Multitemporal evaluation of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus L.) plantations using remote sensing and G.I.S. in the municipality of Inquisivi, La Paz

Susana Gutiérrez Villalobos, Marcelo Tarqui Delgado

Abstract

The management and sustainable use of natural resources influences the quality of life of a population or region, it also has an impact on the environment, fauna and flora that inhabit a given area, for this reason it is important to make an assessment of land use changes, loss or alteration of vegetation cover, through the multitemporal evaluation in order to assess the rate of change in eucalyptus plantations between the periods 1996, 2005 and 2014 through a study of spatio-temporal dynamics, with satellite images, using techniques of Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing, using the methodology of comparison of coverage of satellite images, use of a vegetation index-implementation of a supervised classification to obtain categories of cover and anthropic coverage. The changes in cover identified in the study zone are in eucalyptus plantations, obtaining an increase in the surface of 1 256.67 ha, also presented significant changes in the coverages; shrubs and pastures with a decrease in surface of 2 331.32 ha, the category of cultivated areas identified an increase of 96. 03 ha, the bare soil category presents an increase in surface area of 349.45 ha, the category of soils with little vegetation cover increased 506.88 ha, also the surface area of water bodies had an increase of 3.91 ha and finally sand banks increased 118.38 ha in the period 1996-2014. On the other hand, the use of tools, such as geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, allow modeling studies of variables, quantifying dimensions and / or changes associated with the evolution of vegetation cover and land use, by anthropogenic activities.