Analysis of vegetation dynamics using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) at the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil

Kardelan Arteiro Da Silva,João Paulo De Oliveira Santos,José Jorge Monteiro Júnior,Emanuel Araújo Silva,Soraya Giovanetti El-Deir

doi:10.20435/inter.v21i4.2432

Abstract

Island environments have specific biotic and abiotic characteristics, as fragility, limitation of natural resources, geographic isolation, and fragmentation are determining factors that directly affect these areas. Thus, it is relevant to understand the natural evolution of the landscape in the islands, considering the anthropic actions and climate changes in the transformation of vegetation cover, as a means of time series and study of satellite images. This paper aims to analyze the dynamics of the landscape (changes in vegetation cover) of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago concerning urban development, and other anthropic activities that occurred between 1999 and 2018, through remote sensing images, to establish comparisons with the Island Management Plans that were elaborated in the years of 2005 and 2017. Also, this study intends to raise elements to assist in the spatial management of the Archipelago and to establish Public Conservation Policies for Fernando de Noronha and other island areas. Images from Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 were obtained for scenes from 1999 and 2017, respectively. These images were preprocessed and analyzed in Quantum GIS 2.18 software. And applied the NDVI calculation. It was also used the database found in the sustainable management plan of the archipelago provided by the state government of Pernambuco. With these data, it was possible to diagnose a vegetative growth on the island of about 45.36% in 17 years corroborating with the changes found in the data coming from the island's management plan. However, there are no changes in the phytosociological diversity of the island, this cause is pointed out to the invading and ruderals species of the island that are established and propagate.

Highlights

Island environments have specific biotic and abiotic characteristics, as fragility, limitation of natural resources; geographic isolation and fragmentation are determining factors that directly affect these areas
The objective of this study was to analyze the dynamics of the landscape of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago in relation to urban development and other anthropic activities that occurred between 1999 and 2018, through remote sensing images, and establish comparisons with the Island Management Plans that were elaborated in the years of 2005 and 2017
According to the Ministry of the Environment (MINISTÉRIO DO MEIO AMBIENTE [MMA], 2017), this island environment is internationally known for the natural landscapes and paradisiacal beaches, composed of 21 islands, islets and cliffs that occupy an area of approximately 26 km2, of which 17 km2 correspond to the main island, only inhabited

Summary

Introduction

Island environments have specific biotic and abiotic characteristics, as fragility, limitation of natural resources; geographic isolation and fragmentation are determining factors that directly affect these areas. There are ecological vulnerabilities that occur in small islands, mainly by the anthropic actions (FERNANDES; PINHO, 2017) In this perspective, it is relevant to understand the natural evolution of the landscape in islands, considering the human actions and the climatic changes in the transformation of the vegetal cover (BUSTAMANTE et al, 2014). Colonization in this country characterized as exploitation, and the indiscriminate elimination of natural resources occurred. This colonization was not of the settlement, where the populations have the conservation of the environment as a relevant value (LAPOLA et al, 2015)

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