INTERFERÊNCIAS HUMANAS NA ÁREA DE INFLUÊNCIA DIRETA DO MANGUEZAL DOS RIOS TIMONHA/UBATUBA, ESTADO DO PIAUÌ, BRASIL

Resumo

Human interferences on mangrove forest and surrounding areas from Timonha-Ubatuba rivers, on the border of the state of Ceará and Piauí, Northeast Brazil. Were studied in this work. A map of land-use and occupation was prepared, using a SPOT satellite images from 1987, at a scale of 1:50,000. A check-list model for estuarine areas was applied during visits to the area, searching for human impacts exerted on the region. The research revealed a mangrove area of 9, 055 ha (2,649.9 ha in Piauí and 6,405 ha in Ceará). The “apicum” represents a total of 4,233 ha; shrimp farms occupy a total of 478 ha and the salt making areas, 5, 150 ha. Near the mouth of the estuary on the left side an area of the mangrove forest is in retraction. It was observed that the vegetation degradation of tablelands surrounding the mangrove, is related to crop and animal husbandry. The score obtained from anthropogenic impacts on the mangrove was low, according to the criteria here adopted; moderate scores are related to squatter settlements, mangrove woodcutting, shrimp farming, and salt-making activities, in the municipality of Cajueiro da Praia; and also moderate score was obtained from piggeries in the mangrove area in the municipality of Chaval. In general Cajueiro had the great number of interferences (1, 5 times than of Chacal), totaling 28 points against 18 in Chaval.

Keywords: Mangrove, human impacts, land use, Northeast Brazil.

Descritores: Mangue, impactos humanos, uso de solo, Nordeste Brasil.