Dynamics of Land Use and Vegetable Cover in the Campos De Cima Da Serra Region, RS, Brazil, With the Use of Google Earth Engine

Due to the increasing availability of free data and software, remote sensing techniques have been primarily used to map, analyze, and monitor natural resources for conservation and sustainable use. Thus, MapBiomas is an important tool for accessing accurate information on changes in Brazilian territory. Using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform and MapBiomas Brasil data, it was possible to analyze land use and vegetation cover in the Campos de Cima da Serra region, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from 1985 to 2022. The size, in hectares, of each land use class varied over time, determined from 1985 to 2022, according to the availability of data obtained from Landsat satellites (5, 7, and 8). This variation included a significant expansion in the “soybean” plantation use class, while “grassland vegetation and pasture” showed the greatest decrease. It can be concluded that forestry, vegetables, and native and planted fields predominate in the eastern portion of the region. In the western portion, soybeans and corn, temporary crops, and fruit growing are more significant. All these sectors also have a significant impact on the state’s economy and are recognized for their high job creation and income distribution across various segments of the municipalities.