Estimated degradation of the Caatinga based on modern pollen rain deposited in reservoirs

The vegetation cover is the result of many biological and abiotic interactions. To identify different factors that cause changes crucial when defining future sustainable development protection natural resources. In Brazilian semiarid region, has been subjected to drastic deforestation land use at centennial-scale led desertification. Pollen analysis an efficient tool reconstruct processes degradation over time. We built a referential data set for using 48 pollen surface samples collected in reservoirs Ceará. used satellite images comparison with signatures defined alteration score express correlation between terrestrial anthropic cover. Our results showed our be generally representative general landscape. study areas can considered as degraded initial categories “preserved” or “intermediary” are not reflected assemblages, agreement botanical surveys historical background. on-going process desertification climate-independent was initiated decades centuries ago by intensive agriculture grazing.