Soybean expansion in the Amazon has been increasing considerably in recent years, the consequences of which can be serious environmental impacts. In this paper the soybean albedo (Glycine Max (L.) Merryl) was evaluated, which was planted in natural field conditions in Paragominas city (PA), a region representative of agricultural expansion in Amazon. A direct relationship was observed between soybean albedo and its leaf area index (LAI), showing a daily maximum value between 0.24 and 0.25 associated to a LAI of 7.17, when soybean has accumulated 1297.62 degree-days. It was found that the most critical phase of the crop, based on change in surface albedo, is the fruitification phase, when albedo shows a maximum mean value of 0.23 (± 0.0007). Empirical models were fitted to simulate the daily variation of the albedo as a function of LAI and soil humidity during the cycle, and to simulate the diurnal variation of the albedo as a function of solar elevation, for each soybean phase.
land use change; reflectance; monoculture
