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© Springer International Publishing AG 2017
C.W. Finkl, C. Makowski (eds.), Coastal Wetlands: Alteration and Remediation,
Coastal Research Library 21, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56179-0_5
Chapter 5
Land Use and Occupation of Coastal Tropical
Wetlands: Whale Coast, Bahia, Brazil
Sirius O. Souza, Camara C. Vale, and Regina C. Oliveira
Abstract This chapter aims to discuss the process of land use and occupation in
coastal tropical wetlands, particularly the ones that occur at the Whale Coast, in the
extreme south of the state of Bahia – Brazil, between 1984 and 2014. For this purpose, orbital images of the Landsat-TM satellite were used, which were subsequently integrated and processed in the Geographic Information System using the
Envi™ software, through object-targeted classification. Throughout the text, the
current standard of occupation in the Brazilian territory is addressed, which is covalidated by the gradual expansion of population and economic cycles, such as the
expansion of the eucalyptus forestry, the urban area and pasture in the Whale Coast.
At the same time, there is a reduction of forest occupied areas. This study has the
objective of contributing with landscape evolution studies and subsiding better
planning proposals for land use and occupation in coastal tropical wetlands.
Keywords Coastline • Coastal zone • Occupation • Wetlands
5.1 Introduction
For being in direct contact with constructive and destructive forces of ocean and
inland waters, coastal wetlands are characterized as transition zones with numerous
interfering factors and a myriad of complexities. This intense natural dynamics renders them frail when faced with the prevailing natural processes, thus making them
naturally unstable areas.
S.O. Souza (*) • R.C. Oliveira
Institute of Geosciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
e-mail: sirius.souza@gmail.com; reginacoliveira@ige.unicamp.br
C.C. Vale
Department of Geography, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo,
Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
e-mail: camaravale@gmail.com
© Springer International Publishing AG 2017
C.W. Finkl, C. Makowski (eds.), Coastal Wetlands: Alteration and Remediation,
Coastal Research Library 21, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56179-0_5
Chapter 5
Land Use and Occupation of Coastal Tropical
Wetlands: Whale Coast, Bahia, Brazil
Sirius O. Souza, Camara C. Vale, and Regina C. Oliveira
Abstract This chapter aims to discuss the process of land use and occupation in
coastal tropical wetlands, particularly the ones that occur at the Whale Coast, in the
extreme south of the state of Bahia – Brazil, between 1984 and 2014. For this purpose, orbital images of the Landsat-TM satellite were used, which were subsequently integrated and processed in the Geographic Information System using the
Envi™ software, through object-targeted classification. Throughout the text, the
current standard of occupation in the Brazilian territory is addressed, which is covalidated by the gradual expansion of population and economic cycles, such as the
expansion of the eucalyptus forestry, the urban area and pasture in the Whale Coast.
At the same time, there is a reduction of forest occupied areas. This study has the
objective of contributing with landscape evolution studies and subsiding better
planning proposals for land use and occupation in coastal tropical wetlands.
Keywords Coastline • Coastal zone • Occupation • Wetlands
5.1 Introduction
For being in direct contact with constructive and destructive forces of ocean and
inland waters, coastal wetlands are characterized as transition zones with numerous
interfering factors and a myriad of complexities. This intense natural dynamics renders them frail when faced with the prevailing natural processes, thus making them
naturally unstable areas.
S.O. Souza (*) • R.C. Oliveira
Institute of Geosciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
e-mail: sirius.souza@gmail.com; reginacoliveira@ige.unicamp.br
C.C. Vale
Department of Geography, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo,
Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
e-mail: camaravale@gmail.com