THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIEF AND CLIMATE AS PROPOSITION OF CHARACTERIZATION OF LANDSCAPE PHYSIOLOGY IN PERNAMBUCO, BRAZIL

Abstract

The expressive environmental diversity and topographical variations throughout the state of Pernambuco (Brazil) territory suggest that its landscape spatial pattern is influenced by the relation between atmospheric dynamics and relief features. In order to investigate the weight of this relation on the landscapes spatial distribution, five methodological steps were performed: 1) climatic classification based on aridity index; 2) altitude, climate and vegetation mapping for the state of Pernambuco; 3) delimitation of profiles from climatic and altitude maps; 4) Linear regression analysis on profiles data; and 5) Elaboration of landscaping profiles based on altitude, climate and vegetation data. Results demonstrated that the comparison between spatial distribution and altitude data do not occur linearly in all profiles. The linear regression model shows a better predictability for Sertão and São Francisco mesoregions profiles. The low linear predictability shown in Agreste mesoregion was related to the existence of a more complex relief, and in the Metropolitan Region of Recife and Zona da Mata microregions, the atmospheric dynamics systems favored an increase of aridity while distancing from the coast. It can therefore be concluded that there is a strong relation between relief and the spatial distribution of landscapes in most of the state of Pernambuco, especially in the Sertão mesoregion.