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| Author(s): |
Helena França
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB) |
| Defense date: | 2001-05-11 |
| Examining board members: |
Alberto Waingort Setzer;
Marisa Dantas Bitencourt;
Waldir Mantovani;
Mario Barroso Ramos Neto;
José Felipe Ribeiro
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| Advisor: | Alberto Waingort Setzer |
| Abstract | |
This work presents the development of a methodology to identify and quantify the surface burnt in the Brazilian contiguous Cerrado on a bi-weekly basis using daily images of the AVHRR (Advanced Very High resolution Radiometer) sensor on-board the NOAA-14 (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) satellite after its bands 1 (0,6 um), 2 (0,9 um) and 3 (3,7 um), as well as the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). The temporal variation of the burnt areas and of other surface covers in bi-weekly AVHRR mosaics was the basis for an algorithm to identify the \"scars\" from vegetation fires. The results were validated and adjusted with high resolution data from TM-Landsat (Thematic Mapper). The statistical analysis of linear regression between the fire data obtained with the use of the algorithm and those of the TM produced two equations to estimate burnt area in the Cerrado, with r2 = 0.8 and 0.7. Applying the methodology developed, ~429,000 km2 burned in the period of May/01/98 to April/04/99 (range of 404,000 to 455,000 km2 for the 95% confidence interval), corresponding to 19% (18 to 20 %) of the total study area. The relation between active fires obtained with AVHRR/NOAA-12 and the burnt area supplied preliminary estimates of burnt area in the Cerrado from May/01/99 to Oct/31/00. The TM data showed that small scars, with less than 0.5 km2, although numerous (53 % of the total), account for just ~2 % of the burnt area. Large scars, with more than 10 km2, correspond to a small number (8 %), but to 74 % of the Cerrado burnt area. The results of this work showed for the first time that it is possible to estimate on a regular basis the Cerrado yearly burnt area with an error smaller than 15 %, using daily AVHRR data. These estimates should provide important information to understand the ecological role of fire in the Cerrado, identify areas with higher fire frequency, help environmental planning at regional levels, and plan soil use and control, as well as provide subsidies in biomass burning emission studies. Data from new sensors in satellites to be made available in 2001 should improve even further the methodology developed. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 97/07695-0 - Study of the ground burning regime in the Brazilian cerrados with AVHRR/NOAA images: 1985-1988 |
| Grantee: | Helena França |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |