Dynamics of the forest from the 'Parque Estadual do Turvo' with vegetation indices

Author(s)

Paulo Afonso Rosa ^[1] ; Fábio Marcelo Breunig ^[2] ; Rafaelo Balbinot ^[3] ; Lênio Soares Galvão ^[4]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Departamento de Engenharia Florestal - Brasil

^[2] Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Departamento de Engenharia Florestal - Brasil

^[3] Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Departamento de Engenharia Florestal - Brasil

^[4] Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais. Divisão de Sensoriamento Remoto - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Floresta e Ambiente; v. 20, n. 4, p. 487-499, 2013-10-01.

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the relation between vegetation indices and rainfall in the 'Parque Estadual do Turvo' (PET), located in the northwest of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) were determined from images of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS/Terra). Rainfall data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) allowed the calculation of the dry spell index. Data analysis showed that nine months presented rainfall below the average; 92 months had rainfall close to the average; and 50 months presented rainfall above the average. The annual cycles of NDVI and EVI did not present conclusive correlation with the abnormal rainfall data, showing that the forest is resilient to short dry periods. The NDVI showed more stability in the summer and winter. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/03908-3 - Combined use of MODIS/Terra and RapidEye satellite images to study sub-tropical forests from the Parque Estadual do Turvo (RS)
• Grantee: Lenio Soares Galvão
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants