Study of geoclimatological and anthropic variables that influenced desertification in Irauçuba – CE

Abstract

The state of Ceará has one of the regions most affected by desertification: Irauçuba. This process is probably due to the region's natural vulnerability, combined with rudimentary human activities such as agriculture and livestock farming. In light of this scenario, the study analyzed the geoclimatic and anthropogenic variables that may influence this desertification process. For this purpose, surveys were conducted using government sources such as IBGE and IPECE, secondary data processing, calculations, and comparisons with the literature. The soils, rainfall, and livestock production of the municipality of Umirim, located on the humid (barvalento/windward) slope of the Uruburetama mountain range, were also analyzed, in contrast to Irauçuba, which is positioned on the dry side (sotavento/leeward). Thirty years of data from the municipality of Irauçuba were analyzed, obtained from the ANA website, and a survey of livestock activities was conducted using data from the IBGE website. The results demonstrate that some soils are prone to erosion. The aridity index classified the municipality's climate as semi-arid, with a high susceptibility to desertification. The reduction in cattle farming and the increase in goat/sheep farming may indicate a trend towards desertification in the area, since extensive livestock farming, low aridity levels, and unsuitable soils may be leading Irauçuba to desertification, resulting in a reduction in cattle, which are more sensitive to climatic conditions, and an increase in goat/sheep farming, which are more resistant. The suggested techniques for recovering degraded areas were scarification, followed by leaf littering.