A atividade minerária: evolução temporal do uso e cobertura da terra no distrito de Miguel Burnier em Ouro Preto, MG.

Abstract

This study analyzes the spatial transformations associated with mining activities in the district of Miguel Burnier, in the municipality of Ouro Preto, within a context marked by local economic transition, the decline of traditional agriculture, and the growing centrality of mining in municipal revenue generation. The objective was to understand land use and land change dynamics between 1985 and 2023, quantifying losses and gains among classes and assessing the territorial, environmental, and economic implications of these changes. The methodology employed data from the MapBiomas Project (Collection 8) for the years 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015, and 2023, followed by reclassification of the original classes into five categories: Forest Formation, Grassland Formation, Agriculture and Livestock, Mining, and Water. Based on this standardization, a transition matrix was developed for the 1985–2023 period, enabling the identification of persistence, conversions, and flows among classes, as well as the calculation of absolute and relative area changes. The analysis integrated a quantitative landscape approach with territorial interpretation guided by municipal economic dynamics and the prevailing environmental regulatory framework. The results revealed a significant expansion of the Mining class (116.90%), consolidating it as a structuring driver of spatial reorganization, while also indicating a substantial decline in Agriculture and Livestock (45.11%), with low persistence in the transition matrix and conversion both to mined areas and to regenerating natural formations. Relative stability and, in certain periods, increases in Forest and Grassland Formations were observed, primarily associated with the abandonment of productive areas and secondary regeneration processes. The Water class showed a reduction (35.83%), indicating changes in surface water extent related to mining dynamics and the reconfiguration of associated structures. The overall balance revealed the coexistence of two contrasting processes: passive regeneration resulting from the loss of economic viability of family-based agriculture and extractive expansion characterized by high territorial irreversibility. The landscape of Miguel Burnier underwent functional and economic restructuring, in which mining assumed a central role, redefining land-use patterns and intensifying the municipality’s fiscal dependence on mineral exploitation. The study demonstrates that multitemporal landscape analysis constitutes a strategic tool for monitoring medium- and large-scale mining activities, providing a technical basis for territorial planning and the definition of environmental restoration strategies, while also supporting reflections on fiscal sustainability, water security, and the conservation of ecosystem services in contexts of strong extractive pressure.