Patagonian salt marshes: the soil effects on the NDVI response

ISLA, FEDERICO; ESPINOSA, MARCELA; GERPE, MARCELA SILVIA; IANTANOS, NERINA; MENONE, MIRTA LUJAN; MIGLIORANZA, KARINA SILVIA BEATRIZ; ONDARZA, PAOLA MARIANA; GONZALEZ, MARIANA; BERTOLA, GERMAN; AIZPÚN, JULIA ELENA; MORENO, VICTOR JORGE

THALASSAS (SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA)

UNIV VIGO

Año: 2010 vol. 26 p. 23 - 31

0212-5919

Patagonian and Fueguian salt marshes extendfrom 39 to 55 ºS with different tidal and climaticeffects. These effects conditioned their behaviour,and remote sensing is a useful tool to analyse theselatitudinal trends, being the Normalized DifferenceVegetation Index (NDVI) the most common parameterrecommended. One of the most difficult issue isto recognize the cord grass (Spartina) from theSarcocornia plains. Both plants have similar responseto the near infrared (NIR) and red bands althoughSpartina can cover entirely the tidal flat only whenit is tall enough. In the semiarid Patagonia, NDVIshould be adjusted to soil effects in order to evaluatemarsh distribution. However, marshes do not coverentirely the tidal flats and there are differences thatcould be envisaged to the sediment composition ofthese flats but also to the silting capacity of theseplants.