Diagnóstico de focos de calor no triângulo mineiro com ênfase em áreas de produção silvicultural.

Abstract

Forest fires have become frequent and relevant, especially in view of the intensification of the climate emergency. These events are responsible for a large part of the loss of natural ecosystems, surpassing other causes of environmental impact. This study analyzed the occurrence of hotspots in the Triângulo Mineiro/Alto Paranaíba region and in areas close to production forest stands, between 2019 and 2024. For this, records from the GOES-16, NOAA21, NPP-375, Terra_M-M and Aqua_M-T satellites, obtained from the Burning Database (BDQueimadas - INPE), were used. Geospatial analyses were performed in the Geographic Information System (GIS) environment, using the Kernel density estimator to generate relative density maps. These were scaled into five classes: (i) very low, (ii) low, (iii) moderate, (iv) high and (v) very high. The results indicated fluctuations in the concentration of hotspots throughout the years evaluated. A smaller number of hotspots were observed in the intermediate years (2022 and 2023). However, the other years presented high concentrations, with 2021 being the year with the highest number of records, totaling 45,638 hotspots. The analysis of rainfall data demonstrated a direct relationship between the periods of greatest occurrence of fires and the climatic conditions, with emphasis on the greater frequency of events during the dry season. In addition, a high incidence of hotspots was found in areas of commercial forestry crops and their environments. This scenario reinforces the need to intensify fire management and fighting practices in productive areas, promote continuous monitoring of hotspots, and implement landscape management strategies. In addition, it is essential to raise awareness among the population about the importance of preventing rural and forest fires to minimize socioenvironmental damage.