Abstract
ABSTRACT Changes in the Earth’s landscape have been the focus of much environmental research. In this context, hydrological models stand out as tools for several assessments. This study aimed to use the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model to simulate the impact of changes in land use in the Camboriú River Watershed in the years 1957, 1978, and 2012. The results indicated that the SWAT model was efficient in simulating water flow and sediment transport processes. Thus, it was possible to evaluate the impact of different land use scenarios on water and sediment yield in the catchment. The changes in land use caused significant changes in the hydro-sedimentological dynamic. Regarding flow, the effects of land use changes were more pronounced at both ends of the curve representing duration of flow. The worst scenario was identified for the year 2012, which saw the highest peak discharges during flood events and lowest flows during the dry season. Concerning soil erosion, the highest values were identified for sub-basins that were predominantly covered by rice paddies and pastures; this was attributed mainly to surface runoff and changes in land use (represented by C-USLE). Overall, the Camboriú River Basin did not experience severe soil erosion issues; however, it was found that changes in land use related to soil and climate characteristics may increase soil degradation, especially in years with high precipitation levels.
Highlights
The replacement of native vegetation by agricultural crops can produce drastic changes in the structure and fertility of soil, usually culminating in environmental degradation
Hydrological models have been widely used because they enable the simulation of hypothetical scenarios and the quantification of potential impacts resulting from changes in land use and human occupation on the hydro-sedimentological dynamic
The objective of this study was to use the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to simulate land use and occupation scenarios in the Camboriú river basin (CRB), Santa Catarina, in order to identify changes in water flow and loss of soil caused by changes to the landscape that occurred between 1957 and 2012
Summary
The replacement of native vegetation by agricultural crops can produce drastic changes in the structure and fertility of soil, usually culminating in environmental degradation This degradation can occur when inadequate crop management techniques are used or when areas unfit for agriculture are farmed. Studies that aim to quantify the changes in land use and occupation and their impact on river basins have been carried out in several regions of Brazil (MACHADO et al, 2003; LELIS et al, 2012; SILVA et al, 2011; BLAINSKI et al, 2014) and around the world (PIKOUNIS et al, 2003; BEHERA; PANDA, 2006; BRACMORT et al, 2006; ARABI et al, 2006; GHAFFARI et al, 2010; BAKER; MILLER, 2013; CAN et al, 2015) In these studies, hydrological models have been widely used because they enable the simulation of hypothetical scenarios and the quantification of potential impacts resulting from changes in land use and human occupation on the hydro-sedimentological dynamic. Such modeling is based on a set of mathematical equations capable of describing the complexity of the natural phenomena (STEYAERT, 1993; MAIDMENT, 1993; TUCCI, 2005)
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