181
period of study, with estimated 351.22 km
2
devastated. This reduction may be associated with the sinuous growth of areas occupied by eucalyptus plantations, agricultural areas and urban areas.
Considering mangroves and other coastal wetlands, there is a slight growth of
95.62 km
2
in the area, as well as a slight increase in the areas occupied by inland
water (about 61.63 km
2
). A fact that can be associated with the possible recovery of
mangrove stretches in the Permanent Preservation Areas and Legal Reserves, and
also the gradual recovery of areas from Cassurubá Extractive Reserve, illustrated in
Fig. 5.18, created by Presidential Decree on June 5, 2009, comprising an area of
100,687 ha, divided into 31,996 ha of estuary and 68,665 ha of marine area.
5.4.3 Land Use and Occupation of Whale Coast: Diagnoses
and Possible Scenarios
In this section, the classes of land use and occupation found during fieldwork are
described and in Table 5.2 and in Fig. 5.19 some possible scenarios are listed,
according to the spectral behavior in an expansion or reduction environment.
Field diagnoses allow us to infer that currently the eucalyptus forestry is the
matrix of use and occupation in Whale Coast and tends towards expansion
(Table 5.2). Simultaneously, the areas occupied by pastures also tend to expand, and
are in various stages of degradation, with large areas having been abandoned and
subjected to an extensive process of laminar erosion and erosion in grooves, which
contributes to the silting of the surrounding rivers.
In agricultural areas, crops tend to expand and reveal, at different points, degradation of ecosystems due to plantations and crops near the rivers, what disrespects
the Brazilian Contemporary Forest Code (Law 12.651, of May 25, 2012) that considers as Permanent Preservation Area the marginal tracks of any natural watercourse, perennial and intermittent, from the edge of the regular bed rail, with a
minimum width of 30 m.
Table 5.2 Evolution of land use and occupation in the Whale Coast
Types of use
1984
2014
Diagnostics
Area
Area
Area
Area
(km)
(%)
(km)
(%)
Pastures
254.44
3.69
648.49
9.41
Expansion
Forest area
1,396.79
20.26
490.98
7.12
Reduction
Mangroves
124.12
1.80
219.74
3.19
Expansion
Temporary crops
234.20
3.40
359.65
5.22
Expansion
Inland water
239.87
3.48
301.50
4.37
Expansion
Urban area
4.62
0.07
33.88
0.49
Expansion
Eucalyptus forestry
670.74
9.73
3,140.63
45.56
Expansion
Exposed soil
3,969.00
57.57
1,698.91
24.64
Reduction
Total
6,893.78
100.00
6,893.78
100.00
5 Land Use and Occupation of Coastal Tropical Wetlands: Whale Coast, Bahia, Brazil
period of study, with estimated 351.22 km
2
devastated. This reduction may be associated with the sinuous growth of areas occupied by eucalyptus plantations, agricultural areas and urban areas.
Considering mangroves and other coastal wetlands, there is a slight growth of
95.62 km
2
in the area, as well as a slight increase in the areas occupied by inland
water (about 61.63 km
2
). A fact that can be associated with the possible recovery of
mangrove stretches in the Permanent Preservation Areas and Legal Reserves, and
also the gradual recovery of areas from Cassurubá Extractive Reserve, illustrated in
Fig. 5.18, created by Presidential Decree on June 5, 2009, comprising an area of
100,687 ha, divided into 31,996 ha of estuary and 68,665 ha of marine area.
5.4.3 Land Use and Occupation of Whale Coast: Diagnoses
and Possible Scenarios
In this section, the classes of land use and occupation found during fieldwork are
described and in Table 5.2 and in Fig. 5.19 some possible scenarios are listed,
according to the spectral behavior in an expansion or reduction environment.
Field diagnoses allow us to infer that currently the eucalyptus forestry is the
matrix of use and occupation in Whale Coast and tends towards expansion
(Table 5.2). Simultaneously, the areas occupied by pastures also tend to expand, and
are in various stages of degradation, with large areas having been abandoned and
subjected to an extensive process of laminar erosion and erosion in grooves, which
contributes to the silting of the surrounding rivers.
In agricultural areas, crops tend to expand and reveal, at different points, degradation of ecosystems due to plantations and crops near the rivers, what disrespects
the Brazilian Contemporary Forest Code (Law 12.651, of May 25, 2012) that considers as Permanent Preservation Area the marginal tracks of any natural watercourse, perennial and intermittent, from the edge of the regular bed rail, with a
minimum width of 30 m.
Table 5.2 Evolution of land use and occupation in the Whale Coast
Types of use
1984
2014
Diagnostics
Area
Area
Area
Area
(km)
(%)
(km)
(%)
Pastures
254.44
3.69
648.49
9.41
Expansion
Forest area
1,396.79
20.26
490.98
7.12
Reduction
Mangroves
124.12
1.80
219.74
3.19
Expansion
Temporary crops
234.20
3.40
359.65
5.22
Expansion
Inland water
239.87
3.48
301.50
4.37
Expansion
Urban area
4.62
0.07
33.88
0.49
Expansion
Eucalyptus forestry
670.74
9.73
3,140.63
45.56
Expansion
Exposed soil
3,969.00
57.57
1,698.91
24.64
Reduction
Total
6,893.78
100.00
6,893.78
100.00
5 Land Use and Occupation of Coastal Tropical Wetlands: Whale Coast, Bahia, Brazil