Capacidade de uso da terra da sub-bacia do Córrego Maria Comprida usando Sistemas de Informações Geográficas

Agriculture is fundamental for the development of humanity; however, it is necessary to adjust land use planning in order to reconcile agricultural activities with proper soil management practices, thus reducing the impact on the environment. The study aimed to evaluate the land use capacity of the Córrego Maria Comprida-MG sub-basin, located in the Caratinga and Rio Doce river basins. The support of the Geographic Information System (GIS) was used for the framing of the lands according to the system of the capacity of use. The Number of Exceeding Classes (NCE) was evaluated in order to identify conflicts between land use and current land use. It was verified that the sub-basin presents approximately 60% of its land in class VI of the capacity of use and that about half of the study area is being used above its capacity, occupied mainly by pastures. The results proved its importance for planning the rational use of land in the Maria Comprida stream sub-basin.