Estimation of erosion and deposition by Unit Stream Power Erosion and Deposition in a sub-basin on the Mogi Guaçu River’s margins, municipality of Mogi Guaçu, SP, Brazil

Abstract

Information regarding the soil erosive processes that comprise the detachment, transport and deposition, are essential when analyzing hydrological processes associated with the generation of the flow in the landscape and water recharge. The USPED (Unit Stream Power Erosion and Deposition) model has been applied in several regions around the world for providing more accurate estimates, since it adds a physical base that relates the relief morphology with the erosion-defining runoff parameters. The current study aims to analyze erosion and deposition using the USPED model in a sub-basin on Mogi Guaçu River’s margins, municipality of Mogi Guaçu, SP, Brazil, and generate subsidies for future diagnoses regarding areas in the region with greatercapacity for water storage, based on less erosion. The loss of mineral and organic particles arising from the erosive process changes the soil’s effective depth, texture and structure, directly and negatively impacting its capacity to absorb and retain water. 60% of the sub-basin’s area was unaffected by considerable processes of erosion and deposition, both due to the current arboreal vegetation, but also the smooth relief of the site. The erosion and deposition sites have totaled 23.42 and 15.76% of the sub-basin area respectively, being adjacent to one another and preferably near or within the drainage network. The results of the spatialization were validated by the Kappa Index and revealed that the UPSED model obtained an excellent agreement with the “ground truth”. Stability in terms of erosion, favors the water recharge in area, since the soils present a sandy texture and in addition, the Latossolos, which make up 63% of the sub-basin, are deep and possess a high water storage...