Landscape Units Research Articles

Landscape management among the Guarani of the Atlantic Forest of Misiones, Argentina: the case of the Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman (Arecaceae) palm tree

The study of the management practices that different Guarani settlements have carried out in the environment over time constitutes one of the objectives of ethnoecology and historical ecology as the way through which these communities obtain forest resources affects landscape settings. In this work, based on a local classification system of the ontogenic stages of the pindo palm tree Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman (Arecaceae), we study the effects of traditional management practices on the unity of the pindoty landscape - plant communities with a high concentration of this species. We evaluated the degree to which two morphometric variables used in the measurements of woody tree species, diameter at chest height (DBH) and total height (H), explain the local classification. As a result, in the environment of four Guarani settlements (Ita Piru, Kurupayty, Pindo Poty, and Yvyra Pepe Poty), the production of edible larvae favors temporary changes in the pindoty landscape unit since it produces changes in pindo population’s structure – (abundances by class size). In addition, we discuss some aspects of the pindoty units and their anthropogenic nature concluding that their evolution results from the Guarani cyclical cosmological conception.

An Integrated Method for Landscape Assessment: Application to Santiago de Cuba Bay, Cuba

Human activities often drive landscape degradation and the associated loss of value. This paper describes a method that, by integrating multiple factors, characterize landscape value to establish relevant and effective management practices. The new integrated method for landscape assessment (IMLA) is a four-step model that includes: (i) establishment of a general theoretical basis for sustainability relevant metrics; (ii) characterization of the landscape; (iii) landscape valuation; (iv) recommendations for landscape value management. Each step includes different interactive components of analysis. The new IMLA considers the potential range of values associated with each landscape unit and facilitates sustainable landscape management. The method is systematic and includes both inductive and deductive reasoning. Its articulation is represented in the conjunction and overlapping of all factors and variables considered. IMLA was tested in Santiago de Cuba Bay (Cuba) and used to determine five landscape scopes, eight first-order landscape units and 29 s-order units. It proved to be a useful tool to establish landscape values and sound management strategies. Application of IMLA in Cuba will help local authorities institute land-use plans and to establish decision-making processes that include valuation of cultural landscapes.

Integration Versus Fragmentation, the Role of Minor Rural Networks in Rural Cultural Landscapes. A Study-Case in Spain

This work deals with the dichotomy between integration and fragmentation caused by artificial elements in the cultural landscapes, especially minor rural roads. In Europe, the rural matrix dominates the configuration of landscapes, and the agents of fragmentation can be analysed from different perspectives. For this purpose, the Land Parcel Information System, designed for the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is used as a data source to feed the indicators, allowing a high detail analysis, down to the parcel unit. It is applied to a case-study in Spain: the province of Ciudad Real. Here we find different landscape units with different rural and agrarian profiles to test the hypothesis. We use three indicators that allow us to explore the configuration of different cultural landscapes under the fragmentation perspective, using minor rural roads and other elements of the rural matrix that can only be observed at large scale. Then we calculate a composite indicator summarizing the fragmentation results of each unit. Results reveal a significative variability of fragmentation results regarding the land use and spatial patterns of the different cultural landscapes dominated by agrarian and rural factors, with a strong correspondence with the minor rural network underneath. Therefore, fragmentation can be interpreted as a dual process in cultural landscapes where the different land uses have different relations with the infrastructure network.

Characterization of the Landscape Units of the Residual Massif of the Pacoti River Watershed, Ceará, Brazil

Digital technology helps to visualize the natural potentiality of the landscapes that exist on the earthly surface. Indeed, information is more significant with fieldwork. The interpretation of the images through the application of the image segmentation function, available in the SPRING 5.5.5 software, granted the understanding of natural landscapes in the Pacoti River Watershed, precisely in the Baturité Residual Massif. Thus, geoprocessing may act as a mitigating tool in nature conservation since this tool reveals the diversity in nature and its uses.

