Remote sensing distribution in caatinga area as subsidies for biodiversity conservation

Abstract

It is remarkable that the current economic development model has not shown satisfactory results regarding the protection and care with nature, on the contrary, the environmental and social impacts have increased significantly, changing ecosystems and endangering Brazilian biodiversity, specifically in the Caatinga biome, the object of this research. The Caatinga is a biome rich in biodiversity, however, it has been marked by increasing pressure and exploitation of natural resources. The unsustainable use has caused the degradation of areas and favoring the process of desertification, which is already intense in the semi-arid region. In this context, given the importance of the biodiversity conservation of this biome, specifically the apiculture flora, this work aimed to identify land use classes and plant cover through the Vegetation by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index-NDVI, land surface temperature-LST and water supply begetation index-WSVI in an area of Caatinga in the Paraiba Hinterland. For this purpose, geoprocessing and remote sensing techniques were used to analyze these indices, which showed variability in vegetation and exposed soil areas. The TST and WSVI indexes showed mild temperatures and higher humidity in areas with vegetation, respectively.