Abstract
The objective of this study is to adapt the calculations of the Pasture Degradation Index (GDI) to the Brazilian savannah using medium spatial resolution satellite image for the dry season. Vegetation cover is the main evaluation parameter used to calculate the GDI. The extreme ranges of the grazing class were determined by the NDVI histogram of a single date. Pasture cover was distinguished into five classes called Vegetable Pasture Cover (GVC), derived from NDVI and compared with five other classes derived from field photographs, named Green Coverage Percentage (GCP). The similarity between GVC and GVP demonstrated that GVC can be used to classify pasture cover. As a product of GVC, GDI was obtained. The GDI showed that pasture degradation in Paraíso das Águas is very serious. Extremely severe and Severe degradation occupy 9.28% and 25.22% of the study area, moderate and light degradation of pasture occupy 8.29% and 4.50%, respectively, and the non-degradation area covers 1.43 % of pastures. The results suggest the possibility of applying the GDI, originally developed for natural fields and multitemporal remote sensing data, to evaluate the conditions of the tropical savanna planted fields by means of a unique image.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
