Environmental diagnosis of water source in a Brazilian Cerrado watershed

Abstract

A lack of planning characterize the most demographic occupation process in Brazil, occurring in a disorderly manner and with inappropriate occupations, resulting in damage to natural resources. This process is recurrent in the Cerrado Biome, currently the agricultural frontier of the country. Thus, the objective of this work was to identify anthropic activities and classify the conservation status in the headsprings (water sources) and surroundings areas of a watershed inserted in the Cerrado biome, besides proposing measures to prevent and control the different degradation processes. From February to July 2016, visits were made to 37 headsprings and their surroundings, located in the watershed of Santa Fé de Minas River. Impacts of anthropic actions are identified directly or indirectly, classifying the areas according to the state of conservation: preserved, anthropized and degraded. All visited places presented some type of negative interference from human activities. The most frequent activities were unpaved roads, monoculture of eucalyptus and cattle farming. According to the classification, only 6% of the areas are on preserved condition, while 70% are anthropized and 24% degraded. The main types of found degradation were erosions in different stages, compaction and silting. In addition, no conservationist practices are present in the areas. Therefore, to reduce or prevent future degradation in the watershed, it proposed some mitigating actions, such as the isolation of headsprings and their surroundings, adaptation of roads and eucalyptus plantation areas, and maintenance of preservation areas.