O papel do meio físico e relevo na ocupação humana: potencialidades, vulnerabilidades e impactos ambientais (enchentes, erosão e assoreamento) na trajetória histórica da região de Araraquara (SP)

Abstract

Buscando contribuir para a discussão sobre o papel do meio físico na trajetória de ocupação humana pós-cabralina do Oeste Paulista, realizou-se – por meio de integração de revisão bibliográfica, e levantamento de novas informações através de mapeamentos de campo e análise de imagens aéreas – um estudo de detalhe na região de Araraquara (SP). Apresentou-se as principais características do meio físico (e.g – topografia, solos, drenagem, clima e unidades geológicas) da área, e discutiu-se o papel delas para a fundação e expansão dos núcleos de ocupação regionais. Igualmente, sumarizou-se os compartimentos de relevo majoritários da área (Planaltos Residuais, Patamares Transicionais e Terras Baixas), bem como as principais potencialidades e vulnerabilidades para ocupação humana de cada uma destas unidades da paisagem. Demonstrou-se que cada um destes compartimentos de paisagem foi reservado para distintos usos e funções urbanas e rurais nas diferentes fases de ocupação do Oeste Paulista que se deram na área desde o século XVIII, mostrando como a incorporação humana do meio físico e relevo usou de maneiras distintas as heterogêneas potencialidades de uso de cada qual deles. Mostrou-se que cada qual destas unidades da paisagem vinculam-se a diferentes vulnerabilidades, de maneira que a intensificação do uso humano dos distintos compartimentos de relevo – em especial de áreas tidas como de maior criticidade - se mostraram na forma de diferentes impactos ambientais, ressaltando-se distintas suscetibilidades e ocorrências de enchentes, erosão e assoreamento dos rios. Apontou-se, ainda, padrões de ocupação e legislações municipais de uso dos solos com potencial para agravar conjunto diversificado de impactos ambientais por estarem em conflitos com vulnerabilidades do meio físico, e apresenta-se propostas para amenizar tais contradições.Palavras chaves: baixo Rio Mogi-Guaçu, médio Rio Jacaré-Guaçu, geomorfologia urbana, uso humano do relevo, planejamento ambiental, Oeste Paulista The role of physical environment in human occupation: environmental potentials, vulnerabilities and impacts (floods, erosion and siltation) in the historic trajectory of the region of Araraquara (SP)ABSTRACT Seeking to contribute to the discussion about the role of the physical environment in the trajectory of post-Cabral human occupation in the west of São Paulo, it was carried out - through the integration of a bibliographic review, and survey of new information through field mapping and analysis of aerial images – a detailed study in the region of Araraquara (SP). The main characteristics of the physical environment (e.g - topography, soils, drainage, climate and geological units) of the area were presented, and their role in the foundation and expansion of the of regional human occupation was discussed. Likewise, the main relief compartments in the area (Residual Plateaus, Transitional Lands and Lowlands) were summarized, as well as the main potential and vulnerabilities for human occupation of each of these landscape units. It was shown that each of these relief compartments were reserved for different urban and rural uses and functions in the different phases of occupation that have taken place in the area since the 18th century, showing how the human incorporation of the physical environment and relief used in different ways the heterogeneous potentialities of use of each one of them. It was shown that each of these landscape units are linked to different vulnerabilities, so that the intensification of human use of the different relief compartments - especially in areas considered to be of greater criticality - were shown in the form of different environmental impacts, emphasizing different susceptibilities and occurrences of floods, erosion and silting of rivers. It was also characterized patterns of occupation and municipal legislation on land use with the potential to aggravate a diverse set of environmental impacts because they are in conflict with regional vulnerabilities of the physical environment, and proposals are presented to alleviate such contradictions.Keywords: low Mogi-Guaçu River, medium Jacaré-Guaçu River, urban geomorphology, human use of relief, environmental planning

Early anthropic occupation and geomorphological changes in South America: human–environment interactions and OSL data from the Rincão I site, southeastern Brazil

“…The integration of physical data and artefacts allows us to interpret that the human occupation of the Rincão I site took place on palaeosurfaces formed amid successive colluvium deposits. The textural and petrographic characteristics of samples from the UE1R‐2018 profile are compatible with the hypothesis that colluviums originated from the São Bento Group rocks close to the archaeological site (UNESP, 1982; Cheliz, 2016, 2023). The evidence is the similarity between the São Bento Group sandstones described nearby (Gesicki, 2007) and the colluvium, as for mineralogical composition (prevalence of quartz, Fig.…”

“…The characterisation of the soils (Cheliz, 2023) of the hillslope on which the Rincão I site is located allowed the delimitation of three distinct pedological horizons (Figs. 2 and 7) in excavation unit UE1R‐2018 carried out adjacent to the 20 × 1 m archaeological trench previously made by Zanettini Arqueologia (2006).…”

“…São Paulo State has hundreds of lithic archaeological sites considered to be pre‐colonial (>0.5 ka). Among them, only the Rincão I site (Cheliz, 2023) and five other sites have archaeological artefacts in sediments dated older than 10 ka (Fig. 1).…”

“…Later, Galhardo (2011, 2016) carried out a technological description of the artefact collection of the site, with an emphasis on three lesmas (a specific type of unifacial elongated and plano‐convex tool) found on the surface. From 2014 to 2019, we carried out new investigations of the Rincão I site linked to the work of Cheliz (2016, 2023), aiming to carry out a geomorphological, geological and pedological characterisation, as well as the acquisition of dating samples and additional archaeological data (Fig. 2B, 2C and 2D).…”

“…We also aim to assess whether the chronological data obtained for the site are consistent with the geomorphological and pedological changes observed in the geological record. Data from previous research on the site were reviewed (Zanettini Arqueologia, 2006 Galhardo, 2010, 2016; Cheliz, 2016) and integrated into new geomorphological, geological, pedological, chronological and archaeological data, which resulted from research carried out between 2018 and 2019, linked to the PhD work of Cheliz (2023).…”