Estimates of land use and land cover change and soil loss in the Brazilian Cerrado through geotechnology

The Cerrado biome, with approximately 206 million hectares of Brazilian territory, is undergoing significant changes in recent decades due to land use and land cover changes. The agricultural activities are identified as the main sources of rapid reduction of native vegetation in the Cerrado in the last decade. The objective of this study is to evaluate changes in land cover that occurred in recent decades in a watershed located in the state of Mato Grosso, Cerrado biome, and therefore assess the soil loss from erosion, using the USLE model. Results showed that 15% of the area had already been converted into agriculture in 1980. Results for the years of 1990, 2000 and 2010 were 37%, 51% and 61%, respectively. The soil loss rates estimated from the USLE model showed that the average annual soil loss increased significantly with time.