Avaliação quantitativa da perda de solo por erosão na bacia hidrográfica do rio Potengi - RN

Abstract

With the intensification of anthropogenic actions in the environment, problems such as erosion are becoming more common. As a way of assessing erosion and estimating soil loss, one of the options is the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation - RUSLE, a technique that involves the integrated analysis of attributes of the physical, biotic and anthropic environments of the area and can subsidize, above all, territorial planning. Given this reality, this study aimed to quantify soil loss in the Potengi River Basin (BHRP), the main river in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN). The geodata used in this study was obtained from primary data through soil granulometry tests (K) and secondary data, collected from sites such as Embrapa and Emparn, to prepare the following information plans: the basin's rainfall (R), altimetry (LS), land cover and land use mapping (CP). This information was then manipulated using remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) techniques, culminating in cartographic products. The results revealed a loss of soil throughout the basin, estimated at 634,075.41 tons of soil. The work demonstrates the importance of a quantitative approach to understanding the environmental dynamics of the basin; however, this prediction is a complex but crucial task for guiding soil conservation strategies and promoting sustainable management.