THE USE OF QUICK SOIL SURVEY AND GIS TOOLS FOR LAND DEGRADATION MONITORING IN A RURAL MUNICIPALITY IN SOUTH-EASTERN BRAZIL

The pressure for agricultural use in hilly areas regarded as marginal to the productive process, committed to carrying capacity of natural systems and exposes the available resources, especially soil and water with higher rates of degradation. To circumvent these problems, it is necessary to find mechanisms that mitigate the conflicts generated between productive actives and the environment. One should then respect the specificities and restrictions of local soils and their interactions with others components of the environment, trying to select and adapt agricultural practices and techniques best suited to local conditions, enabling a sustainable land use. This study aimed to evaluate the use of GIS tools for improving the soil survey and to map land use and cover in the municipality of Campo do Meio (Minas Gerais, Brazil). The soil units occurring in the area are: Fluvisols, Gleysols, Acrisols and Ferralsols. The soil survey was carried out in an expeditious way considering the main relief forms and natural vegetation occurring in the region. The land use map was created using satellite images (CBERS) and field sampling data. The use of GIS tools and techniques, complemented by a quick soil survey provided extra information that could support the planning of natural resources, minimizing the negative environmental impacts and optimizing the soil use and management.