Zoning of areas vulnerable to soil loss in the upstream watershed of Águas de Caxambu Park (MG)

Abstract

Erosive processes are influenced by rainfall, infiltration, topography, vegetation cover and soil nature, and its measurement is important for the planning of hydrographic basins, aided by the use of geotechnologies. Therefore, the objective of this work is to estimate the soil loss in the area upstream of the Parque das Águas de Caxambu/MG, in a Geographic Information System environment, years 2015 and 2019, applying the Universal Soil Loss Equation (EUPS) as a result of changes in land use and land cover, as well as the identification of priority areas for proposing soil and water conservation measures. To calculate the factors and make the maps, we used the Qgis 3.16 and SagaGis 7.8.1 tools and the Mapbiomas and Mineiro Soil Classification databases. After estimating the factors and applying the EUPS, there was a predominance of the “very high” (from 20 to 50 t ha-1 year-1) and “extremely high” (> 50 t ha-1 year-1) classes, considering the loss tolerance for the soil type. This predominance is mainly linked to the lack of conservation practices, identifying the domain of the pasture and mosaic and agriculture and pasture classes, influenced by the topographic factor, intensity and duration of rainfall due to the location of the city, Serra da Mantiqueira region, in addition to the type of argisol soil, which is prone to erodibility. The pasture and agriculture and pasture mosaic classes were considered as priorities for proposing conservation measures. Thus, it is necessary to plan the use and management of the soil, with the use of conservation practices, in order to control water erosion.