Environmental diagnostics in areas with high potential fragility in the Federal District, Brazil

This study aimed to conduct environmental diagnostics of areas with high potential environmental fragility in the Federal District, Brazil. Reclassified thematic maps of soil slope and vulnerability to water erosion were combined to create the soil susceptibility map to water erosion, which, in turn, was combined with the thematic maps of soil use and rain erosivity. The result was then reclassified, giving rise to the potential environmental fragility map. In the places identified with high potential environmental fragility, information was collected by observing the aspects of the physical, biotic, and anthropogenic environmental components of the landscape. Areas with high potential environmental fragility in the Federal District were found. In those locations, the uses and occupations of the soil observed were intensive farming, small rural activities, managed intensive livestock and degraded intensive livestock. Land use and occupation in areas with high potential environmental fragility of the Federal District, with “degraded intensive livestock”, make such sites environmentally fragile since there is a scarcity of non-preserved natural areas and there is no soil conservation method. It was concluded that, for the use and occupation of the soil with high potential environmental fragility areas in the Federal District, which are taken by intensive farming, small rural activities, and managed intensive livestock, the conservation of the natural areas and the vegetative and mechanical soil conservation techniques must be implemented.