URBAN TREE COVER ASSESSMENT USING SATELLITE IMAGERY AND GIS: A TWO-STAGE SAMPLING APPROACH IN CURITIBA

This study presents a methodological approach for assessing urban tree cover in Curitiba using a two-stage sampling framework, with neighborhoods as primary units and blocks as secondary units. Satellite imagery and QGIS software were employed to identify and delineate canopy cover areas.
Results indicate a reliable method, showing no statistically significant differences between remote and field measurements, with an error margin of 25.63% for Urban Tree Cover Index (TCI) estimates. This accessible and reproducible methodology supports urban forest management and environmental policy-making by offering an efficient, low-cost means of monitoring urban vegetation cover over time.