Mapping and Quantitative Analysis of Variations in Vegetation Coverage in Uberlandia-MG between 1990 and 2023

Abstract

Objective - This article aims to map and quantitatively analyze variations in vegetation cover in the municipality of Uberlândia, with an emphasis on urban areas, using data from the ninth collection of land use and land cover maps of the MapBiomas project, covering the time series from 1990 to 2023.

Methodology - The study uses digital processing of orbital images obtained through remote sensing as its main methodological procedure. Using vector operations and algebraic expressions in QGIS software, the vegetation formations of the municipality of Uberlândia were classified and quantified into thematic classes, enabling qualitative and quantitative analyses of the identified typologies.

Originality/Relevance - The research integrates the multitemporal dynamics of vegetation cover and its relationship with urbanization processes in Uberlândia, contributing to the advancement of the debate on environmental conservation.

Results - The findings indicate that, over the last three decades, the municipality has undergone intense transformations, with a predominance of agricultural uses and a significant reduction or fragmentation of the Cerrado's natural vegetation types, especially forest, savanna, grassland, and wetland formations.

Theoretical/Methodological Contributions - By combining information from different institutional and academic sources and enabling consistent spatiotemporal comparisons, the study consolidates a methodology applicable to other Brazilian urban contexts, strengthening the interface between science, urban planning, and environmental policymaking.

Social and Environmental Contributions - The research offers an urban-environmental interpretation that highlights not only the quantitative transformations of vegetation but also their implications for sustainability and environmental quality, expanding the debate on native vegetation conservation in urban and peri-urban areas.