Land Use/Land Cover Change
Module
Cases of Coastal Zone Change from Mesoamerica
URL: http://resweb.llu.edu/rford/ESSE21/LUCCModule/
CASE NO 1: Atlantic Coast of Honduras
QUIZ Image No. 1 - Cuero y Salado (western-most image) and Hi-res
Image No. 1
QUIZ Image No. 2 - Pico Bonito and La Ceiba (eastern-most image) and Hires Image No. 2
See also Landsat-Infrared and Topographic map #1 and La Ceiba - Topo
#2
Image No. 1 - Cuero y Salado
Questions Relative to the Points on Image
No. 1
Point #1:
a) Compare and contrast the types of agricultural
landscape visible in terms of intensity of
mechanization, mono-culture (and at Point # 4 in
Image No. 2 below) as compared to what you see in
and around Point #2?
b) What type of “land use” categorization would you give
vs. “land cover”?
Point #2:
a) How does this “settlement pattern” differ from what is
seen around Point #2 (Image No. 2 below)?
b) Would you categorize both as “urban”? If not, how
would you differentiate them from each other in terms
of “land use” or “land cover”?
Point #3:
a) Can you infer from the images (either close-up aerial
images or otherwise) what are the primary livelihood
pursuits of those living in this small community?
b) How much of the vegetation seen in the satellite
imagery or aerial images is “natural” vs. “humanaltered”?
c) Look at the Topographic map for this point--how
does the vegetative cover differ today around this
settlement from what is inferred from the topographic
map classification? Go to =
(http://resweb.llu.edu/rford/courses/ESSC5xx/slides/mapacartograficoCYSRVS.jpg)
Point #4:
a) What do you think causes the “linear” patterns seen in
the vegetation and “on-shore” coastal landscape?
Again, look at the Topographic map for this point as
well as imagery to look for clues.
b) How much of the vegetative cover do you think is due
to human intervention vs. natural processes including
“hazards” such as flood, hurricane, etc?
Point #5 and Point #6:
a) Compare the “forest” type (land cover) seen at Point
#5 with what is seen at Point #6. Which is more
“natural” vs. “human-created”?
b) What clues do you have that lead you to classify it one
way or the other?
c) Which land class is likely to have more species
diversity (floral and faunal) and why?
d) What “land use” vs. “land cover” class would you put
each one into. Give your reasons.
Point #7:
a) What type of vegetation/habitat category (terrestrial
and/or aquatic ecosystem) would you give it?
b) What types of wild animals (fauna) would you expect
to find?
Point #8:
a) What type of hydrological and coastal landforms
(geomorphology) do you see here?
b) Why does the outlet to this water body/river enter the
ocean toward the west rather than toward the east in
the image?
c) Can you distinguish the possible livelihood patterns of
the homesteads on either side of the water body—the
western vs. eastern side. What clues are there?
Point #9:
a) Is this part of an agricultural land use or some other
use? Look at the patterns observable from the air
which are quite different from the surrounding region.
b) How are the patterns different and what do you think
explain them?
Point #10:
a) This an agricultural landscape like most of the region,
but how is it different than what is observed at Point
#9 and Point #6?
b) What do you think causes the “blotchy-brown areas”
seen in this part of the landscape?
c) What land cover class would you put this zone into
(outside the large “agricultural forest cover areas”
observable?
Image No. 2 - Pico Bonito and La Ceiba
Questions Relative to the Points on Image
No. 2
Point #1 and #2:
a) Compare and contrast the types of landscape (LULC)
visible here as compared to what you see around Point
#2?
b) What type of “land use” categorization would you give
each area in terms of “land use” vs. “land cover”?
c) What types of urban infrastructure do you see? What
types of livelihoods does this imply?
Point #3:
a) What type of linear feature is this?
b) How long is it?
Use the Topographic Map
(http://resweb.llu.edu/rford/ESSE21/LUCCModule/photos/TopoCeiba_region-2.png) to calculate a scale for the image and
thus measure the length.
c) Would you categorize both as “urban” or “industrial” or
some other category?
Point #4:
a) Can you infer from the images (either close-up aerial
images or ground-level) what type of land use and land
cover this is?
b)
How much of the vegetation seen in the satellite
imagery or aerial images is “natural” vs “humanaltered”?
Points #5 and #6:
a) What differences are there between the vegetative
cover seen at point #5 as compared to Point #6?
Again, look at the Topographic map for this point as
well as imagery to look for clues.
(http://resweb.llu.edu/rford/ESSE21/LUCCModule/photos/TopoCeiba_region-2.png)
b) How much of the vegetative cover is due to human
intervention vs. natural processes?
c) What differences in “biodiversity” would you expect?
d) Which one is more diverse and why?
e) Can you see other types of “human” infrastructure in
the forest zone of each as well as between both
(between Point #5 and #6)?
Point #7:
a) Compare the “forest” class (land cover) seen at Point
#5 and #6 with Point #7.
b) What are likely to be the differences floristically and
ecologically?
c) What are the key factors that differentiate and “cause”
each category?
d) What “land use” vs. “land cover” class would you give
for each and why?
Point #8:
a) What critical type of infrastructure along this river is
observable at this point or can be inferred by looking at
the surroundings?
b) How is the river itself and surrounding vegetative
cover different between Point #8 and #10 going
downstream vs. between #8 and #9 going upstream?
c) Which segment has been more human impacted and
in what ways?
d) What clues to “human impact” do you observe?
Point #9:
a) What type of “land use” vs. “land cover” would you give
for the areas around this point?
b) Can you distinguish the possible livelihood patterns of
the people who live in this area (around point #9 vs.
those homesteads around Point #10)?
Point #10:
a) How is the gradient of the river different upstream
from this point vs. downstream?
b) What explains the difference and what are the
implications for flood hazard, erosion, and other
impacts on both natural ecosystems and builtenvironments and infrastructure along the river and
even along the coastal zone?
END
Revised: January 9, 2006 Robert E. Ford – URL: http://resweb.llu.edu/rford