Assessing the scenic quality of transgressive dune systems on volcanic islands. The case of Corralejo (Fuerteventura island, Spain)

The formation of transgressive aeolian sedimentary systems on hot-spot volcanic islands results in globally singular conditions. The natural attractions and landscape features of these spaces can result in the concentration of urban-tourist developments in their surroundings, altering their physical integrity and their ecological and scenic functionality. This has been the case of the Corralejo dunefield in Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain), where the strong pressure exerted by tourism is endangering the area's natural and landscape resources. This study aims to qualitatively assess the landscape heritage through a number of indicators, some of which are developed on the basis of user perception. Four landscape dimensions (substratum, sea, vegetation, and scenic background) were used to analyse the 24 landscape units into which the Corralejo beach-dune system was divided. The results show that this system presents a high landscape value, as do its four different dimensions. This value was found to decrease in areas bordering the urban area or where tourists were commonly present. Recommendations are proposed to improve the area based on user perceptions. This type of research is of interest for future planning, ordinance preparation and management with a view to establishing a balance between the physical medium and anthropic pressure.

A landscape classification map of Ireland and its potential use in national land use monitoring

This study presents a novel landscape classification map of the Republic of Ireland and is the first to identify broad landscape classes by incorporating physiographic and land cover data. The landscape classification responds to commitments to identify and classify the Irish landscape as a signatory to the European Landscape Convention. The methodology applied a series of clustering iterations to determine an objective multivariate classification of physiographic landscape units and land cover datasets. The classification results determined nine statistically significant landscape classes and the development of a landscape classification map at a national scale. A statistical breakdown of land cover area and diversity of each class was interpreted, and a comparison was extended using independent descriptive variables including farmland use intensity, elevation, and dominant soil type. Each class depicts unique spatial and composition characteristics, from coastal, lowland and elevated, to distinct and dominating land cover types, further explained by the descriptive variables. The significance of individual classes and success of the classification is discussed with particular reference to the wider applicability of the map. The transferability of the methodology to other existing physiographic maps and environmental datasets to generate new landscape classifications is also considered. This novel work facilitates the development of a strategic framework to efficiently monitor, compare and analyse ecological and other land use data that is spatially representative of the distribution and extent of land cover in the Irish countryside.

Watershed spatial heterogeneity of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity as affected by landscape unit in the critical zone

The spatial heterogeneity and related driving factors of the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) in the Earth’s critical zones (CZs) have been documented widely in the literature. However, information regarding the effect of distinct landscape units (i.e., Slope-land, Gully-land, and Tableland) on such heterogeneity at the watershed scale in CZs characterized by complex topographic conditions remains scant. In the current study, we collected undisturbed and disturbed soil samples from the surface soil layer (0–5 cm) at 1195 sampling sites across the ShuangChaGou watershed (0.22 km2) in the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). According to classical and geostatistical analyses combined with the structural equation model (SEM), the mean Ks followed the sequence Slope-land (0.25 cm·min−1) > Gully-land (0.187 cm·min−1) > All samples (0.186 cm·min−1) > Tableland (0.14 cm·min−1) (p < 0.05), with the Ks values exhibiting moderate variations except for the Gully-land (strong variation). The LogKs spatial variation characteristics (i.e., the anisotropy ratio, effective range, and C/(C0 + C)) considering the influence of topography varied among the landscape units and the entire watershed. The SEM identified that soil bulk density, saturated soil water content, silt content, plan curvature, NDVI, and slope gradient were the controlling factors in sequence affecting the Ks variation for All samples (AS). In contrast, factors controlling Ks variations were different under the Tableland, Gully-land, Slope-land, and AS. The magnitudes, spatial variations and controlling factors of the surface Ks were greatly affected by the landscape units. Our study provided a robust assessment of the spatial variation of Ks in CZs involving complicated topographic features, highlighting the utility of dividing distinct landscape units when evaluating the Ks variation. A good understanding of this information is helpful for developing distributed hydrological models and for evaluating water and solute transportation in CZs of the CLP and similar regions around the world.

Understanding sediment connectivity from soil erosion perspective

Sediment connectivity is closely related to geomorphology, topography, ecological hydrology, soil erosion, nutrient and pollutant movement, and water quality conservation. As one of the hot topics in soil erosion research during the past decade, sediment connectivity is required to be fully examined from the perspective of soil erosion. Sediment connectivity describes the interactions of sediment cascades between different topographical and landscape units in a system which is usually quantified with the structural connectivity and functional connectivity in four dimensions, i.e., lateral, longitudinal, vertical and temporal. Its impacting factors include climate, lithology, geomorphology, watershed characteristics, topography, soil properties, vegetation, hydrological processes, soil erosion and human activities as well as their temporal and spatial variations. The specific influencing mechanisms vary among these factors and among different spatial scales, therefore resulting in distinct responses of sediment connectivity. Field survey and mapping, graph theory, index and model simulation are frequently applied to investigate and quantify sediment connectivity. The theories behind these methods are different, so do the required data, specific procedures, and the corresponding results. The index of connectivity (IC) is the most widely employed in the quantification of sediment connectivity. Nevertheless, IC well reflects the structural connectivity, rather than the functional connectivity. From the perspective of soil erosion, future studies regarding sediment connectivity should focus on the concept, influencing factors and their dynamic mechanisms, method comparison and index optimization, relationships of sediment connectivity with hydrological connectivity, soil erosion and sediment delivery ratio, as well as the effects of soil conservation measures on sediment connectivity and the corresponding mechanisms.

Anthropogenic erosion-induced small-scale soil heterogeneity in South African rangelands

Land-use-induced soil erosion in semi-arid drylands induced by land-use changes creates patchworks of soils and vegetation different from those of natural conditions. Knowledge of the highly dynamic spatial heterogeneity in soil properties, not depicted in conventional soil maps, is important for managing land uses sustainably, and for understanding soil-climate interactions. This analysis of soil redistribution in a degraded rangeland in South Africa assessed the significance of anthropogenic soil heterogeneity within a small catchment with a silted reservoir. This study carries out analysis of soil redistribution in a degraded rangeland in South Africa, to assess the significance of anthropogenic soil heterogeneity within a small catchment with a silted-up reservoir. Surface soil (N = 51) and soil profile (N = 29) samples were collected from areas of various degrees of degradation and analysed for texture, pH, total nitrogen (TN), total organic carbon (TOC), available phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Diverse vegetation cover is reflected in a high soil heterogeneity, showing differences in soil texture. Average surface soil nutrient content was significantly higher in vegetated areas (grassland: TOC 1.08 %, TN 0.10 %, P 20.12 mg kg −1 , mixed vegetation: TOC 0.93 %, TN 0.08 %, P 13.54 mg kg −1 , depositional: TOC 1.68 %, TN 0.18 %, P 34.67 mg kg −1 ) than at degraded sites (TOC 0.47 %, TN 0.06 %, P 7.52 mg kg −1 ). K content was low to moderate but did not show any significant difference between landscape units. Potential exists for the formation of distinct young anthropogenic soils on the silted-up reservoir where deposited sediments differed in TOC, TN, P, and profile depth from the shallow natural soils. Consequently, azonal soils on dam-deposits are different from those occurring naturally, and not depicted on conventional soil maps. Their different water and nutrient cycling may affect vegetation and biogeochemical fluxes. Land-use management should consider such soils, as they play an important role in rangeland ecology.

Effects of Land Use-Land Cover Thematic Resolution on Environmental Evaluations

Land use/land cover (LULC) maps are a key input in environmental evaluations for the sustainable planning and management of socio-ecological systems. While the impact of map spatial resolution on environmental assessments has been evaluated by several studies, the effect of thematic resolution (the level of detail of LU/LC typologies) is discordant and still poorly investigated. In this paper, four scenarios of thematic resolutions, corresponding to the four levels of the CORINE classification scheme, have been compared in a real case study of landscape connectivity assessment, a major aspect for the biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision. The PANDORA model has been employed to investigate the effects of LULC thematic resolution on Bio-Energy Landscape Connectivity (BELC) at the scale of the whole system, landscape units, and single land cover patches, also in terms of ecosystem services. The results show different types of impacts on landscape connectivity due to the changed spatial pattern of the LULC classes across the four thematic resolution scenarios. Moreover, the main priority areas for conservation objectives and future sustainable urban expansion have been identified. Finally, several indications are given for supporting practitioners and researchers faced with thematic resolution issues in environmental assessment and land use planning.

Assessing the fragility of forest remnants by using landscape metrics. Comparison between river basins in Brazil and Portugal.

The environmental vulnerability of a landscape is directly associated with any physical, geomorphological, and spatial factors which directly interfere with the ecological functionality of natural areas. Therefore, the composition, diversity, and structure of fragmented forest areas are essential to identify the patterns in the landscape and propose the most appropriate management measures for its conservation. The present study set out to analyse the applicability of landscape metrics for assessing the environmental fragility of forest remnants of different geographical conditions and phyto-physiognomies. This would contribute to landscape assessment and the diagnosis of remnants, and support decision making for strategic and effective environmental planning. The study areas selected were two river basins, the Atibaia river basin in Brazil, and the Cértima river basin in Portugal. The maps used as a basis for the selection of the forest remnants analysed were made available by public managers and date from 2015 for both basins. The analyses were performed with GIS software, and two groups of landscape metrics were considered: the first applied to the general landscape of the basin and the second applied to each remaining forest patch as a landscape unit. At the remaining forest level, the metrics analysed were the area, central area index, circularity index, shape index, distance from the nearest neighbour, proximity of the remnant to the road network, and proximity to the watercourse. The results showed that there are many remnants in both basins with predominantly small size and located close to each other. However, their fragilities vary in each basin, indicating that the applied metrics are effective tool for the preliminary diagnosis of natural vegetation remnants in areas with different geospatial and phyto-physiognomic conditions. Therefore, the results obtained are of great importance as a basis for formulating landscape development policies, by integrating appropriate land management strategies.

Multi-Item Assessment of Physiognomic Diversity of Geocomplexes as a Comprehensive Method of Visual-Aesthetic Landscape Assessment

The paper presents the development of conceptual, theoretical, and methodological foundations of a complex and novel method for evaluating visual–aesthetic values of landscape. The novelty lies in the combination of methods for assessing the overall attractiveness of the landscape (geocomplex) and the view field (as seen from an observation point). The analysis was carried out for a highly environmentally diverse fragment of the Małopolska Upland (central Poland). The proposed method of evaluation is in two-stage procedure. At the first stage, the visual attractiveness of landscape units (geocomplexes distinguished on the basis of relief and land cover types) was calculated. The assessment took into account the diversity of landscape form and content (shape of the unit, contrast of landscape boundaries, vertical differentiation of relief and land cover, typological richness of vegetation). In the second stage, first, the view extent was determined using a specially written computer program from multiple points on a map in an assumed grid every 50 m. More than 3200 measurements were taken in a transect from an area of 8 sq. km for an area enclosing 77 sq. km. Then, in each of these 3.2 thousand delineated view reaches, the unit values of the physiognomic–aesthetic evaluation of the landscapes seen by the observer (first-stage evaluation) were counted. The developed method tries to make a conceptual–theoretical and methodological contribution to the study of physiognomy and aesthetics of landscapes, as the evaluation combines the aspects of surface and point attractiveness. Hence, the proposed method has a comprehensive character and can be a universal platform for physiognomic and landscape evaluation, also for practical purposes, e.g., nature protection, tourism development and spatial planning.

Agriculture, biology, and environment: Twenty first century challenges and opportunities

AbstractThe 6th International Conference on Agricultural and Biological Sciences (ABS 2020), was planned to be held in the People's Republic of China. Due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, ABS 2020, “Agricultural and Biological Sciences: Plant, Soil, Animal, and Environment”, was the first online conference in Agricultural and Biological Sciences history. Each paper addressed a slightly different topic and provided identifiable challenges and research key questions in agriculture, agronomy, food production and security, and environmental hazards. The role of Agricultural and Biological Sciences of China is the generation of research knowledge that influence everyday activities. There were 41 manuscripts submitted, of which 25 were accepted for publication. The research domains varied and included the role of specific plant on soil C‐cycling, haploid induction, and natural doubling of Zea mays L.; plant species and soil rhizosphere microflora; forest tree biomass succession and dynamics relevant to C‐sequestration; making sandy land agriculture friendly; plantation age on C, N, and P stoichiometry; codon uses pattern of Gnetum luofuoense C.Y. Cheng using transcriptome data; suitability of plant landscape unit and natural parks; regeneration protocol of Jatropha curcas L., etc. The purpose of this special section is to generate an improved communication among international scientists that we hope will lead to enhanced food security.

