Uso e cobertura da terra na microrregião de Jacobina (BA), centro-norte baiano

The Jacobina micro-region has been the focus of an intense process of occupation and land use, and the changes in its vegetated areas, part of the Caatinga Biome, require continuous monitoring due to their endemic nature. The aim of this study is to analyze the dynamics of land use and land cover in this micro-region between 1985 and 2022. To this end, the work was divided into two stages: a literature review and a spatial analysis of land use and cover mapping for the years 1985 and 2022, obtained using Google Earth Engine. The results indicate a significant increase in pasture areas, occupying around 6,535.59 km², 34.73% of the micro-region. There was a general downward trend in the “Forest Formation” and “Savannah Formation” classes, which together accounted for a loss of 13.3% of forest area between 1985 and 2022. The accuracy of the MapBiomas data proved to be adequate for the Caatinga environment, with overall accuracy of 94% (±2.45%) and high rates for the “Forest” and “Savannah” classes (98% accuracy for the producer and 97% for the user), which reinforces the reliability of the estimate of the loss of native vegetation. The conclusion is that in order to apply environmental laws in fragile areas, it is necessary to establish environmental protection areas, strategies to combat desertification and appropriate land use and management practices.