Land use dynamics in the Brazilian Cerrado in the period from 2002 to 2013

Abstract: The objective of this work was to analyze land use dynamics in the Brazilian Cerrado region from 2002 to 2013. This analysis was based on the interpretation of Landsat satellite images carried out by the projects Projeto de Conservacao e Utilizacao Sustentavel da Diversidade Biologica Brasileira (Probio) and TerraClass Cerrado 2013, both coordinated by Ministerio do Meio Ambiente. In 2002, 38.9% of the Cerrado was covered by some type of anthropic activity. In 2013, this percentage increased to 43.4%. One of the main highlights is the emergence of a new agricultural frontier in the northern region of the study area, known as Matopiba.