Dinâmica do uso do solo no meio Rio Araguaia (GO- MT): Relações entre Aptidão Agrícola, Expansão Agropecuária e Gestão Ambiental

Abstract

This dissertation analyzes the socio-environmental dynamics of municipalities in the states of Goiás and Mato Grosso whose territories are located within a section of the middle Araguaia River alluvial plain, considering transformations that occurred between 1990 and 2022. The study begins with a historical overview of the occupation of the Cerrado biome and the expansion of the agricultural frontier, highlighting public policies such as POLOCENTRO, PRODECER, and PRODIAT, which promoted agricultural development and commodity production. The research integrates physical, demographic, and economic aspects by correlating data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) demographic censuses, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) information, and records from the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR). The results reveal significant changes in land use and land cover, particularly the expansion of extensive cattle ranching and soybean cultivation, as well as disparities in the updating and consistency of CAR records between Goiás and Mato Grosso. The Araguaia River is interpreted as both a natural and a socioeconomic boundary, separating distinct patterns of agricultural modernization and environmental management. The assessment of agricultural land suitability showed that cattle ranching predominantly occupies areas classified as restricted or moderately suitable for crop cultivation, confirming the region's livestock-oriented land-use profile. In contrast, mechanized agriculture, especially soybean production, is concentrated in areas classified as having good suitability for crop cultivation under management level C, demonstrating a rational allocation of the most fertile lands, although highly dependent on advanced technology. Native vegetation, in turn, remains largely confined to areas with restricted agricultural suitability, acting as a natural barrier to agricultural expansion while remaining vulnerable to increasing pressure from new land uses. This analysis contributes to a better understanding of anthropogenic pressures on natural resources and to the debate on sustainability in strategic areas of the Cerrado biome, emphasizing the need for public policies that reconcile agricultural production with environmental conservation, while respecting agricultural land suitability and ensuring the region's socio-environmental balance.