Soil–relief–vegetation interactions in the Caatinga domain: geoenvironmental controls in the brazilian semiarid with application to Serra do Lima, Patu–RN

Abstract

The Caatinga Domain, in the Brazilian semiarid region, is characterized by pronounced geoenvironmental heterogeneity resulting from the interaction among climate, geological substrate, relief, soils, and vegetation cover. Although traditionally described based on physiognomic and floristic criteria, the Caatinga exhibits spatial patterns strongly conditioned by pedogeomorphic controls and altitudinal gradients, particularly in mountainous environments and areas with rocky outcrops. This study aims to analyze soil–relief–vegetation interactions within the Caatinga Domain, identifying the main geoenvironmental controls responsible for landscape organization, with application to Serra do Lima, Patu–RN. The methodological approach was based on a systematic and analytical review of the scientific literature, articulating official vegetation classifications with frameworks that incorporate geomorphological, lithological, and pedological variables. The results indicate that soil attributes, water availability, slope gradient, hillslope position, and substrate nature exert a decisive influence on the distribution and structure of plant physiognomies, including rupestrian formations associated with granitic outcrops. It is concluded that vegetation dynamics in the semiarid region cannot be fully understood through exclusively descriptive classifications, requiring an integrated approach to the landscape, capable of incorporating geoenvironmental controls into ecological interpretation and environmental management of the biome.