REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO LAND USE 
AND LAND COVER DISCRIMINATION 
Geraldo José Lucatelli Doria de Araájo Junior 
Mario Valério Filho 
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE 
Divisáo de Sensoriamento Remoto e Meteorologia Espacial - DSM 
Caixa Postal 515 
12201-970 - Sáo José dos Campos - SP, Brazil 
ISPRS Commission VII / Working Group 6 
ABSTRACT 
In this study two enhancement techniques are tested in terms of their ability to improve TM/LANDSAT data 
for land use and land cover discrimination. These techniques are IHS and decorrelation transformations. The 
study area consists of the Ribeirdo Bonito basin in the Barra Bonita reservoir, which has a diversified 
agricultural occupation, located at the Sáo Paulo State, with the following coordinates: South latitude 22 
degrees 38 minutes to 22 degrees 27 minutes, and West longitude 42 degrees 11 minutes to 42 degrees 06 
minutes (TM/LANDAST image orbit 220, point 76, quadrant "A", dated on July 4th, 1992). The digital 
analysis was performed with the aid of the SITIM/INPE software. Bands TM4, TM5 and TM3 were used as 
input for the IHS transformation. For the decorrelation enhancement two sets were use as input (RGB); TM4, 
TMS and TM7 and TM4, TM3 and TM7. The products were assessed using their ability to discriminate the 
following targets: bare soil, reforestation land, sugarcane plantation, etc. Results showed that best 
enhancement was obtained using linear contrast stretch applied to I component, 32 gain to S component and 
30 degrees rotation was applied to H component. The decorrelation was acquire using TM4, TM3, and TM7 
color composites. 
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