Analysis of fire severity in the Cerrado – Weighted NDVI
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51359/2238-6211.2025.266971Keywords:
Wildfire, savannas, remote sensing, conservationAbstract
The Cerrado stands out for its unique biodiversity, but it suffers intense anthropogenic pressure, driven mainly by agricultural expansion. Among the main disturbances, fire plays a central role. Although natural to the biome, the increase in human-induced burning has intensified its severity, negatively impacting both fauna and flora. Given the biome’s complexity and heterogeneity, analyzing fire severity requires specific approaches. In this context, remote sensing and the use of spectral indices have proven to be effective tools for mapping burn scars and assessing fire impacts. This study applied such indices and proposed a modification to ΔNDVI (called Weighted NDVI) to evaluate the severity of a wildfire that occurred in 2023 in the Águas do Paraíso State Park (PEAP), Goiás. Although the indices showed statistical similarity, the practical applicability of the Weighted NDVI in contexts of public communication and environmental management may serve as an accessible tool for disseminating fire severity information in the Cerrado.
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