Agroforestry systems in the Colombian Amazon improve the provision of soil ecosystem services

In the Colombian Amazon, the provision of soil-based ecosystem services is threatened mainly by loss of plant cover. Methodologies are required that allow for a holistic assessment of soil degradation or restoration and associated changes in the provision of ecosystem services. With this objective, we measured macroinvertebrate communities, soil macroaggregates, soil hydrological properties and chemical soil properties in areas of the deforested Colombian Amazon. The sampled areas are located two landscape units (undulating footslopes and hillsides) and four different land use types (Mature Forest, Forest Implementations, Sylvopastoral Systems and Traditional pastures). Parameters were assembled into soil hydrological, chemical soil properties, macroaggregates and macroinvertebrate communities sub indicators that were subsequently grouped into a General Indicator of Soil Quality (GISQ). Values indicated differences in the provision of soil-based ecosystem services among landscape units and land use types. We confirmed and quantified the negative effects of deforestation and land-use intensification, increasing from Forest Implementation to Sylvopastoral Systems and Traditional Pastures. Soil macroinvertebrate communities and physical properties as proxies for soil biodiversity and soil hydrological functions were the most negatively affected.

Space-time modelling of groundwater level and salinity

Soil salinization resulting from shallow saline groundwater is a major global environmental issue causing land degradation, especially in semi-arid regions such as Australia. The adverse impact of shallow saline groundwater on soil salinization varies in space and time due to the variation in groundwater levels and salt concentration. Understanding the spatio-temporal variation is therefore vital to develop an effective salinity management strategy. In New South Wales, Australia, a hydrogeological landscape unit approach is generally applied, based on spatial information and expert operators, classifying the landscape in relation to landscape and climate. In this paper, a data science approach (random forest model) is introduced, based on historical groundwater quality and quantity data providing predictions in a 4-dimensional space. As a case study, we demonstrate the spatio-temporal factors impacting standing water levels (SWL) and associated salinity and predict the spatial and temporal variability in the Muttama catchment (1059 km2), in NSW, south eastern Australia. The random forest model explains 77% of the variance in the groundwater salinity (electrical conductivity) and 65% of the SWL. Spatial factors were the most significant variables determining the space-time variation in groundwater salinity and the occurrence of groundwater at the surface. Drilled piezometer depth and elevation are dominant factors controlling SWL, while salinity is mainly determined by underlying geology. The methodology in this study predicts salinity and SWL in the landscape at fine scales, through time, improving options for salinity management.

Vegetation classification for the management of large mammalian herbivores: a case study at Mushingashi Conservancy, Central Province, Zambia

The vegetation of Mushingashi Conservancy in central Zambia was classified and mapped to provide a template for wildlife management. Putative vegetation types were delineated using Landsat 8 imagery, then sampled with 73 plots for vegetation composition and structure, and topo-edaphic properties. Classification followed a four-stage process. Valley dambo and floodplain grasslands were first separated as landscape units from wooded plots. Hierarchical cluster analysis was then used to identify 13 vegetation types based on woody composition and structure. Convex hull plots on a principal component analysis biplot successfully delineated the topo-edaphic environment and woody structure of each type. Linear discriminant analysis confirmed differences in topo-edaphic environment among types. The main environmental gradient was from vertic clays, supporting open Acacia woodland, to sandy soils, supporting miombo woodland, but other gradients were also important. Of a total of 193 woody species recorded, 25 occurred only on large termitaria. An influence of environmental gradients independent of plant-available moisture and nutrients is emphasised. Total woody cover decreased conspicuously on clay-rich soils with increased water availability. A functional vegetation classification of this nature is considered an essential first step towards the informed management of rangeland for large herbivores. Potential applications for management are discussed.

Tree decay modulates the functional response of lichen communities in Patagonian temperate forests

Epiphytic and epixylic lichens respond negatively to forest degradation, climate change and pollution, but those effects may depend on functional traits or interact with the stage of tree decay. Disentangling the main drivers of lichen communities remains a challenge in regions where lichens are diverse and poorly known, as the case of Patagonian temperate forests. We used a multi-scale approach to evaluate the relationship between environmental variables, tree decay stage and lichens. We sampled lichens across three increasing scales (tree ≪ site ≪ landscape) by selecting 19 landscape units, where trees in four decay stages (snags, logs, cavity trees and healthy trees) were selected within sampling plots. A total of 35 predictors were measured over different scales, including 25 remote sensing indices of forest conditions, climate and air pollutants. Structural Equation Models were used to test the causal linkages of predictors with lichens, distinguishing functional categories (size, growth and reproductive strategy). A total of 69 lichen species were recorded. Cavity trees and logs supported the largest diversity, while snags and healthy trees had the lowest diversity. Functional lichen groups responded differently to fine-scale variables, including the diameter, height, density and pH of trees. Air pollutants affected species with sexual and mixed strategies. Lichens were sensitive to precipitation, temperature and wind speed, with foliose and sexual species responding positively to the latter. The abundance of all species and macrolichens increased with tree senescence and decreased with canopy continuity. Lichens occupying snags and logs responded negatively to primary productivity and tree senescence, but positively to soil organic matter. Our findings suggest: i) the functional structure of lichen communities varies non-linearly with the wood decay process; ii) the reproductive strategy influences the sensitivity to air pollutants, iii) climate variables influence dispersal and colonization of woody substrates; and iv) forest structure/succession interacts with tree decay.

