Dynamics of the native vegetation in northeastern São Paulo state between 1988 and 2003

The images of orbital remote sensing, along with tools available in Geographic Information Systems, have enabled several studies on changes in land cover This study describes the results of the mapping of land use and cover and changes in a northeastern Sao Paulo state area between 1988 and 2003, specifically regarding the natural vegetation. The evaluation of the dynamics of the areas of remaining natural vegetation and of the riparian vegetation of northeastern Sao Paulo State disclosed a reduction in forests and savannas of 0.14% in comparison to the total area of the counties (51,649.5 km2). However, there was an advance of the riparian vegetation of 0.22% in comparison to the total area. Considering the 125 counties of the researched area, 60.8% had also kept practically the same percentage of natural vegetation cover and riparian vegetation in 2003 regarding to 1988. Considering only the areas with seasonal and secondary forests and savannas, the number of counties increases to 79.2% of the total. The counties that kept the greater percentages of the natural vegetal covering of remainders in the period were: Aguas do Prata, with 39.9% of its total county area, Rifaina (31.7%), Sao Sebastiao do Crania (24.9%) and Pedregulho (24.0%). The occupation of the lands between 1988 and 2003 was characterized by the dynamics of changes between activities that compete for space in the agricultural area, common in the most advanced technical administrative regions in Sao Paulo State.