Os campos de murundu no Chapadão do Zagaia, parque nacional da Serra da Canastra: uma análise morfométrica

Abstract

Murundu fields are circular or elliptical microtopographies found associated with wetlands in the Cerrado biome, very abundant in Serra da Canastra National Park. This study aimed to map these landforms in the Chapadão do Zagaia, part of Serra da Canastra National Park, followed by morphometric analysis. The mapping of the murundu fields was accomplished by creating a visual interpretation standard. The morphometric analysis was performed using a 1 arcsec (~30 m) resolution Digital Elevation Model (SRTM), which was used to create maps of hypsometry, slope, landforms (geomorphons), Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), and Terrain Roughness Index (TRI). These maps were cropped according to the mapping of the areas occupied by murundu fields and used to create graphs that were analyzed using descriptive statistics to understand the position of the murundu fields in the landscape. Mapping using photointerpretation identified three types of mound features: small circular or elliptical, medium circular or elliptical, and large irregular or elongated. Analysis of morphometric characteristics revealed that small circular or elliptical mound fields are more likely to be located in steep environments at the bottom of slopes, while large irregular or elongated mound fields are mostly located in flat areas at the top of slopes. Medium circular or elliptical mound fields, the most common, are located in relatively intermediate locations.