Analysis of the effects of hydric deficit in the temporal response of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in different climatic conditions of southern region of Brazil

Recent works report that the NDVI responds with a temporal delay to the rainfall and water deficit. Depending on the rainfall regime, type of vegetation and type of soil, this time response may vary from region to region. In this direction, this study has as objective to identify the different standards of temporal relations between the NDVI and the water deficit in different climatic conditions of the Brazilian territory. For analysis, twenty three meteorological stations of the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) located in the southern region of Brazil had been chosen. Data obtained from EFAI-NDVI temporal series and the INMET Climatologic Normals had been used to plot the graphs of NDVI seasonal behavior and to elaborate the climatologic water balance, according to the methodology of Thornthwaite and Mather. The results show the existence of a temporal delay from the occurrence of water excess or deficit to a change in NDVI-EFAI for the studied region.