Morphometric characterization of Mestre Campo Stream Watershed, in Piranga City, Minas Gerais

Abstract

The multiple environmental dynamics of watersheds make these natural spaces interesting objects of study, and in areas with few scientific investigations, such as the Mestre Campo Stream watershed, the need for these investigations is even greater. The accomplishment of this paper sought to characterize the morphometry of Mestre Campo Stream Watershed, located in Piranga City, Minas Gerais, Brazil, as a first activity to create a management plan for the natural resources available in the area. Therefore, TOPODATA geomorphological data were used in a geographic information system (GIS) to extract the morphometric information -area and respective perimeter, length of axis and of drainage network -from the study area and, then, these variables were used to estimate the following indicators: form factor, circularity and compactness indexes, elongation ratio and drainage density, in order to describe the watershed. The morphometric indexes indicated an elongated behavior for the watershed, characterizing it as a space of low susceptibility to flooding under normal precipitation conditions. In addition, the drainage network showed fourth-order ramifications and a median capacity of drainage. The sub-watersheds that makes the Mestre Campo Stream Watershed were also characterized, the Sub-watershed of Brum Stream presented a rounded shape, while the Alto Mestre Campo Sub-watershed presented elongated characteristics. These results highlight the heterogeneity of Mestre Campo Stream Watershed, which must be considered when elaborating the management plan for the studied watershed, respecting the particularities of that geographic space in order to properly explore its natural resources.