Landscape Evaluation and Carrying Capacity Calculation on the Mogi-Guaçu and Pardo Watershed

The lack of quantitative data of landscape use can affect in a negative form the elaboration of public policy related to land occupation for agricultural or urban purposes. Some tools can be used for this purpose, but only emergy approach is able to account all energy inputs (from nature and economy). In this sense, the Landscape Development Intensity Index (LDI) that uses emergy synthesis as basis is a useful tool to show in a map form the areas with different impacts on the environment. In a parallel way, it is very important to get a general indicator that shows the systems sustainability in an easy-to-understand way. In this sense there are two main approaches: support area calculation through Net Primary Productivity and support area through Renewable Empower Density. The main purpose of this study was to calculate LDI index and the Support Area of Mogi-Guaçu and Pardo watershed, in Sao Paulo State, Brazil, to show human impact on the environment in a quantitative form. Emergy synthesis and Geographical Information System (GIS) was used as essential tools. The LDI index obtained for the watershed was 8.0, indicating an intense use of non-renewable resources on the landscape. Additionally, for the support areas calculation, the two approaches indicate that are necessary 16 million hectares of additional forest area (5.4 times the watershed’s total area) for that the watershed reach the sustainability.