Effects of deforestation on water erosion rates in the Amazon region

Abstract

Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest is a recurring theme on the national and international environmental agenda. However, little attention has been given to its influence on water erosion and soil degradation. This study aimed to model the effect of deforestation on the spatial and temporal variation of water erosion in a watershed of the Amazon region. Therefore, we hypothesize that the expansion of deforestation, and the consequent changes in land use and cover, contributed to increasing soil losses due to water erosion. The Xingu River watershed was selected as a study area once it is one of the most affected regions by deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The estimate of water erosion was performed in the years 1988, 1998, 2008, and 2018 using the Potential Erosion Method (EPM). The application of the model was carried out in a Geographic Information System environment. Between 1988 and 2018, the deforestation in the selected basin increased by 12% (52,258 km2). In the same period, water erosion increased by 312%, corresponding to about 180 million tons of soil lost per year. The result of the study can help in planning erosion control in the Amazon region.