Aplicação da RUSLE a uma pequena bacia hidrográfica da Amazônia

Abstract

The Amazon is experiencing severe changes due to anthropogenic activities, among which the transformation of forested land into areas for agricultural use stand out, intensifying erosion processes. Erosion, especially the drag of particles by runoff, causes a reduction of soil fertility impairing agricultural productivity and impacting the quality and quantity of surface water resources, a fact compounded by strong rainfall and naturally poor soils in the region. In this context, knowledge of erosion processes, such as through the use of mathematical models for predicting soil loss helps in determining management practices for sustainable use of natural resources. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the empirical model RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) in the region, which considers the interaction between the rain energy, soil and topography characteristics, as well as the uses and management practiced. This research applied the RUSLE in the upper basin of the Igarapé da Prata stream, with an approximate area of 37 km², located in the municipality of Capitão Poço, Pará, Brazil, approximately 160 km from the capital Belém, in Pará Northeast region. This research also consisted in the construction of a geo-referenced database made from public sources; such data passed through adaptations for insertion into the environment of the ArcGIS to quantify the parameters of RUSLE, which when combined allowed the generation of a map of soil loss for the study area. The small upper basin of Igarapé da Prata presented soil loss values ranging between 0.004 and 72.48 t/ha year, with an average value of 5.12 and a standard deviation of 6.97, where approximately 12% of its total area presents environmental risks due to erosive processes.