ANALYSIS OF THE EROSION POTENTIAL AND SEDIMENT YIELD USING THE INTERO MODEL IN AN EXPERIMENTAL WATERSHED DOMINATED BY KARST IN BRAZIL

Abstract

153 Tavares, A.S.; Uagoda, R.E.S.; Spalevic, V.; Mincato, R.L. (2021): Analysis of the erosion potential and sediment yield using the IntErO model in an experimental watershed dominated by karst in Brazil. Agriculture and Forestry, 67 (2): 153-162. SUMMARY Soil losses from water erosion jeopardize agricultural sustainability and food security for current and future generations. The research aimed to evaluate the application of the Erosion Potential Method by the Intensity of Erosion and Outflow-IntErO program in a karst watershed in a region with typical savanna climate in the northeast of the State of Goiás, Brazil. Input data were adapted according to the corresponding characteristics of tropical regions. The results indicated that the Extreme watershed has a value of 0.62 in the index (0 to 1) which defined the strength of the intensity of erosion. The river basin belongs to the category 3 of destruction with moderate erosion intensity, which indicates processes of surface erosion in the largest area of the hydrographic basin, and annual soil loss of 480.60 m³ km² yr-1. According to the IntErO model calculations 16% of the eroded material reaches the outflow of the hydrographic basin, and 84% of these sediments are deposited within the Basin, inside the surface and underground caves and galleries of the karst. Calculations by the IntErO model with the Erosion Potential Method in its algorithm proved to be valuable tool in evaluating the production of sediments in tropical soils, especially in evaluating different scenarios after establishing the inputs database for Brazil and will serve as a good starting point for future evaluations.