Análise Temporal da Unidade de Conservação Cachoeira do Apa por Meio do Índice de Vegetação por Diferença Normalizada

Abstract

The Cerrado is one of Brazil's most threatened biomes due to the growing agricultural expansion, which has driven deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and biodiversity loss. In this context, conservation units (UCs) have emerged as a means to ensure biodiversity conservation in these areas. This study analyzed the temporal dynamics of vegetation cover in the Cachoeira do Apa Municipal Natural Park Conservation Unit, located in Porto Murtinho, Mato Grosso do Sul, using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Satellite images from 2000 and 2024, captured by Landsat 5 and Landsat 9 satellites respectively, were compared. The methodology involved classifying NDVI into categories that identified water bodies, exposed soil, grass/shrub vegetation, and tree vegetation, assessing their area variations over the period. The results showed that while there was a significant increase in exposed soil and a reduction in tree vegetation in the proposed buffer zone, the UC maintained its ecological integrity, with a predominance of dense vegetation. These findings underscore the importance of the UC and public policies for environmental preservation, despite anthropogenic pressures in the surrounding areas.