Monitoramento das pastagens cultivadas no cerrado goiano a partir de imagens MODIS índices de vegetação (MOD13Q1) / Monitoring cultivated pastures in the Cerrado Goiano Image from MODIS vegetation index (MOD13Q1)

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

IBICT - Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

27/03/2012

RESUMO

Cattle ranching is extremely important for the economy of Brazil. This activity is characterized by the intensive explotation of pastures, which occupy a vast area of the Brazilian territory, i.e. approximately 150 million hectares. Currently, Brazil is the largest meat exporter in the world. Concerning its biomes, this occupation occurs mainly in the Cerrado, where the 546.251 km of area under utilization correspond to about 37% of the total pasture area in the country. Among the states encompassed within the Cerrado limits, Goiás has the largest pasture occupation, over 38.7% of its area. In addition, it has one of the largest livestock, with about 21.3 millions of heads, producing, on average, 600.000 tons of meat a year. Within this context, arises the concern with the quality of the Goias state pastures, since several studies show that a large portion of these pastures are already degraded (i.e. low capacity), with low cattle occupation. This study, based on remote sensing data, as well as on spatial and census data, aimed at evaluating the quality of the pastures in Goias through the estimation of the net primary productivity (NPP). The distribution of pastures in relation to soil types, cattle occupation at the municipality level, infra-structure and location of the meat processing plants were considered as well. The productivity estimations were based on the MOD13Q1 vegetation index images (EVI), for the 2001 2009 period. The analysis of pasture distribution were conducted through the intersection of the derived NPP and the ancillary data mentioned above. The main conclusions of our study are: a) the highest NPP values are found in the central, southeast and extreme northeastern portions of Goias; b) the highest NPP values are related to the following soils: argissolos, cambissolos, neossolos and latossolos (Oxisols), respectively; c) the average cattle occupation in the Cerrado in Goias is usually low, around 1,07 heads per hectare; d) there are several municipalities (major cattle producers) which have the totality of their pastures severely degraded; e) there is no strict correlation between the location of meat processing plants and quality of pastures, as well as cattle occupation. Thus, the monitoring of pasture quality and the analysis of correlated factors are of great importance, as cattle ranching are responsible for the largest occupation of the Cerrado in Goias e for most of the wealth in the state.

ASSUNTO(S)

pecuária pastagem produtividade primária líquida (npp) geografia ranching pasture net primary productivity (npp)

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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