With the objective of defining the typology and distribution of the predominant erosion processes in a “Água da Cachoeira” microwatershed, with 3.700 ha, located in the “Planalto Ocidental Paulista”, a survey, characterization and mapping of erosion was conducted. Areas with sheet erosion, sheet and rill erosion, deep rill and gully erosion, and badlands were delimited through photointerpretation and field work. Four large badlands connected to the drainage net, eight wide gullies with partial vegetation cover and several average gullies which were obliterated, but showed signs of retroerosion, were mapped. There is a predominance of deep rills and gullies in the low slopes in contact with the fluvial plan and in the main basin slope of the pluvial drainage impounding. The origin of the part of the occurrence of shallow rills and of the wide rills, in the high slope, is due to cattle trampling and, in the low slope, can be attributed to the place of cattle-watering. The final interpretation showed four distinct classes, differing from another by the type and areas of occurrence of the erosion processes.
degraded microwatershed; erosion typology; sheet erosion; rill erosion; gullies; badlands; mapping