O sensoriamento remoto aplicado ao estudo da desertificação na região semiárida do norte de Minas Gerais

The phenomenon known as desertification, resulting from the degradation land in arid zones, semi-arid and sub-humid dried. It is consequence of the anthropic effect on the environment as well as climatic variability. Environmental damage caused by this process affect directly population life quality, making it necessary the perform studies in these areas so that the produced outcomes assisting as support, either through recovery or prevention measures. The objective of this work is the identification of susceptible areas to desertification in the Semiarid Region of Northern Minas Gerais, using remote sensing techniques to characterize and evaluate the area. The vegetation index (NDVI) produced from the Landsat 5 TM image was used to characterize the land cover for the years 2001 and 2010. The classes were quantified and compared to both years. From the results obtained was possible to check the degradation level in the region and changes in land cover for the periods analyzed. The study indicated an upward trend of the desertification areas analyzed.