The objective of this work was to prepare a map of land use based on the IKONOS II sattelite images, to automatically determine the permanent preservation areas and to identify the occurrence of use conflicts, using as legal reference the Forest Code and the nº 303 Resolution of the CONAMA. The research was developed around the Caparaó National Park, in lands of the municipalities of Alto Jequitibá, Alto Caparaó, Caparaó and Espera Feliz, all of them located in the State of Minas Gerais. Using the resources available in the geographic processing, it was possible to map 8 classes of land use and to delimitate the permanent preservation areas located in regions above 1,800 meters of altitude (8.42 ha), the third upper part the hills (18.67 ha); an hillsides with slopes above 45 degrees (92.96 ha); water course margins with width below 10 meters (3,957.19 ha); and the upper third part the sub basins totalizing 12,098.22 ha (48.06%) of the basin total area. The area of improper use corresponds to 8,922.91 ha (45.49 %), being the classes coffee crop (5,183.43 ha) and clear pasture (3,650.74 ha) the main occurrences in these areas. Only 2,160.69 ha (18.40 %) of the permanent preservation areas are protected by natural vegetation.
permanent preservation area; geoprocessing; land use
