Morphodynamics and erosion risk in the upper course of the Curimataú River (PB): an analysis based on soil loss monitoring techniques

Abstract

The work aimed to estimate soil loss data in the upper reaches of the Curimataú River Basin using experimental stations with
erosion pins. These stations consist of measuring the loss of soil from the lowering of the soil in relation to the exposure of the surface
pin. 2 monitoring stations were installed in sample sub-basins of the basin under study with similar geoenvironmental characteristics.
Station 01 presented the use and land cover of areas uncovered by agricultural activities, while station 02 presented the use and cover
of wooded steppe savannah in the initial stage of recovery. After 1 year of monitoring, it was possible to analyze that the station that
had the most soil loss was station 1, presenting 1.6 t/ha/year, while station 02 totaled 1.1 t/ha/year. Thus, given the same
geoenvironmental scenarios between the two sub-basins, the greatest susceptibility to soil loss occurred in station 01, which presented
its cover characterized as bare soil and agricultural practices, this type of land use and cover in the basin represents 905 km2 of a total
area of 2,021 km2, raising a worrying scenario in soil degradation for the Curimataú River basin.