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A Systematic Review of Developments in Farmland Cover in Chile: Dynamics and Implications for a Sustainable Future in Land Use

Author

Listed:
  • Fabián Argandoña-Castro

    (Doctorado en Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Avda. Rudecindo Ortega, Temuco 02950, Chile)

  • Fernando Peña-Cortés

    (Laboratorio de Planificación Territorial, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Avda. Rudecindo Ortega, Temuco 02950, Chile)

Abstract

Farmland covers present diverse characteristics, methods, and techniques to monitor and evaluate crops in other geographic areas. This study systematically reviews Land Use/Land Cover Change (LULCC) in agricultural land in Chile through a systematic review of the scientific literature. Using the PRISMA 2020 method, the Web of Science (WOS) database was consulted using the keywords “Landuse”, “Landcover”, “Agriculture”, and “Chile”. We applied six exclusions criteria and constructed a matrix to select relevant aspects, such as title, year of publication, study area and period, methods used, and principal results. In our review, we identified four studies that focused specifically on agricultural land dynamics, mainly in south-central Chile. Chile was selected as the study area due to its geographical diversity, which poses significant challenges for decision-making in land use regulation. These results underscore the need for more spatially informed data on farmland dynamics to inform decision-making, particularly during the alternatives evaluation stage. In this phase, it is essential to assess the impacts on and potential of the territory in order to define suitable economic activities. Although there are numerous studies on LULCC, most emphasize changes in native forests, underscoring the need to address LULCC more comprehensively by considering other land categories, such as agricultural land, shrublands, grasslands, and others. This evidence is crucial for designing practical land management tools and identifying areas that have been extensively studied but lack sufficient research.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabián Argandoña-Castro & Fernando Peña-Cortés, 2025. "A Systematic Review of Developments in Farmland Cover in Chile: Dynamics and Implications for a Sustainable Future in Land Use," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:9:p:3905-:d:1643000
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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