Monitoring of vegetation cover through biophysical indices and management of protected areas

Abstract

The maintenance of vegetation diversity established in caatinga areas is at great risk, and the creation of protected areas is a vital strategy for their preservation. The use of remote sensing and the application of vegetation indices will contribute to greater efficiency in its monitoring, which is not a common practice in Brazil. The objective of this study was to identify the condition of the vegetation cover of a nature conservation unit, through the application of biophysical indexes: NDVI, LAI, SAVI, EVI and NDWI, generated from the analysis of orbital images for the years 2007, 2013 and 2016. It was verified that the vegetation cover of this protected area is relatively preserved, with the detection of exposed areas and under water stress, indispensable information for the management of legally protected spaces.