Physical-environment characterization and land use cover of Almada river watershed - State of Bahia

Abstract

This paper presents the physical-environment characterization and land use cover of Almada river watershed located in the southern region of Bahia state. For both the adopted methodology was based on the recognition and characterization of environmental attributes, such as the rocky substratum, surface water resources, landforms, soils and land use cover, from the production and removal of primary and secondary data obtained of previously work made in the watershed and the use of mapping techniques supported by the use of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems. Thus it became possible to ascertain the current condition of the environmental highlighted to know the different types of land use cover and recognition of its fragilities. Overall these results delineate a scenario in which identifies areas of environmental vulnerability mainly located in the portions east, west and southeast of the watershed. In the eastern portion the vulnerability occurs in areas of occurrence of predominantly sandy substrate that contributes to the potential for groundwater contamination and the susceptibility to landslides and erosion. Already in the west and southeast portions the fragility is functions of the land use cover, whereas coverage areas cabruca and forest are being replaced by pastures. This process is accompanied by an increase of degraded soil exposed by leveraging the occurrence of erosion