The development of erosion features in cuesta relief regions

Resumo

The cuesta relief is characterized by high slopes, colluvial deposits and intense evolutionary dynamics, making the
region especially prone to soil degradation. This study intends to identify how the relief, lithology, and soils influence the
occurrence of linear erosion processes of rill erosion, ravines and gullies in the cuestas environments. For that, the density of
linear erosion features of 1972 and 2010/2011 were mapped and then analyzed in comparison with the mapped morphological
features of the Cuesta in Botucatu, also prepared in this study, and lithological and soil maps from secondary sources.
Quantitative and qualitative analysis identified concentrations of gullies in the cuesta reverse, at drainage headwaters, close
to lithological contacts and over latosols. On the cuesta front, concentrations of rills, ravines and small gullies were identified,
driven by the steep slope, colluvial covers, and transitions of heterogeneous lithologies and soils. The data demonstrated that
lithological and pedological transitions, typical of cuesta regions due to high geodiversity, in addition to other conditions, are
factors that enhance erosive dynamics and must be considered in territorial planning in order to preserve soils and other
natural resources of these regions