Qualidade do solo em áreas sob diferentes níveis de degradação na APP do riacho Itararé Teresina, Piauí

Abstract

The city of Teresina, located in northeastern Brazil, was established and grew in an area between two large rivers, Poti and Parnaíba. In addition to them, the city has numerous streams, lagoons, and other water bodies that are threatened by urban expansion. Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs) are a space constantly threatened by urban expansion, and in the case of the Riacho Itararé APP, the subject of this study, impacts can already be observed along its course due to the modification of land use and occupation on its banks. One of the main threats to these protected areas is the constant advance of real estate that occupies and modifies these areas, changing their character. This work therefore sought to investigate the impacts caused on the soil of the stream's APP at different levels of impact. The work raises the issue of the need to restore the environmental quality of this area to avoid problems such as floods, sedimentation, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity. It also seeks, by identifying the current quality of the soil in these areas, to point out measures to improve the area based on the results obtained from the soil analysis. In analyzing the environmental characteristics, it was possible to observe that several areas suffer from invasion of the APP, improper disposal of solid waste, fires, and loss of vegetation. These impacts are reflected in the quality of the soil, as shown by the results of physical and chemical analysis, showing a loss of organic matter, low levels of exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg, K), and soil acidification. From this, we can conclude that corrective measures are necessary in some points to improve soil quality and restore the environmental functions of the area.