Harmonizing Definitions and Methods to Estimate Deforestation at the Lacandona Tropical Region in Southern Mexico

Deforestation is a major factor reducing natural habitats, leading to tropical ecosystems and biodiversity loss worldwide. The Lacandona region in southern Mexico holds one of the largest fragments rainforest North America. We evaluated deforestation harmonizing concepts methodologies. An international (FAO definition), governmental (national regional definition with applications at different scales were analyzed harmonized two classification methods (likelihood spectral angle mapper (SAM)). used 2015 2018 Landsat 8 images, likelihood SAM classifications applied for FAO definitions deforestation. Overall, best classifier quantity was (kappa: 0.87 0.70, overall accuracy: 91.8 80.4%, disagreement: 4.1 10 %, respectively). allocation disagreement only showed exchange between classes. Nevertheless, they did not show differences classifiers, although had less than 2018: exchange, 4.1% SAM; shift: 0% SAM. Maps based on that detected 11,441 ha (40,538 51,979 ha, 11,914 (37,152 49,066 Further, 3387 more according 37,152 2913 (51,979 49,066, concluded implementation programs requires estimations careful selection methods.