Geoprocessing apllied in the description of the classes of land use capability in the watershed of Alto Capivara, aiming its environmental sustainabiliy

Abstract

The determination of the land use capability is very important to the land use planning, since the land use which is inappropriate and without planning causes low culture yield. This work aimed to determine the land use capability classes of the Alto Capivara - Botucatu (SP) watershed, aiming to the planning of practices of soil conservation on the area. The watershed with 4551,19 ha lies between the geographic coordinates 22^o 51’ 57’’ to 22^o 57’ 55’’ of S latitude and 48^o 21’ 58’’ to 48^o 26’ 38’’ of W longitude Gr. The map of land use capability of the watershed was obtained by the cross-check of the slope and soil maps with the table of soil use capability judgment and the constant recommendation on the utilitarian survey of the physical environment and the classification of the land in the capability of use system. The Geographic Information System enabled to verify that the watershed is constituted by the subclass IIIe,s (1/3) and by sandy soils of low to medium fertility (99,11%). The area is constituted by almost 2/3 of soil Nitossolo Vermelho Distroférrico (59,3%).