Áreas úmidas no domínio dos mares de morros: aspectos hidrogeomorfológicos e morfoestruturais

Abstract

Wetlands are hydrogeomorphological systems formed by the prolonged saturation of topographic surfaces with water, either temporarily or permanently. The study of small wetlands in Brazil is perceived as a gap to be filled, given the barriers to understanding these systems and the geomorphological, geological, and hydrological contexts that surround them. The overall objective of this work is to elucidate the environmental factors that contribute to the formation of wetlands in the morphoclimatic domain of the 'Mares de Morros.' Specific objectives include understanding the spatial distribution of identified wetlands, discussing the hydrogeomorphological relationships that constitute their typologies, and interpreting the morphotectonic and morphostructural determinants of their configurations. The methodological approach of the study was based on the spatial interpretation of geological-geomorphological aspects in relation to the mapped wetlands in the watershed of the 'Igrejinha' stream, in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. Thus, environmental factors conditioning the formation of wetlands were investigated to develop explanations about the context in which they are found and how this context influences the formation of wetlands. Using remote sensing techniques, 140 wetlands were identified in the 'Igrejinha' stream basin, with 50% of them being headwater wetlands, primarily controlled by the morphostructure. It can be inferred that the conditioning of the existence of wetlands, as well as other landscape elements, involves relationships between forms, elements (biotic and abiotic), and their subsequent processes. Furthermore, beyond hydrogeomorphological factors, tectono-structural factors such as the alignment of relief lineaments with the trends of faults in the 'Faixa Ribeira,' tilts, and asymmetries in the studied basin, suggested by the conducted mappings and FABD and FSTT index, helped raise questions about associations regarding the genesis of wetlands in geomorphological contexts similar to those in the studied area. Human activity, present throughout the studied area to a greater or lesser extent, must be taken into account when interpreting wetlands since it directly affects the morphodynamic aspects of the landscape and could be responsible for the anthropogenic origin of some of these systems."