An environmental analysis model: interactions among soil, society and economy

Abstract

The proposed model used three aspects of analysis: the  biophysical, the economical, and the social. The hypothesis proposes the existence of relationships between variables that makes it possible to create homogeneous areas in the territory under study. The geographical focus of the analysis consists of a rural area of 1,346,486 hectares, in which 12,147 people live in 2,402 rural farm households. The research methodology consisted of the application of the principals components to three data matrices superimposed over a Geographical Information System (GIS). The quantitative analysis was complemented by in-depth
personal interviews. By using a multivariate analysis it was possible to reduce the total number of variables considered for analysis, with the final result a matrix of 59 data by 89 variables. Soil erosion was the primary aspect of the biophysical dimension and was related to social aspects, particularly rural poverty and agricultural production. The required tools for an interpretation of the actual distribution of homogeneous areas in Paysandú were discovered by using the principal component analysis method in
combination with the GIS analysis. Rural farmland is characterized by four areas: extensive cattle ranches with low population density and little soil erosion; medium-sized cattle ranches found in fragile soils and poor families; agricultural-dairy-forestry areas found in fragile and eroded soils and poor families; and an area of displaced farm families. Soil erosion is associated with agricultural usage in fragile soils and in small areas intensively farmed by settlers. Rural poverty is associated with areas consisting of fragile
agricultural soils and a high sub-division of farm lots associated with large extensions of cattle ranches or forestry. Ever since the original settlement and colonization of Paysandú, it has always been the ideal area for the expansion of cattle ranching due to its abundant natural resources. In this manner Paysandú established its own urban lifestyle and community. Specific policies, such as reforestation, significantly influenced the nature of Paysandú’s history. The research model allowed for an evaluation of the actual
condition of rural farmland in Paysandú as a solid basis for future environmental planning.