Vulnerability to soil degradation in the Acaraú Basin, State of Ceara

Abstract

This work aimed to prepare a map of soil degradation vulnerability in the Acaraú basin, Ceará, through the Geographic Information System and multicriterium additive methodology. For the obtaining of classes of vulnerability, we evaluated information related to geology, geomorphology, pedology, vegetation and climate, resulting in five classes: stable, moderately stable, medium stable/vulnerable, moderately vulnerable and vulnerable. The class medium stable/vulnerable was the most representative, occupying 9,776 km² of extension (67.8 % of the basin), followed by the class moderately stable, which occupied 4,180 km² of extension (more than 28% of the basin). The results showed the viability of the method for preparing the map of environmental vulnerability, which can be applied in the territorial management of the Acaraú basin.