Vulnerabilidade ambiental a processos de voçorocamento na AM-010 (Manaus/Itacoatiara)

Abstract

Soil erosion research is fundamental due to its direct impact on the natural environment and society. This study is based on the thesis that the formation of gullies along the AM-010 highway is directly related to environmental factors, such as slope and rainfall index, and human interventions, especially infrastructure works and soil redistribution. To prove this relationship, the research adapted a methodological approach focused on assessing environmental vulnerability to soil loss. Soil conservation and ecosystem protection are essential aspects to minimize environmental impacts and reduce the development of risk areas. Currently, technological advances, such as the use of geoprocessing, have facilitated investigations into erosion, especially in mapping environmental vulnerability to soil loss. The highway known as AM-010 was chosen as the object of study due to the occurrence of gullies along its margins. The first mapping of these incisions occurred in 2014, recording 15 gullies. However, after the reconstruction of the highway in 2023, this number was reduced to just one. In the 2025 monitoring, five new gullies were identified. To understand the dynamics of formation of these incisions, the research aimed to adapt a methodology that would take into account the characteristics of the region to assess environmental vulnerability to soil loss. For this, it was necessary to describe the gullies, map the ditches, characterize the relief and its relationship with the erosive process, in addition to establishing variables and assigning weights to slope, rainfall index, land use and cover, soils and geology. To achieve the objectives, literature reviews, field work, obtaining remote sensing products (SRTM, CHIRPS) and analyzes with the software ArcGIS 10.8 were carried out. The results indicated that the AM-010 highway has areas more vulnerable to erosion, mainly in stretches of greater slope, where the rainfall index is more intense and there is influence of land use and cover, which in this case refers to interventions carried out on the highway. The mapping of environmental vulnerability to soil loss revealed that 23.75% of the area has low vulnerability, 27.28% medium vulnerability and 49.97% high vulnerability. The correlation between these data and the distribution of gullies along the highway confirmed that the most vulnerable stretches are those with greater slope and high rainfall indices. In addition, areas where the soil is exposed or has been removed from its original location and deposited in another segment of the highway, due to infrastructure works, associated with the presence of ditches, favor the development of gullying.