WETLANDS DEGRADATION IN THE CERRADO BIOME: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE UPPER ARAGUAIA RIVER BASIN, STATE OF GOIAS, BRAZIL.

Authors

  • Claudia Adriana Bueno da FONSECA Universidade Federal de Goiás
  • Alfredo Borges de- CAMPOS Universidade Federal de Goiás

Abstract

Consequences of land use changes for wetlands conservation in the Cerrado Biome, Brazil are not well known. This study sought to evaluate environmental degradation parameters of land use changes in two representative Cerrado watersheds located in the State of Goiás. Data on wetland types and land use changes were gathered from aerial photographs and satellite images taken in 1965, 1975 and 2008 then treated by GIS and FRAGSTATS softwares. The results showed that about 60% of original wetlands identified in 1965 were replaced by agriculture or pasture and were highly fragmented in 2008. It is believed that government plans to expand agriculture areas in Central Brazil, e.g. POLOCENTRO, did not care about the environment and were responsible for the wetlands degradation. Keywords: Wetlands, Land Use, Environmental Degradation.

Author Biographies

Claudia Adriana Bueno da FONSECA, Universidade Federal de Goiás

Aluna do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geografia da Universidade Federal de Goiás/ Campus Samambaia/Instituto de Estudos Sócio-Ambientais e Professora da Universidade Estadual de Goiás.

Alfredo Borges de- CAMPOS, Universidade Federal de Goiás

Professor do Instituto de Estudos Sócio-Ambientais da Universidade Federal de Goiás/Departamento de Geografia e membro permanente do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geografia da UFG/ Campus Samambaia.

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Published

2011-11-24

Issue

Vol. 36 No. 2 (2011)

Section

Article

License

The authors maintain the copyright and grant GEOGRAFIA the right of first publication, with the articles simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons BY 4.0 License, which allows sharing and adapting the articles for any purpose, as long as appropriate credits and provisions of image rights, privacy or moral rights. Other legal attributions can be accessed at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.en.

 

Geography, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil - eISSN 1983-8700 is licensed under the Creative Commons BY 4.0 License.