Consideration of land use in the evaluation of erosive processes in gully erosion

Abstract

There are several factors that directly or indirectly influence erosion processes. In order to properly understand the behavior of these processes, some factors need to be analyzed together. Determining them wrongly can compromise the study resulting in wrong actions. For this reason, methodologies are always sought to measure them quantitatively and qualitatively in the most accurate possible way. Land use is one of the main factors liable to inaccuracies in its determination. To use this parameter in mapping erosive processes, researchers need to delimit it, classify it, and measure it. In order to better understand the complexity of considering this parameter, the present study analyzed an erosive feature that, although stabilized, has a component in constant development. Initially, a visual analysis indicated the same classification of land use for both conditions, despite having different behaviors, leading to the need for a detailed analysis. Such analysis comprised a historical survey through aerial photos and interviews with residents and employees of the city hall about the evolution of the feature from 2008 to 2019. It also included the analysis of other influencing factors that could be responsible for this difference in behavior in the area. Two different traces of the contribution areas of the gully and branch were also considered. One considering only aerial images, and the other considering the knowledge acquired during the research about the evolution of the feature. It was concluded, then, that an analysis of the use-only occupation factor based on aerial images can accentuate the inaccuracy of the measurement of this factor.