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Land-Use/Land-Cover (LULC) change is one of the main factors contributing to ecosystem degradation and to the global climate change. The Markov Chains (MC) model is a widely used technique for the spatio-temporal evaluation of LULC changes, allowing the projection of the landscape variability based on the multidirectional potential of LULC changes. This study assessed the LULC changes in a disturbed temperate forest basin of northern Mexico during the period 1990–2019. In addition, three LULC scenarios, employing the MC model, were projected for 2048. Supervised classification techniques were performed on data from Landsat sensors to generate LULC maps. Results from the Kappa Index showed a precision of 85 and 85.8% for the classifications of 1990 and 2019, respectively. During the evaluated period, degradation and deforestation processes in the basin were the main factors of disturbance, causing the pine-oak forest to show the biggest loss of coverage (190.81 km2). Conversely, open lands showed the biggest increase in its coverage, which indicates anthropogenic activities as the main driver causing changes on the ecosystem. Projections for 2048 indicate processes of degradation and deforestation will continue, expecting increases in coverage for open lands, deciduous forest, and secondary forest. The current and projected conditions of the landscape highlight the importance of the implementation of conservation and restoration strategies, as well as responsible public policies in the study area to mitigate the impacts on these ecosystems.

Climate in greenhouses is continuously influenced by the outside environmental conditions. Outside conditions are always variable, especially in locations with extreme climates. Under non-extreme climates, greenhouses equipped with natural ventilation systems coupled with on–off controllers may be sufficient to effectively maintain appropriate climate conditions for plant growth. However, additional and flexible climate control systems, such as variable frequency drive (VFD) controllers, may be needed under extreme environments. In this study, the performance of a greenhouse climate control strategy, which considers plant transpiration, includes heating, operates variable vent configurations and a fogging system on a VFD basis, was tested by computer simulations. The strategy uses a set point of air specific enthalpy (55.8 kJ kg−1) to control the heaters and vents while a set point of Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) of 1.0 kPa is used to control the fogging system. Simulations were performed for two locations with different climates to test the strategy’s capabilities. Set points were effectively maintained whenever cooling demands existed in the greenhouse. For that, the crop played a key role by adding to the atmosphere on average 55.14 and 84.53% of the water vapor by means of plant transpiration for the first and second locations, respectively. When demands for heating existed, the set points were maintained whenever it was psychrometrically possible. When the outside air is at high humidity levels, the set points cannot be achieved under this approach. Under such conditions, the set points may be continuously and simultaneously kept if a dehumidification action is added to the strategy.