RELIEF AS AN ORGANIZING ELEMENT OF ANTHROPIC OCCUPATION IN THE PLANALTO CENTRAL ECOREGION

Abstract

The flat and continuous relief of the Cerrado was fundamental for occupation policies that compete with natural vegetation, making it necessary to develop approaches that conciliate human interests with natural processes. Thus, it is necessary to characterize the relief and its influence on land use and occupation. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the relationship between relief and human occupation. Geomorphometric parameters of the reliefs of three sub-basins, belonging to a hydrographic region of the Planalto Central (Tocantins / Araguaia, São Francisco and Paraná) were compared, using digital images from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). For the delimitation of the relief units, the colored composition was generated in the RGB channels (altitude, slope and minimum curvature) and evaluations were carried out between the equivalent relief units in the different sub-basins using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The relief units were used as a natural limit for the description of land use and coverage through the digital base of the TerraClass Cerrado Project. It was evidenced that the altitude, slope and minimum curvature showed significant differences between the basins. In the flat reliefs, such as the Chapadas, Rampas de Colúvio and Mesas, agriculture and pasture predominated. In the dissected reliefs, such as the Erosive Retreat Front, Colinas and Valleys, natural coverings and pastures prevailed. Integrated studies are important to define strategies for the protection and maintenance of natural ecosystems and water resources. These results show that human occupation is organized by the forms of relief.