CLASSIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FARMING SYSTEMS: CASE STUDY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ANCUD, CHILOÉ ISLAND

Abstract

Transformations of rural areas are related to the dynamics of the agricultural sector in general and those of the farming systems in particular. Without addressing the spatial distribution of farming systems it is difficult to explain the impact of changes in these systems on the landscape and territory. Using multivariate statistical methods and Geographical Information System tools, a spatially-explicit typology of farms was constructed for the municipality of Ancud in southern Chile. Four types of farming systems were identified. Type I (1,016 farms) and type II farms (1,565 farms) were the dominant systems, comprising 94% of the total farms studied. These systems can be categorized as subsistence and multi-activity farms, respectively, and were mostly located near coastal areas. Type III farms (28 farms) were forestry farms, exhibiting large land holdings (2,629 ha on average) and extensive areas of native forests and shrubs (2,563 ha on average). Finally, type IV farms (137 farms) corresponded to more specialized dairy and sheep farms. The results obtained suggest that the spatially-explicit typology was capable of capturing the variability of farm properties in Ancud, reflecting different rural lifestyles which merit particular attention in development and natural resource planning.