Análise de Impacto e Degradação dos Solos na Trilha da Varginha – Parque Natural Municipal de Nova Iguaçu – RJ

Abstract

In the contemporary world in which we live, the number of visitors to protected areas is increasingly increasing, seeking leisure and greater contact with the natural environment. This fact, although positive, must be accompanied by planning and monitoring in order to alleviate the pressure on natural environments, such as the occurrence of erosion processes. In protected areas, visitors' access to the main attractions is often through trails, which can be understood as a link between the visitor and the natural environment. The present work aims to analyze the compaction process and / or erosive processes of soils from the passage of visitors / users in the Varginha Trail, located in the Municipal Natural Park of Nova Iguaçu, State of Rio de Janeiro, from the study of the properties of soils in their various segments and their associated natural conditions. To this end, environmental variables were analyzed, such as the forms of the relief, the use and cover of the land present, the vegetation cover using the NDVI and SAVI methods, the erosive susceptibility of the trail, and the main physical and chemical properties of the soils, such as bulk density, total porosity, gravimetric and volumetric humidity, resistance to penetration and organic matter. The general analysis of the trail allowed to verify the occurrence of erosive processes, with accumulation of sediments in the management structures, in addition to the presence of ravines in the bed in some points. The results of the analyzed soil properties indicate high values of apparent density and resistance to penetration, being reflected in the low values of total porosity and gravimetric and volumetric humidity found, pointing to the erosive susceptibility of the trail and soil compaction. The low percentage of organic matter throughout the trail is also an indication of its erosive susceptibility. Based on the results obtained, proposals were made for management and recovery of the trail, in order to assist the management of the Park in its correct use, fulfilling its role in ordering the public use of the protected area.