IBGE releases today the Map of Land Use and Cover of the State of Pará, on the scale 1:1,800,000. Based on the national classification system adopted by IBGE, the map was developed from the interpretation of satellite images combined with the analysis of information from field works, agricultural typologies and statistical documentation as well as technical texts of reference. This information is essential for planning and monitoring the changes in the land use and cover for the purpose of the territorial management, as it supports studies like the analysis of social-environmental conflicts, evaluation of the impacts over the natural resources and their transformation processes. The Map of Land Use of Pará and Sergipe as well as the Thematic Maps of Maranhão will be released today at 9 AM at the IBGE State Unit of Pará, located at Av. Serzedelo Corrêa, 331/337, térreo – Nazaré – Belém.

The Map of Land Use and Cover of Pará is available on link

ftp://geoftp.ibge.gov.br/mapas/tematicos/tematico_estadual/PA_uso.pdf 

Four mapping categories were identified in Pará:

non-agricultural anthropic areas; agricultural anthropic areas, which add up to 19% of the state territory; areas of natural vegetation; and waters. While occupying only 0.10% of the Pará territory, mining was the activity showing higher value of production/trade in the non-agricultural anthropic areas, mainly due to metallic minerals. These areas are cartographically represented by way of a specific symbology.

As to the agricultural anthropic areas, the livestock activity is the highlight in all the mesoregions in Pará (187,308.11 km² or 15.2% of the state territory), mainly concentrated in the southeast region (119,186.58 km²). It appears either alone or associated with permanent or temporary crops as well as with reforestation or forestry, mainly along the highways BR-230 (Transamazônica), BR-163 (Santarém-Cuiabá), BR-158, PA-150 and BR-010 (Belém-Brasília).

According to the IBGE´s statistical data in 2010, Pará was ranked in the first position in the raising of buffaloes (457,075 heads) and the fifth in the raising of cattle (17,633,339 heads), which is highlighted in the mapping.

Still in the category of agricultural anthropic areas, Pará highlights as the largest producer of dendê (782.26 km²) and black pepper, mainly in the northeast of the state territory. These crops appear associated with other activities in the mapping, due to the scale in which the theme is represented. 

In the category of areas of natural vegetation, the highlights are the activities of logging and forestry. According to the IBGE´s 2009 Survey of Forestry Activities, Pará was ranked first in logging (5,975,796.9 m³), açaí berries (101,375 tons) and heart of palm (4,897 tons). The areas of natural vegetation, either forested (909,061.58 km², around 73% of the state territory) or rural (54,188.40 km², approximately 4.3% of the state territory), are relatively preserved in the mesoregions of Southwest and Low Pará´s Amazon. This is the result of the concentration of the special areas – preservation units and indigenous lands – across 712,091.31 km², adding up to 57.09% of the state territory, benefiting the protection of the local biodiversity. 

All along the drainage network, the continental and coastal waters – which add up around to 4% of the state territory – work as arteries for the circulation of people and goods as well as for diversified use, like fishing and leisure.