Analysis of Spatiotemporal Changes in Land Use and Land Cover in Sub-Watersheds of the Lower Itapecuru River in the State of Maranhão, Brazil

Autores/as

  • Leonardo Silva Soares Universidade Federal do Maranhão http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0373-2971
  • Wilza Gomes Reis Gomes Reis Lopes Universidade Federal do Piauí
  • Antonio Carlos Leal de Castro Universidade Federal do Maranhão
  • Edson Vicente da Silva Universidade Federal do Ceará
  • Gisele Cardoso de Araújo Universidade Federal do Maranhão
  • Michelly dos Santos Moreira Universidade Federal do Maranhão
  • Victor Lamarão de França Universidade Federal do Maranhão
  • Karina Coqueiro Mendes Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Maranhão

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/rdg.v34i0.133551

Palabras clave:

Landscape, dynamics, land use/land cover, geoprocessing, environmental management

Resumen

The aim of the present study was to conduct a detailed evaluation of the spatiotemporal dynamics of land use and land cover patterns in ten sub-watersheds of the lower Itapecuru River in the state of Maranhão. The data were analyzed using Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper images for the years 2005, 2010 and 2015, which were acquired free of charge from the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research. The mapping process involved the determination of the following classes of land use/cover: occupation (high, medium, low), vegetation (high, medium, low), exposed soil, agricultural enterprise, flood field and bodies of water. The results revealed that the classes "high vegetation" and "medium vegetation" were prevalent in the three years analyzed. Major changes were found in sub-watersheds1, 2 and 10. The removal of vegetation during the excavation stage of the petrochemical plant located in the municipality of Bacabeira caused changes in sub-watersheds1 and 2, while the main modifying agent in sub-basin 10 was the expansion of occupied areas in the municipality of Rosario. Future development in the region could impose further pressure on natural resources in other sub-basins, with the real possibility of significant changes in landscape patterns, generating negative consequences regarding the quality of life of local communities as well as the functioning of natural ecosystems. The present data underscore the need for environmental management strategies that consider the capacity of the environment to support future projects that are compatible with the social and environmental characteristics inherent to the region of the lower Itapecuru River.

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Biografía del autor/a

  • Leonardo Silva Soares, Universidade Federal do Maranhão

    Bacharel em Ciências Aquáticas UFMA

    Mestre em Sustentabilidade de Ecossistemas UFMA

    Doutor em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente UFPI

    Pos doutorado em Planejamento Ambiental e Geoecologia das Paisagens UFC

    Professor de Oceanografia e Limnologia UFMA

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Publicado

2017-12-22

Número

Sección

Artigos

Cómo citar

Soares, L. S., Lopes, W. G. R. G. R., de Castro, A. C. L., Silva, E. V. da, Araújo, G. C. de, Moreira, M. dos S., França, V. L. de, & Mendes, K. C. (2017). Analysis of Spatiotemporal Changes in Land Use and Land Cover in Sub-Watersheds of the Lower Itapecuru River in the State of Maranhão, Brazil. Revista Do Departamento De Geografia, 34, 55-67. https://doi.org/10.11606/rdg.v34i0.133551