Utilization of Geotechnology for the Mapping of Permanent Preservation Areas in João Neiva, Espirito Santo State, Brazil

This study intended to demonstrate how the use of Geotechnology can effectively help to map Permanent Preservation Areas (PPA), aiding in the understanding of the areas to be preserved. The study was conducted in the total area of the municipal district of João Neiva, Espirito Santo state, aiming to elaborate analogical and digital maps of the municipality; delimit the PPAs from the perspective of the Environmental Legislation; confront these areas with the corresponding land use; and emphasize the importance of identifying the areas in an automatic way, so that environmental projects that seek the promotion of actions in search of an efficient, sustainable relationship between humans and the environment can be implemented. The municipal district of João Neiva comprises a total PPA area of 88.64 km² (32.55% of its total area). PPAs around water springs (buffer of 50 m), on the hillsides with slope greater than 45 degrees, on hill top (upper third of hills), and along the margins of water courses (buffer of 30 m), represented, respectively, 0.54 km² (0.20%), 1.92 km² (0.70%), 62.66 km² (23.01%) and 23.50 km² (8.63%) of the total area of the municipal district.