ABSTRACT
Estimations of crop area were made based on the temporal profiles of the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) obtained from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) images. Evaluation of the ability of the MODIS crop detection algorithm (MCDA) to estimate soybean crop areas was performed for fields in the Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Using the MCDA approach, soybean crop area estimations can be provided for December (first forecast) using images from the sowing period and for February (second forecast) using images from the sowing period and the maximum crop development period. The area estimates were compared to official agricultural statistics from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and from the National Company of Food Supply (CONAB) at different crop levels from 2000/2001 to 2010/2011. At the municipality level, the estimates were highly correlated, with R (2) = 0.97 and RMSD = 13,142 ha. The MCDA was validated using field campaign data from the 2006/2007 crop year. The overall map accuracy was 88.25%, and the Kappa Index of Agreement was 0.765. By using pre-defined parameters, MCDA is able to provide the evolution of annual soybean maps, forecast of soybean cropping areas, and the crop area expansion in the Mato Grosso state.
Subject(s)
Agriculture , Crops, Agricultural , Glycine max , Satellite Imagery , Algorithms , Brazil , Geography , HumansABSTRACT
ABSTRACT The agricultural dynamics of soybean expansion have long been recognized as a major driver of excessive land cover change on the southwestern border of the Brazilian Amazon. The hypothesis that the soybean market exerts an influence on land use was investigated by the association between economic indicators and soybean crop dynamics in the state of Mato Grosso (western Brazil). We integrated a historical series of satellite data of soybean cropland expansion and the two main economic variables (selling prices and production costs) for soybean in Mato Grosso. We focused on the relation between profit (the difference between the average soybean price and production costs) and land-use transition to soybean from 2001 to 2013. The spatially explicit analysis showed that the overall accuracy between the resulting first-time use and the most recent soybean crop area in 2013 was 96.75%, with a Kappa index of 0.63. However, dissimilar values found between Omission and Commission indicators suggest that most of the expanded areas prior to 2013 (5.57 million ha) were under a high dynamical range of land uses. Although there is no direct relation between either the deforestation rate or expansion trends (first-time-use rate) and profit, the results strongly suggest (R2=0.81) that profit exerts a direct and non-negligible influence on the evolution of consolidated land use for soybean in Mato Grosso State.
RESUMO A dinâmica agrícola relacionada à expansão da soja tem sido reconhecida como um dos principais fatores da excessiva conversão da cobertura do solo no Estado de Mato Grosso, no sudoeste da Amazônia brasileira. A hipótese de que o mercado de soja exerce influência no uso do solo, foi investigada pela associação de indicadores econômicos com a dinâmica da cultura de soja no Mato Grosso. Integramos séries históricas de dados de satélite para expansão da área de cultivo de soja e de suas duas principais variáveis econômicas associadas (preço de venda e custo de produção). Enfocamos a relação entre lucro (a diferença entre as médias do preço da soja e do custo de produção) e a conversão do uso do solo para soja de 2001 a 2013. A análise espacial explícita revelou que a precisão global na comparação entre o mapa resultante de first-time-use de cultivo de soja em 2013 foi de 96,75%, com índice Kappa de 0,63. Entretanto, a divergência obtida entre os indicadores de erro por comissão e omissão, sugerem que a maior parte da expansão da soja ocorrida antes de 2013 (5,57 milhões de ha) esteve sob influência de uma intensa dinâmica de uso do solo. Embora seja claro não haver relação direta entre a taxa de desmatamento ou tendências de expansão (taxa de uso pela primeira vez) e o lucro, os resultados sugerem fortemente (R2=0,81) que o lucro exerce influência direta e não-negligenciável na evolução do uso do solo consolidado com soja no estado de Mato Grosso.