LANDSCAPE COMPARTMENTATION OF THE CITY OF MARACAÍ ― SAO PAULO, BRAZIL ALVES (1), G. B.; CORREA (2), M. G. G.; NAKASHIMA (2), M.R.; NAKASHIMA (3), P. (1) P.h.D student. FAPESP scholarship. Graduate Program in Physical Geography (FFLCH/USP) (2) Graduate student. Graduate Program in Physical Geography (FFLCH/USP) (3) Full Professor. Graduate Program in Geography (CCH/UEM) This research aims at compartmenting Maracaí/SP County’s (Brazil) landscape, by means of an integrated study of the elements that compose the area’s landscape while seeking to consider its geo-ecologic as well as its socio-economic elements. Maracaí County is located south of Paulista Occidental Plateau, at the Medium Paranapanema area, at São Paulo State (Brazil). The county’s headquarters is located at the crossing of latitude 22º 37’ South and longitude 50º 40’ West, and has a 330m altitude (Figure 1),. It presents Cfa climate (Köppen’s classification), humid mesothermic subtropical without a defined dry season, with hot summer and infrequent frost. Has great landscape diversity as a result of its soil/arising material/rock/relief relation. In order to partition the area this study has adopted integrated analysis of natural and human elements, according to Monteiro’s (2000) proposed methodology. This partition was has been accomplished through field observation (relief morphology, soil characteristics and soil usage) and cartographic material (geologic, pedologic, hypsometric, and slope maps) (Figures 2,3 and 4). The observed landscape variations are due to soil/relief relation and are directly expressed in soil mantle, which in itself receives local geology contributions. Soil usage is differentiated as well in each partition, reflecting existing differences in the physical elements that compose this landscape. Four different partitions (Figure 5), with its own dynamic, have been distinguished: Cervo, Anhumas, Barra Mansa and Três Cantos, which are characterized by the following aspects: 1- Cervo Partition: Higher in comparison to the others, it is located in the county’s northeast part. Presents a slightly undulated relief and greater soil variation of all partitions; soils go from sandy to very clayey, arising from the basaltic substratum (formation Serra Geral, São Bento group) and sandstone (formation Adamantina, Bauru group). The following soil types stand out LATOSSOLO VERMELHO, NITOSSOLO VERMELHO férrico, ARGISSOLO VERMELHO, LATOSSOLO VERMELHO férrico (Brazilian Classification – EMBRAPA, 2006). Soil diversity reflects on slope diversity, presenting varied forms and dimensions, from slopes measuring around 500m to longer slopes measuring up to 2.000m. It presents a 180m altimetric variation (360m to 540m), and ha area. Sugarcane is its main usage. 3- Barra Mansa Partition: Located at the county’s center, it is characterized by its more jagged relief and dominance of shallow soils, very clayey, arising from basalt. The following soil types stand out: NITOSSOLO VERMELHO férrico, that may or may not present ferralic horizons; and NEOSSOLO LITÓLICO (Brazilian Classification – EMBRAPA, 2006). It presents hillsides that range from 500m to 800m, which concentrate the greatest slopes in the county, ranging from 2 to 20%. It shows a 140m altimetric variation (340m to 480m), and a 2.504,6ha area. Usage diversity is controlled by soil characteristics, where mechanization is possible soybean/corn cultures and sugarcane (in some areas) occur, where the soil is shallow and/rocky its main usage is pasture, or forests preserve it. This research has furnished subsidies for understanding the existing landscape in the area, enabling the author’s master’s degree research (Alves, 2010) and current P.h.D. research (Alves, 2011), providing aid for a more detailed analysis of the existing pedologic differences in the area. Therefore, we may consider that the landscape’s integrated study should precede all natural environments’ studies, aside from being primordial for planning the area it also is for elaboration and application of more adequate public policies. References ALVES, G. B. O estado atual dos sistemas pedológicos no município de Maracaí/SP. Dissertação (Mestrado). Pós-Graduação em Geografia, UEM, Maringá, ALVES, G. B. Estudo da cobertura pedológica e sua relação com a formação e evolução de depressões do sudoeste de Maracaí (SP) In: XIV Simpósio Brasileiro de Geografia Física Aplicada, 2011, Dourados- MS. Anais do XIV Simpósio Brasileiro de Geografia Física Aplicada, EMBRAPA. Sistema Brasileiro de Classificação de Solos. 2. ed. Rio de Janeiro: Embrapa Solos, p. MONTEIRO, C A F. Geossistemas: a história de uma procura. São Paulo: Contexto, Anhumas Partition: Located at the county’s central area, Partition Barra Mansa cuts through it. It is characterized by mild relief and by very thick and very clayey dominance that may be over ten meters deep, arising from basaltic rock. Its main soils are ferric LATOSSOLO VERMELHO férrico and NITOSSOLO VERMELHO férrico (Brazilian Classification – EMBRAPA, 2006). Low wide hills predominate, with long hillsides, rectilinear-convex, and convex summit slightly alpine and slope under 10%, presenting, in its majority, more than 1.000m length. It presents a 120m altimetric variation (340m to 460m), and ha area. Sugarcane culture predominates in the northeast area of the partition, due to product distribution logistic facility, elsewhere in the area soybean and corn culture predominate. 4- Três Cantos Partition: Located in the county’s southwest area, occupies the lowest area compared to the other partitions and has many depressions in its inland. Presents medium to very clayey texture soils arising from Serra Geral’s formation basalt, which may secondarily present inter-trapping sandstones (PAULIPETRO, 1980), which suggests these average texture soils may have originated from this material, classified by the Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas as belonging to Botucatu’s formation (IPT, 1981a). LATOSSOLO VERMELHO predominates (Brazilian Classification – EMBRAPA, 2006). It presents a 40m altimetric variation (320 to 360m), and a 5.659ha area. Its main usage is for soybean and corn cultures. Figura 1: Area location. Figura 2: Hipsometric maps. Figura 3: Slope maps. Figura 4: Soil maps. G.B.Alves, 2009 M.R.Nakashima, 2008 G.B.Alves, 2011 G.B,Alves, 2009 G.B.Alves, 2011 G.B.Alves, 2009 Figura 5: Area compartimentation.