Hydrogeomorphometry and deforestation in the Manicore River microbasin, Western Amazon, Brazil

Knowledge of the morphometric characteristics and land cover are essential for the development of plans that aim at understanding hydrological processes. The objective was to characterize the morphometry and to evaluate the rate of deforestation in the microbasin of the Manicore River. Images (Palsar sensor) were used for altitude and relief, and images of the Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 satellites were used to evaluate soil cover for the years 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015. The microbasin has a dendritic drainage, pattern of 5th order, with high drainage density, 2.96 water source km(-2), sinuous drainage with concentration time of 7 hours and 48 min. Deforestation increased from 1985 to 2005, but there was an increase in forest area from 2005 to 2015, mainly in areas of riparian forests. The microbasin has low susceptibility to flooding, but due to the size of the anthropic area, conservation techniques are necessary.