Caracterização física do solo de uma voçoroca no Distrito de Cláudio Manuel, Mariana - MG

Abstract

Erosional processes constitute important agents of landscape transformation and may be conditioned by the interaction between soil characteristics, relief, vegetation cover, hydrological dynamics, and anthropogenic interventions. Among the features resulting from these processes, gullies stand out, characterized by the advanced development of linear erosion and capable of promoting significant changes in the geomorphological and hydrological dynamics of hillslopes. In this context, this study aimed to characterize the gully located in the district of Cláudio Manuel, municipality of Mariana, Minas Gerais, based on the relationship between soil and landscape, seeking to identify the factors that influenced its formation. The research was conducted through a literature review, characterization of the study area, fieldwork, and laboratory analyses. In the field, four soil profiles were defined along a hillslope, extending from the interfluve to the area where the gully occurs. Morphological descriptions and soil sampling were carried out at these profiles. Observations of landscape characteristics were also conducted, considering aspects such as relief, vegetation cover, runoff dynamics, and the occurrence of erosional features. The collected samples were subjected to particle-size analysis to determine the sand, silt, and clay fractions. The results demonstrated progressive changes in the landscape along the hillslope, which became more pronounced from the middle third onward. The erosional incisions progressively deepened toward the lower portion of the hillslope and showed a marked increase in width near the gully, in addition to characteristics indicating the possible contribution of subsurface erosional processes, such as piping. Finally, it was observed that the occurrence and evolution of the gully are not related to a single factor, but rather to the interaction between the predominantly sandy soil characteristics, relief configuration, reduction in vegetation cover, and concentration of water flow along the hillslope. Thus, an integrated analysis of the soil-landscape relationship proved to be fundamental for understanding the erosional dynamics observed in the study area.