MULTITEMPORAL EVALUATION OF USE AND LAND COVER OF JOÃO LEITE STREAM WATERSHED USING LANDSAT-5 IMAGES

Abstract

The analysis of land use and land cover is fundamental for the strategic planning to the conservation and management of a watershed. This study aimed to analyze the landscape of the catchment area of João Leite River, located in the State of Goiás, to the Northwest of the city of Goiânia, the state capital, using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing to prepare an environmental assessment of that watershed. A multi-temporal analysis using images obtained by the TM sensor installed in the Landsat-5 satellite, from 1985 to 2011 showed, in the catchment area of the João Leite River, a decrease of 7.4 % in the native vegetation area. Considering the municipalities integrating the basin, Anápolis was where most deforestation occurred in areas with native vegetation (11.1%). These results are relevant to institutions dealing with environmental management, showing that deforestation is directly related to the environmental quality of the basin, which has as one of its uses the urban water supply of municipalities located in the Metropolitan Region of Goiânia.