Cambios en el paisaje inducidos por dinámicas socioeconómicas: un estudio de caso cartográfico en una microcuenca del norte del Tolima (1955 a 2010)

El análisis cartográfico de una zona, permite identificar cambios del paisaje y de sudinámica antrópica en un territorio; estos reflejan procesos sociales generados porla interacción hombre-naturaleza. Se realizó una revisión histórica y cartográficade los cambios del paisaje en una zona del municipio del Líbano (Tolima). Estetrabajo se desarrollo en el marco del proyecto de investigación titulado“Agroecosistemas y cultura en fincas de la ecorregión cafetera del Tolima:evolución y conflicto” financiado por la Oficina Central de Investigaciones de laUniversidad del Tolima. El objetivo del estudio fue documentar los cambios en losusos del suelo en el territorio de la microcuenca La Tigrera, especialmente laevolución de los agroecosistemas de café y su influencia en la transformación delpaisaje. Se revisó información secundaria como mapas temáticos, literaturaespecializada e información institucional del Comité de Cafeteros del Tolima y deCortolima. Por otra parte, se analizaron fotos aéreas (escala aproximada 1:60.000)de los años 1955, 1965, 1988 y 2010. Estas se procesaron de forma análoga através de fotointerpretación, para cuantificar las áreas de ocupación de los usosdel suelo presentes en el área de estudio. Se usó un ambiente SIG para crearcartografía temática de usos del suelo, utilizando programas especializados comoAutoCAD 2010, Global Mapper, gvSIG 1.10 y ArcGis 1.10, con los cuales seprocesaron imágenes tipo raster a partir de la digitalización de las fotos aéreas.Los resultados sugieren transformaciones del paisaje y patrones de uso de latierra como consecuencia de las decisiones de actores que están inmersos ensistemas socioeconómicos y biofísicos, caracterizados por una compleja red deinterrelaciones que evolucionan en el tiempo. Es notoria la reducción del área debosques para dar paso primero a la caficultura y luego a las pasturas. Se concluyeque las relaciones espaciales y de uso del suelo en la ecorregión cafetera delTolima, son una expresión particular de las relaciones socioeconómicas originadaspor la caficultura, lo que marca un ámbito tradicional en las decisiones que setoman en la familia, pero influenciadas por fuerzas macroeconómicas. Abstract The cartographic analysis of an area allows identification of the landscape changesand the anthropic dynamics in a territory; they reflect social processes generatedby human-nature interaction. A historical and cartographic review of the landscape changes was carried out in an area of the Municipality of Líbano (Tolima). This work was developed within the framework of the research project “Agroecosystems and culture in farms of the coffee ecoregion of Tolima: evolution and conflict” financed by the Central Research Office at Universidad del Tolima. The aim of the study was to document changes in land use in the territory of La Tigrera watershed, especially the evolution of coffee agroecosystems and their influence on the transformation of the landscape. Secondary information was reviewed including thematic maps, specialized literature and institutional information of the Tolima Coffee Growers Committee and Cortolima. On the other hand, aerial photographs (approximate scale 1: 60,000) for the years 1955, 1965, 1988 and 2010 were analyzed and processed using analogue photo interpretation to quantify areas of occupation of land use present in the study area. A GIS environment was used to create thematic mapping of land use, using specialized programs like AutoCAD 2010, Global Mapper, gvSIG 1.10 and ArcGIS 1.10 with which raster images were processed from digitization of aerial photos. The results suggest changes in the landscape and patterns of land use as a result of the decisions of actors involved in socio-economic and biophysical systems, characterized by a complex network of relationships that evolve over time. The reduction of forest areas to give way to coffee first and then to pasture is notorious. It is concluded that the spatial relationships and land use in the Tolima coffee eco-region are a particular expression of the socio-economic relations caused by the coffee industry, marking a traditional area in the decisions made within the family but influenced by macroeconomic forces. The cartographic analysis of an area allows identification of the landscape changes and the anthropic dynamics in a territory; they reflect social processes generated by human-nature interaction. A historical and cartographic review of the landscape changes was carried out in an area of the Municipality of Líbano (Tolima). This work was developed within the framework of the research project “Agroecosystems and culture in farms of the coffee ecoregion of Tolima: evolution and conflict” financed by the Central Research Office at Universidad del Tolima. The aim of the study was to document changes in land use in the territory of La Tigrera watershed, especially the evolution of coffee agroecosystems and their influence on the transformation of the landscape. Secondary information was reviewed including thematic maps, specialized literature and institutional information of the Tolima Coffee Growers Committee and Cortolima. On the other hand, aerial photographs (approximate scale 1: 60,000) for the years 1955, 1965, 1988 and 2010 were analyzed and processed using analogue photo interpretation to quantify areas of occupation of land use present in the study area. A GIS environment was used to create thematic mapping of land use, using specialized programs like AutoCAD 2010, Global Mapper, gvSIG 1.10 and ArcGIS 1.10 with which raster images were processed from digitization of aerial photos. The results suggest changes in the landscape and patterns of land use as a result of the decisions of actors involved in socio-economic and biophysical systems, characterized by a complex network of relationships that evolve over time. The reduction of forest areas to give way to coffee first and then to pasture is notorious. It is concluded that the spatial relationships and land use in the Tolima coffee eco-region are a particular expression of the socio-economic relations caused by the coffee industry, marking a traditional area in the decisions made within the family but influenced by macroeconomic forces.