Conservação dos remanescentes vegetais de cerrado e a dinâmica de uso e ocupação das terras em Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul.

Was studied the dynamics of deforestation in the municipality of Bonito, southwest of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, between the years 1986 and 2004, using techniques of GIS and remote sensing, in order to support strategies for planning the appropriate land use in the region. We created a geo-referenced database to analyze the land use dynamics in spatial and temporal basis. In eighteen years, the native vegetation decreased from 58.30% to 48.10% of the total municipality area, while the deforested areas increased from 41.70% to 51.90%. Bonito should establish strategies for actions directed to the rational use of land, especially concerning the areas of typical cerrado (cerrado sensu stricto), in accordance with current environmental legislation and respecting the ecosystems carrying capacity. Such actions would provide support to economic development based on environmental planning.