LANDFORMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING: POTENTIALITIES AND FRAGILITIES

Abstract

The relief analysis focused on the geomorphologic application in environmental projects has been developed for some years with the prospect of having a better knowledge of natural environment characteristics in face to the environmental territory planning projects. The theoretic and methodological approach used in these geomorphology-applied projects is based on General System Theory with emphasis on Tricart (1977, 1992), when concepts and theorizes about the ecodynamics processes and ecogeographic assumptions. In the core of this systemic approach, the methodology also includes Ab'Saber (1969), Mecerjakov e Gerasimov (1968) and Ross (1992, 1994, 2006). Considering these authors as theoretic and methodological, it was developed a geomorphologic map and the potentiality and fragility environmental maps. The second product, consists of the environmental potentialities and fragilities, In this context, it reaches a set of environmental units or landscapes, due to the combination of variables from natural environment. In each one of these sets are established several levels or degrees of environmental fragilities according to the theory and methodology used. From which is also evaluated the potential of natural environments. The environmental fragilities identified in the mapping process are classified into a hierarchy, since too weak fragilities, therefore, high potentialities for various uses, to very strong fragilities and low potential for productive uses, but very high environmental and ecological interests. So is these geomorphologic mapping joined with their derivatives, fragility and potentiality environmental are extremely interesting for application to territory environmental planning projects from different scales.