Uso e ocupação do solo no triângulo mineiro e a relação com focos de queimadas de 2010 a 2020

Abstract

Fire hotspots are recurrent in several Brazilian ecosystems, resulting in soil, water, and air quality degradation and impacting the biodiversity of flora, fauna, and microbiota. In the Triângulo Mineiro, a region in Minas Gerais, Brazil, these events are predominantly caused by human activities, deteriorating the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes. This study evaluates the evolution of land use and land cover and the dynamics of the spatial distribution of fire hotspots in the Triângulo Mineiro from 2010 to 2020. The methodology used the National Institute for Space Research database for fire hotspots data and land use and land cover information from the MapBiomas initiative. The data processing was executed in a Geographic Information System with subsequent statistical correlation analysis from Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results showed that 86% of the region is covered by anthropized areas, evidencing the intense suppression of native vegetation in the Triângulo Mineiro. In this context, most of the absolute fires occurred in areas of anthropic use, destinated, above all, to soybean and sugar cane crops. Concerning native areas, the highest incidence was registered in grassland formations, possibly due to the greater vulnerability of this vegetation to fire. Additionally, the spatial distribution of fire hotspots by area showed a higher concentration at the biome level in the Atlantic Forest and the micro-region level in Uberaba and Uberlândia. No correlation with statistical significance was observed between the dynamics of the area occupied by the different land uses and the corresponding fire hotspots. The land cover conversion into other uses tends to occur in more extended periods than annually, indicating that fire is still employed to maintain activities already existing in the soil of the Triângulo Mineiro, despite the negative impacts caused by it.