NDVI AS AN INDICATOR OF CHANGES IN LAND USE SYSTEMS AND SURFACE ALBEDO IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF VÁRZEA DA PALMA (MINAS GERAIS)

Vegetation indices such as NDVI, as well as geophysical parameters such as albedo are recognized as important to characterize native or anthropic landscapes, helping in the proper management of the environment. Making this measurement by satellite data, from the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the targets on the surface, makes this operation more efficient for a number of applications. The objective of this study is to understand the variations of the surface albedo before the modifications of the land use systems indicated by the NDVI in a period of 25 years (1985-2010) in the municipality of Várzea da Palma, using as a methodological aid the images of the satellite Landsat -5 TM and SEBAL (Surface Energy Balances Algorithm for Land) algorithm for estimating the components of the radiation balance analyzed in this work, which are NDVI and surface albedo. The steps were computed in ERDAS IMAGINE 2014 software through Model Maker, a mathematical modeler that enables operations. The lowest NDVI values were allocated to areas with lower vegetation cover and the highest values in areas with dense vegetation cover. The surface albedo had an increase for areas with lower vegetation cover, in areas with higher vegetation indexes the albedo had a decrease in its values