Linear erosion and its relationship with reliefmorphometry in the Upper Capivara River Catchment – Botucatu (SP) – Brazil

Abstract

Soil erosion is a problem frequently reported all over the globe, which compromises the use of the soil resource, essential for the reproduction of human activity. For sloping areas, as is the case of the basaltic cuestas of the São Paulo State, this problem can become even greater from the natural characteristics of the area, which can work as catalysts of the erosive processes. From this, the objective of this paper is to evaluate the interaction of linear erosive features with the morphometry of the relief in an area where a cuesta relief. To this end, slope, vertical dissection, horizontal dissection, relief energy and geomorphologic maps were elaborated. The spatial distribution of linear erosive features, mapped in the geomorphologic map, was evaluated on each class of each morphometric map. In the study area, the erosive features are conditioned by the presence of the cuesta relief, which provides energy to the action of surface runoff from its front areas, with erosive processes concentrated in sectors of medium and low slope. Finally, the results help in the understanding of the erosive dynamics in areas of cuesta relief, based on the morphometric characteristics of the relief, providing subsidies for the appropriate use of land and future studies in these locations.