Analysis of the use and occupation of land in the municipality of São Martinho da Serra – RS

The present work presents quantitative and spacial data on the population and the use and occupation of land in the municipality of São Martinho da Serra with the support of secondary data and geotechnologies. The municipality arises from a path that connected the mission zone and the southern coast of Uruguay in reference to Guarda de São Martin, gaining political and administrative autonomy in 1992, when it dismembered from Santa Maria. It presents low population density, where the majority of the population lives in rural areas, but already showing a decrease in relation to the urban population by the last census. The municipality's economy is strongly supported by the primary sector and has been expanding due to the advance of commodities, especially soy that occupies 88% of the area of agricultural production in the area. The agricultural expansion accompanies the lack of care and control with environmental issues, shown by the lack of respect for areas of environmental protection with degradation, mainly of riparian forests.