Quantitative analysis of soil losses in the first order hydrographic basin of stream Zaúna - Maringá (PR)

Abstract

Laminar erosion is considered one of the main causes of soil degradation, which results in the loss of soil nutrients and damage to agricultural activities, in addition to polluting and silting up the watercourses of its hydrographic network. Human activity is primarily responsible for the acceleration of this natural process, for the use of land use. To elaborate an adequate environmental planning, it is necessary to diagnose the amount of eroded soil and the places where the loss of sediment is greater. To this end, this article uses the Universal Soil Loss Equation (EUPS) and the Sediment Production Ratio (RPS) in the first order hydrographic basin of the Zaúna stream, in the municipality of Maringá - PR, in order to identify the amount of sediment available, transported and retained. The analyzed period was between the months of July 2016 and June 2017. The results showed smaller amounts of eroded material in the area, with greater emphasis on the classes between 0-3 and 3-5 (ton.saz), separated in seasonal calculations. (4) and annual (2), one considering the exposed soil and the covered soil). The greatest losses of soil in the watershed occurred in the spring season and in the annual calculation of soil exposure.