Map of capacity and land use potential of the municipality of Catalão (GO)

Abstract

The study aims to produce a map of potential land use in the city of Catalão (GO) in Brazil. The
organization and analysis of the data extracted from the thematic maps, the information collected in
the field and documentary sources helped in the production and the proposal of a map of the potential
use of the land of the city according to its physical-natural characteristics. Thus, in the operational
procedures, the methodology for geographic research was used in four levels (or stages): the
compiling, the correlative, the semantic and the normative. These images were used to carry out this
research: image 1: 100,000 from IBGE and OLI / Landsat8 images, ALOS PALSAR, among others.
In the QGIS software and in the algorithm modules in it, maps of declivity, hypsometry, land use capacity and their potential use were elaborated. The lands classified in the map land-use capacity
showed that classes I, II and III, equivalent to 69.85% of the research area are suitable for
agriculture restraining to those in areas of permanent preservation. Class IV lands represent 3.64%
of the total area, with limitations that are even more severe for crops. Class VI land with 13.12% of
the area is recommended for pasture and reforestation. Class VII is indicated for reforestation
accounts for 2.83% of the total area. The lands of class VIII are indicated for the fauna and flora
with 5.34%. Finally, the potential land use map elaborated considered the potential of natural
resources, the fragilities of natural environmental systems, and the recovery of degraded
environments. Potential land use classes in the city of Catalão show that of the total land
recommended, 40.69% is for agriculture, 11.84% for pasture, 3.32% for reforestation and 38.33%
for preservation.