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Large‐scale Modeling of Soil Erosion with RUSLE for Conservationist Planning of Degraded Cultivated Brazilian Pastures
Author(s) -
Galdino Sergio,
Sano Edson E.,
Andrade Ricardo G.,
Grego Celia R.,
Nogueira Sandra F.,
Bragantini Claudio,
Flosi Ana H. G.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/ldr.2414
Subject(s) - environmental science , soil conservation , land degradation , land use , universal soil loss equation , soil retrogression and degradation , erosion , agroforestry , vegetation (pathology) , land management , pasture , hydrology (agriculture) , agriculture , environmental protection , soil loss , geography , soil water , forestry , ecology , soil science , medicine , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , archaeology , pathology , engineering , biology
Pasture degradation is one of the major environmental and economic problems of Brazilian livestock production. Based on the estimates of soil loss in 140,297 km 2 pasturelands of Goiás State and the Federal District, the effects of land use and management and conservation practices on soil erosion by water were evaluated. Soil loss was estimated with the empirical revised universal soil loss equation model under four scenarios of land use and management of pastures and the implementation of terraces. The effects of converting hilly areas into permanently preserved areas were also evaluated. Well‐managed pastures planted in terraces and highly sloped areas with native vegetation featured a reduction of 709% in the rate of soil erosion by water in comparison with poorly managed pastures without soil conservation practices. The environmental consequences of pasture degradation become particularly important when they are associated with land use in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes because farmers in these regions are forced to open new natural areas. In addition, the high indices of bare soil in degraded pastures contribute significantly to sediment deposition in rivers and dams. The modeling of soil loss is demonstrated to be an important tool for land use planning and supporting public policies focused on the sustainable use of natural resources. The results of these simulations demonstrate the importance of actions to recover degraded pastures, such as the Federal Government's program known as ABC (Low Carbon Agriculture). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.