A geomorphologic GIS-multivariate analysis approach to delineate environmental units, a case study of La Malinche volcano (central México)

• Published in: Applied geography (Sevenoaks) 2010-12, Vol.30 (4), p.629-638
• Main Authors: Castillo-Rodríguez, M., López-Blanco, J., Muñoz-Salinas, E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cartography; Environmental units map; Geographic information systems; Geomorphology; GIS; Hierarchical cluster analysis; La Malinche volcano; Land; Land system mapping; Landforms; Landscapes; Management; Satellite navigation systems
• ISSN: 0143-6228; 1873-7730
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2010.01.003

The Environmental Units Map (EUM) is a strategic document that provides valuable information about landscape attributes for studies focused on environmental research, urban and land planning and environmental management. Traditionally, the systematic mapping of landforms has been used to integrate landforms and environmental data. Widespread availability of remote sensing data along with thematic cartography and implementation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), allows a fast integration of landscape environmental attributes, effectively reducing time and costs. In this study we propose an approach to delineate an environmental units map using a geomorphologic map and a multivariate analysis processed in a GIS on a regional cartographic scale (1:75,000). Our study area is La Malinche volcano (located in central México) where there are highly contrasting biophysical conditions and land use over relatively short distances. By means of a Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) a total of 29 environmental units were obtained for La Malinche. The environmental units range from alpine environments to semi arid lowlands (over a wide volcanic piedmont) where crops and urban development predominate. Our results suggest that integrating environmental units using a multivariate statistical approach not only produces results in agreement with what we observe empirically, but it also allows us to identify those factors which control the grouping of environmental attributes. The method proposed here can be used to integrate environmental data in a single map, and this could prove useful for environmental management in the future.