IBGE releases today (12/16/2011) the Map of Land Use and Cover of the State of Sergipe, on 1:1,300,000 scale. It shows that livestock still prevails in 60% of the state. In accordance with the national classification system adopted by IBGE, the map was elaborated based on the interpretation of satellite images, the analyses of field work on agricultural typologies and statistical documentation and reference technical texts. 

The results of this study are critical for an efficient management of the territory as they help the monitoring of changes in the use and cover of the land of Sergipe. The information enables the analysis of social-environmental conflicts,  the evaluation  of the use of natural resources and their manufacturing processes and the ecological-economic mapping of the state.
The release of Maps of Land Use of Sergipe and Pará, as well as the Thematic Maps of Maranhão will take place at 9 a.m. in the State Unit of IBGE in Pará  (Av. Serzedelo Corrêa, 331/337, térreo – Nazaré – Belém). The Map of Land Use and Cover of Sergipe is available at  ftp://geoftp.ibge.gov.br/mapas/tematicos/tematico_estadual/SE_uso.pdf 

This map reveals the concentration in regions of the main activities of land cover and use in Sergipe. In more than 60% of the territory, livestock activity prevails, spread all over the Development Territories (units of governmental action planning aimed at promoting sustainable development, reducing inequality and improving population’s life quality, by democratizing action programs and budget allocation).

The map also shows that there were local changes driven by technological modernization and agricultural specialization.

Livestock involving big animals (cattle) is usually associated with permanent and temporary crops, mainly related to grains (corn), which cover great part of the central and west Sergipe.

In these areas, there was an intensification of new techniques involving machines and inputs, leading to substantial alterations in country life and landscape. In the Southeast region of the state (municipalities of Estância and Indiaroba), the livestock was associated with permanent crops of dry fruits (coco-da-baía). 

That concentration in regions is also observed in the distribution of permanent crops, such as citrus crops (orange, lemon) in the South of the state and dried fruits in the Northeast, more specifically in the plateau of Neópolis. 

In the southeast of the state, in the Central-South and Central Agreste Territories, crops of simple grains prevail. The same happens in the center and east of the state: corn in the east and sugar cane in the southeast.

In the east of the state, crops of sugarcane are associated with petroleum exploration. 

In the northwest and northeast of the state, in the Territories of Alto Sertão and Low São Francisco, respectively, it was possible to map agricultural areas with intensive use of irrigation, allowing for the specialization of several crops. In the Territory of Low São Francisco, fish farming is also common.