LANDSAT MSS SATELLITE IMAGE PROCESSING AS A TOOL FOR NATIVE 
FOREST MAPPING IN THE EASTER SAN JUAN PROVINCE ARGENTINA 
Graciela Salinas de Salmuni 
Marta I. Lund 
Marcelo Roldan 
Janina Arturo 
Universidad Nacional de San Juan 
Facultad de Ingenieria 
PREMA - Procesamiento de Informacion de 
Recursos Naturales y Medio Ambiente 
Departamento de Ingenieria de Minas 
Av. Libertador de San Martin 1109 (Oeste) 
5400 San Juan, Argentina 
ISPRS Commission VII / Working Group 3 
ABSTRACT 
The study arise from the observation of an indiscriminate use of the natural resources, mainly 
deforestation and the pasture exploration for cattle raising, shigly important deterioration of the natural 
environment caused by the increasing desertification has been produced. Furthermore, at present a 
blurred catastral situation and a loss of indefinite zonification. MSS image is a fast and versatile tool for 
forest mapping is the first step in the study of desertification of the area. In this study the Landsat images 
could be considered as a complementary interpretative tool instead of a replacement for low altitude 
aerial photographs. The study was done taking into account the three geomorphological units of the 
considered area: mountain areas, fluvial plain and dunes. Digital procedures of the images are useful for 
classifying forest according to ecosystem zones. The result of classification is the identification of the 
distinct classes in Landsat MSS images data. Reference data associated with the spectral classes of the 
cover types of interest. The field work allowed further knowledge about the land cover types under 
analysis. 
050