A palma forrageira como agente mitigador da desertificação no seridó oriental: Juazerinho-PB.

Abstract

Desertification is a process of land degradation occurring in arid Semi-arid and dry sub-humid worldwide. In northeast Brazil, climate conditions and especially the intense evaporation, low rainfall and land use amid a lack of effective agricultural policies, contribute to increase the risk of desertification in the region. In Paraíba, the desertification process is considered serious both for its scope, as the levels of degradation. The worst affected areas are Seridó Cabaceiras and São João do Cariri, which stand out with lands that have high risks of desertification. Given this context, appears to Palma (Opuntia Ficus Indica. Mill) as an alternative soil remediation, especially when worked properly with the new technology of intensive cultivation, which is to increase the productivity of small farms and even demonstrate the versatility of palm oil, while production activities with the community providing a better living of people residing in areas that suffer with the process of desertification and recurring droughts. The objective of the research was to assess the desertification problem in the city of Juazeirinho-PB, as well as submit to Palma, as a mitigating agent. In this way, the methodology was based on the concepts of landscape and geo ecodynamics as well as several authors working themed Desertification. We used satellite images TM/Landsat-5, for the months of April and October (1999/2009) and May (2010) - the periods are consistent with the dry and rainy months of messoregião Borborema. Since then, the maps were created Vegetation Index NDVI Normalized Difference-to compare the rates of degradation / desertification over a period of 10 years. During the survey questionnaires were also given to 100 families residing in the rural area and interviewed several researchers who work with the palm. Before this study, the municipality Juazeirinho presented with a new remodel the landscape due to the years of irrational exploitation of natural resources. The results obtained through field work, enabling us to conclude that the consequences generated by desertification in the city of Juazeirinho are serious and need urgent solutions because, due to lack of public policies, the process of desertification may reach the point of being irreversible, causing the population is forced to move to other areas, causing serious social problems in rural and city. In that sense, we sought to demonstrate the use of the potential sites available in the city of Juazeirinho, touching the palm, which has proved highly versatile as a cactus, both for rehabilitation of degraded areas and for the human and animal consumption. The geoprocessing techniques used through the images LANDAST on NDVI were enlightening discussions on the evolution of land degradation. It is necessary to find mechanisms for acquiring knowledge able to sensitize farmers and managers, demonstrating the gains that can be achieved, as the balance in the economic, environmental (physical and social), political and cultural institutions as a new perception about the culture palm.