NATURAL VULNERABILITY TO SOIL LOSS IN THE FORMOSO RIVER BASIN, BONITO, MS, BRAZIL

Natural vulnerability to soil loss in the Formoso River basin was investigated using the method and classification proposed by Crepani et al . (2001), which take into account the morphogenesis-pedogenesis relationship. A survey of the literature was conducted to retrieve relevant studies in this area of knowledge. Geospatial data were subsequently collected and processed using QGIS 3.10 software to map Basic Territorial Units (for geology, soil, vegetation, climate, and relief features) and evaluate the degrees of vulnerability of these units. These vulnerability maps were then superimposed to yield an overall map of natural vulnerability to soil loss. The analysis revealed a predominance (>50%) of fairly stable/vulnerable areas, followed by moderately stable terrains (34.93%). Stable and moderately vulnerable terrains were the least -occurring types. No vulnerable areas were found. The results showed that the area studied is not only prone to relief -modifying processes, but also highly susceptible to soil formation processes.