, primarily at the expense of farmland. In the Cul-de-Sac plain, built-up areas and bare soil grew by 152%, from 41.26 km 2 to 104.11 km 2 , while agricultural land became highly fragmented (LPI dropping from 94.51% to 57.63%). In Maribahoux, urbanization was more moderate, partly offset by a temporary rise in woody vegetation that peaked at 20.04% in 2022 before declining. The Léogâne plain experienced a 17.38 km 2 increase in built-up areas and bare soil, alongside a slight decrease in woody vegetation. Population density showed limited differences in Maribahoux and Léogâne, but marked disparities in Cul-de-Sac, where landscape transformation was more pronounced. These findings highlight increasing fragmentation of agricultural landscapes, threatening ecological connectivity and functionality, and stress the urgent need for land-use planning that curbs urban growth, protects farmland, and safeguards biodiversity.

Keywords: agricultural fragmentation; agricultural land; ecological connectivity; Haiti; remote sensing; urban pressure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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