Navojoa, Sonora, 2001-2021: Análisis geoespacial del cambio del uso de suelo

Francisco Humberto Valdez-Sandoval; Aniela Guadalupe Valdez-Sandoval; Allán Chacara-Montes

doi:10.35197/rx.22.01.2026.13.fv

Authors

Francisco Humberto Valdez-Sandoval Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1570-525X
Aniela Guadalupe Valdez-Sandoval Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8375-3843
Allán Chacara-Montes Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0567-0017

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35197/rx.22.01.2026.13.fv

Keywords:

Scrubland, Mesquite forest, agriculture, city, degradation.

Abstract

The research evaluated land use changes and urban expansion in Navojoa, Sonora, during the 2001-2021 period, with the objective of understanding the magnitude of territorial transformation and its environmental implications. Its importance lay in the need to generate precise geospatial information to support urban planning and ecological conservation processes in medium-sized cities undergoing accelerated growth. The study used official land use and vegetation maps and applied a multitemporal analysis through transition matrices and systematic transitions, which made it possible to quantify losses, gains, exchanges, and change rates among categories. This approach enabled the identification of spatial patterns and the direction of the main transitions documented. The results showed that urban area increased from 1,979.03 ha to 3,617.81 ha, while irrigated agriculture decreased from 898.77 ha to 421.56 ha. Natural cover types experienced severe declines: shrubland and mesquite scrub disappeared, secondary vegetation was drastically reduced, and grassland showed a significant decrease. Urbanization advanced mainly over secondary vegetation and grasslands, evidencing a substantial loss of ecological connectivity and marked landscape fragmentation. It was concluded that urban growth deeply reconfigured the territory, reduced the availability of agricultural land, and eliminated much of the natural cover. This dynamic highlighted the need to strengthen land use planning, preserve ecological corridors, and incorporate green infrastructure to improve environmental resilience in the face of future urbanization processes.

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Author Biographies

Francisco Humberto Valdez-Sandoval, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa

Bachelor’s degree in International Business Relations from the Business Academic Unit of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS); Specialist in Territorial Planning and Strategic Management from the Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning (ILPES/ECLAC); Master of Social Sciences with an emphasis on Regional Studies from the Faculty of Social Sciences at UAS; and Ph.D. in Geography from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Certified in Entrepreneurship and Small Business. Lecturer at the Autonomous University of Sinaloa and visiting professor at the Technological University of Escuinapa and the Technological Institute of Sonora, with specialization in topics related to regional development and economic geography.

Aniela Guadalupe Valdez-Sandoval, Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora

Bachelor’s Degree in International Business Relations from the Business Academic Unit of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa. Master’s Degree in Logistics and Quality Engineering from the Technological Institute of Sonora, Navojoa campus. Ph.D. candidate in Economics and International Business at the Autonomous Indigenous University of Mexico. She is a professor at the Technological Institute of Sonora, Navojoa campus, where she is responsible for the areas of data analysis, investment projects, and logistics. She has specialized in topics related to economics, logistics, and international trade, and has served as a guest instructor at the National Polytechnic Institute.

Allán Chacara-Montes, Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora

Industrial and Systems Engineer from the Technological Institute of Sonora, Navojoa campus. He holds a Master’s Degree in Logistics and Quality Engineering from the Technological Institute of Sonora, Navojoa campus, and a Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in Teacher Training from the National Pedagogical University, Hermosillo campus, Sonora. He earned a Doctorate in Projects, with a research focus on Organizational Management, from the Panamerican Center for Higher Studies in Morelia, Michoacán. He is certified in Lean Manufacturing for continuous process improvement by CONOCER, as well as certified as a Black Belt. He currently serves as the Coordinator of the Industrial and Systems Engineering Program and the Graduate Program in Logistics and Quality Engineering. He is a collaborator of the Academic Body “Organizational Competitiveness Development,” which holds consolidation status, and has been recognized as a Candidate of the National System of Researchers (SNI).

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