Biomass and vegetation index by remote sensing in different caatinga forest areas

ABSTRACT: Continued unsustainable exploitation of natural resources promotes environmental degradation and threatens the preservation dry forests around world. This situation exposes fragility necessity to study landscape transformations. In addition, it is necessary consider biomass quantity establish strategies monitor anthropic disturbances. Thus, this research analyzed relationship between vegetation index estimated using allometric equations in different Brazilian caatinga forest areas from satellite images. procedure performed by estimating 9 tropical fragments equations. Area delimitations were obtained Embrapa collection dendrometric data collected period 2011 2012. Spectral variables orthorectified images RapidEye satellite. The aboveground ranged 6.88 123.82 Mg.ha-1. SAVI values L = 1 0.5, while NDVI EVI 0.1835 0.4294, 0.2197 0.5019, 0.3622 0.7584, 0.0987 0.3169, respectively. Relationships among indexes moderate, with correlation coefficients (Rs) varying 0.64 0.58. best adjusted equation was equation, for which coefficient determination R² 0.50, R2aj 0.49, RMSE 17.18 Mg.ha-1 mean absolute error prediction (MAE) 14.07 Mg.ha-1, confirming importance Savi biomass.