FRAGILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RELEVANCE OF AN AREA OF THE CERRADO IN THE DF: PEDOGEOMORPHOLOGICAL SUBSIDIES FOR THE PROTECTION OF DIFFUSE RIGHTS

The Brazilian Cerrado is one of the global biodiversity hotspots. Despite its environmental importance, it has been observed worrying rates of environmental degradation. For this reason, the conservation of native areas or areas in recovery processes are important, and those under public administration have a greater possibility of this process being carried out. The preservation of Brazilian biomes, maintaining their resilience and environmental services, is not only an issue related to this, but also to the maintenance of diffuse rights, especially that which refers to the maintenance of functional ecosystems for current and future generations. To this end, an adequate characterization of its environmental compartments is necessary. For all the above, the present work aimed to pedogeomorphologically characterize an area under Cerrado in regeneration in the Federal District (DF), under the possession of Embrapa (2025) Vegetables since 1972. This area fulfills an important function in ensuring environmental services such as the production of water, as well as the maintenance of its quality and the cushioning of negative impacts. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing from high-resolution images (0.5 m x 0.5 m), SRTM Digital Elevation Models (MDE) with a resolution of 30 m, contour lines with an equidistance of 5 m, field visits and chemical, physical and physicochemical analyses of soil samples collected in the area were used. As results, a semi-detailed soil reconnaissance map at a scale of 1:10,000, an DEM, a map of slope classes and land use and occupation of the study area were generated. The results also indicated the predominance of Red-Yellow Latosols in the Intermediate Highlands, Haplic Cambisols in steeper areas (Chapada Edges) and Red Latosols in the highest part of the landscape (Chapada). The elevation profile shows that the area presents geomorphological compartmentalization very common in the Central Plateau, with Chapadas with flat to gently undulating relief and altitude around 1,000 m, dissected valleys with high slope (Borda de Chapada) and Intermediate Plateau with altitude around 900 m, also presenting flat to smooth-undulating relief. The area is still the source of several springs, with dendritic drainage with valleys and embedded bodies of water. The mapping of land use and occupation on a scale of 1:1,000 confirms the degree of conservation of the area. It is concluded that the area presents a predominance of soils with high infiltration capacity in areas of Chapadas and Intermediate Plateaus and high risk of soil loss by erosion in sloping areas, which can lead to loss of water quality as silting processes.