ANáLISE DO MEIO FíSICO DA SUB-BACIA DO RIO VACACAí-MIRIM-RS/BRASIL / ANALYSIS OF THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF WATERSHED VACACAí-MIRIM-RS/BRAZIL

The research aimed evaluating the physical environment of the watershed of river Vacacaí-Mirim through the elaboration of land use and land occupation, geomorphologic and geologic thematic maps. To get the data we used Topographic Letters: Santa Maria and Camobi both and satellite images TM/Landsat 5, bands 3,4 and 5, october of 2008, and the softwares Cartalinx and Arcview. The land use was one of the environmental parameters of primordial importance, once it represents the information necessary to the studied area's planning, avoiding possible environmental unbalances and occupation conflicts. The studied area was compartmentalized into four geological units: upper Serra Geral, Lower Serra Geral, Botucatu Formation and Caturrita Formation. The geomorphologic map of the studied area was divided into three compartments: Peripheral Depression, South-Brazilian Southern Plateau and Edge Plateau. Therefore, the studies accomplished, as well as the prepared mapping are essential to know the region and analyze the way how the landscape transformation happens and the space occupation in this region.