poster - International Conference of Agricultural Engineering

ANALYSIS OF LEVELS OF LAND DEGRADATION USING LANDSAT-
5, MUNICIPALITIES OF ARARIPINA (PE) CRATO AND BARBALHA
(CE) AND MARCOLÂNDIA (PI), BRAZIL.
Abstrat
Maria F. Fernandes 1 ; Marx P. Barbosa 2 ; João M. Moraes Neto 3
1,2,3
Universidade Federal de Campina Grande
Rua Aprigio Veloso, 882, Campina Grande-PB - 58429-970, Brasil.
fatima, marx, moraes (@deag.ufcg.edu.br)
This study aimed to map the levels of land degradation in the municipalities of Araripina in
the State of Pernambuco, Crato and Barbalha, State of Ceará and Marcolândia State of
Piauí, and may also be considered as a basis for creation of public policy to combat
desertification, taking into account that the realization of the comparative analysis of the
evolution of the levels of land degradation for the periods between the years 1987, 2003 and
2008, shows a local knowledge base about the installation of the process of land degradation
in the municipalities. The paper focuses on the characterization, quantification and
localization of areas at risk of desertification, using TM/Landsat-5 images. The comparative
analysis of land degradation for the studied municipalities shows that the situation of land
degradation in the municipalities in the considered period is worrying, therefore, this work
constitutes a warning to local governments to adopt measures to combat land degradation.
Key words: land degradation, desertification, digital processing
1. Introduction
The concept of desertification, as stated in Article 1º of the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification (UNCCD, 2007) refers to: "desertification means land degradation in
arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic
variations and human activities". The Convention considers the arid, semi-arid and dry subhumid
areas as “the areas, other than polar and sub-polar regions, in which the ratio of
annual precipitation to potential evapotranspiration falls within the range from 0.05 to 0.65”.
While establishing the definition of land degradation, as: "land degradation is the reduction or
loss, in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, of the biological or economic productivity
and complexity of rain fed cropland, irrigated cropland, or range, pasture, forest and
woodlands resulting from land uses or from a process or combination of processes, including
processes arising from human activities and habitation patterns, such as: (i) Soil erosion
caused by wind and/or water; (ii) Deterioration of the physical, chemical and biological or
economic properties of soil; and long-term loss of natural vegetation” (UNCCD, 2007).
In this sense, the Convention recognizes that desertification has its origin in the complex
interactions of physical, biological, political, social, cultural and economic factors. (Brazil,
2005). The consequences of the desertification can be of various natures, including:
environmental and climate, social, economic, political and institutional (Cavalcanti, 2001).
Thus, it may to list among others: reduction of water resources for both human consumption
and for agriculture, increased water pollution, increased flooding, decreased productivity of
agricultural areas and pastures, as well as biomass production of natural vegetation,
destruction of fauna and flora.
1.1. Characterization of the study area
The study area comprises four municipalities, Araripina located in the State of Pernambuco,
Crato Barbalha in the State of Ceará and Marcolândia in the State of Piauí (Fig. 1).