NDVI patterns as indicator of morphodynamic activity in the middle Paraná River floodplain

Abstract

This work assesses the performance of a 2000–2014 NDVI-MODIS time-series to identify areas of the Paraná River floodplain associated with different morphodynamic areas and hence ecological behavior. From classification procedures we obtained six NDVI patterns (P1 to P6) differing in their mean values, standard deviation, and seasonality. The NDVI patterns are evidence of different situations in terms of elevation, flood dynamics, and vegetation physiognomies: P1 represents water bodies, P2 to P4 cover frequently flooded lowlands colonized by marshy vegetation, and P5 and P6 are placed on middle and high elevations that are less flooded and also are covered by tall vegetation (grassland and forest). Instead of differences among the six NDVI patterns, they showed a spatial arrangement that allowed the identification of two parallel belts; belt I, formed by P2 to P4, is placed close to the Paraná River and its connected branches; while belt II, formed by P5 and mainly P6, appears on the marginal floodplain far away from the main channels. The spatial arrangement of the two belts is similar to limits followed by the morphodynamic areas of the Paraná fluvial system. More than 60% of the surface covered by P2 and P5 corresponds to low morphodynamic areas while nearly 70% of P6 matches with high morphodynamic areas. Through their annual and interannual behavior, spatial arrangement, and relationship with morphodynamic areas, the NDVI patterns allow the interpretation of lateral organization of the Paraná River floodplain. This paper exploits the potential of time-series of NDVI to understand, from a synoptic point of view, the floodplain dynamics by capturing the seasonal and interannual variability of vegetation physiognomies and hydrosedimentological regime along and across the floodplain.