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

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 m2 in 1990, 71.2 ± 7.1 inhab/900 m2 in 2000, and 94.0 ± 4.8 inhab/900 m2 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.