Mountain Zebra National Park phytosociological classification: A case study of scale and management in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Mountain Zebra National Park has been extended over a number of years. To develop a scientifically sound management programme for the Park it was essential that an inventory of its natural resources was instituted. As a result various phytosociological studies were undertaken on the newly acquired farms to identify the different plant communities present on each. These detailed maps and descriptions are regarded too fine scale for the management of this large area taking into account the limited time, human and financial resources. The aim of this study was to use the detailed plant community descriptions together with land type data and produce a broad vegetation map, which can serve as management units. Land type data for the Park was used to stratify the area into physiographic units which was further refined into terrain landscape units (TLU's) and terrain units (TU's). The floristic data was analysed using both the BBPC suite and JUICE software packages. The large units identified from a TWINSPAN analysis were related to the different terrain landscape units (TLU's) and landscape units (LU's) from where a broad vegetation map was produced. The study resulted in the identification, classification and description of three major terrain landscape units (TLU) which have been divided into 13 landscape units (LU) and two sub-units. This new approach proved to be an accurate and effective way whereby various floristically defined plant communities for a large area could be lumped together into landscape units (LU's) that can be used for management purposes.

Evaluation of the plant landscape suitability in mountain parks based on principal component analysis: A case study of Guiyang City

AbstractThis study covered 72 plant landscape units in three mountain parks in Guiyang Guizhou Province, China (i.e., Huaxi Park, Qianlingshan Park, and Denggaoyunshan Forest Park). We established a plant landscape suitability evaluation system for mountain parks using ecological, landscape, and social suitability as the criterion layer. Principal component analysis was used to evaluate the landscape suitability of the 72 units and the composite suitability scores were ranked. The results showed that 39 units had high suitability, accounting for 54.17% of the total, leaving 33 units with poor suitability. Specifically, the plant communities with an arbor/shrub ratio of no larger than 2 (for the number of species and quantity) had high landscape suitability scores, as did plant communities with an evergreen/deciduous ratio of no smaller than 1. By contrast, all of the evergreen or all‐deciduous plant communities had low landscape suitability scores. The waterfront wetland plant communities had high overall scores, and the mountain plant communities had high ecological suitability scores. Based on the evaluation results, we proposed three strategies to guide the proper development of the plant landscapes both theoretically and practically.

Unidades de paisagem e dinâmica temporal do uso e cobertura do solo na bacia hidrográfica do Rio das Pedras, Goiás, Brasil

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a inter-relação do meio físico com a cobertura vegetal, aliada à dinâmica temporal de uso do solo, por meio das unidades de paisagem. O estudo foi aplicado na Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio das Pedras, no estado de Goiás, norteado por uma abordagem de análise integrada da paisagem. Para a definição das unidades de paisagens, foram consideradas as características geológicas, geomorfológicas, pedológicas e morfométricas da bacia. Na análise temporal de uso/cobertura do solo, foram considerados os anos de 1988, 1998, 2008 e 2018. Nas unidades geológicas mais dissecadas, se formaram topografias mais planas e, nas unidades mais resistentes, topografias mais inclinadas. Estas condições influenciaram a dinâmica de uso do solo, especialmente a agricultura, atividade que apresentou o maior crescimento no período, presente nas unidades de paisagem com solos mais planos, como os Latossolos. A pastagem é a atividade que ocupa as maiores áreas em todo o período analisado, estando presente em todas as unidades, mas apresentando redução em áreas ocupadas, sendo então substituída pela agricultura mecanizada. A cobertura de Cerrado não apresentou redução importante nos trinta anos, pois no primeiro mapeamento as áreas antropizadas já representava 77% da área da bacia, restando somente fragmentos de Cerradão e Mata Seca.