SOIL DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENTS OF THE SANDS IN IBICUI BASIN – RS – BRAZIL

Abstract

The study of the environment, knowing its resources and frailties, has been the work of the Laboratório de Geologia Ambiental (Environmental Geology Laboratory) (LAGEOLAM) – UFSM during the last 10 years.The West-southwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul State in the Hydrographic Basin of Ibicuí River (picture 1) represents an area of high environmental degradation, which is linked to accelerated erosion, engendering ravines, gully erosion, and sands processes of soils.In this context, the study of the region has been developed in order to identify, mapping, or simply describe objects of the landscape which, because of natural forces or through human influence, has occasioned environment degradation through the augmented superficial dynamics which occurs in that areas.