Degradación de suelos en cuencas andinas. Un caso de estudio mediante teledetección

Abstract

Abstract: The increasing degradation of soils in the Andean basins caused by different factors, whether human or natural, is an important aspect to take into account, because this process generates the gradual loss of the ecosystemic characteristics of the soils. The present work consists of the use of remote sensing as a tool for the study, analysis and characterization of 5 areas of interest located in the province of Loja. High spatial resolution images from Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 satellites obtained on different dates were used, which were processed using remote sensing techniques such as the application of the Bare Soil Index (BSI) to discriminate soils with vegetation and the Salinity Index (INSAL) to highlight areas with the presence of salinity in the soil. The results obtained showed that with the use of remote sensing it is possible to follow the process, characterize and calculate the areas of the zones that present degradation problems. This allows us to propose actions focused on mitigating this problem.