Gully systems are part of the agricultural landscape of Gouveia-MG, southeast Brazil. They occur especially in agricultural soils formed by granit-gnaisse of the crystalline embasement and from schist of the supergroup Rio Paraśna. Gullies are responsible for significant losses of agricultural lands. They occur at different stages of evolution in the Chiqueiro basin where, however, approximately 60% of the 320 identified and mapped gullies are already stabilised. This stabilisation has created conditions for a more developed and diversified vegetation to grow as well as for more animal species to establish in the interior of these erosional forms. Today they play an important role as biodiversity corridors especially considering that Gouveia has a very degraded environment. As a result of intensive land use and weathering processes, the soils of the area are very poor in macro and micronutrients, thus being unable to ensure a denser and higher natural vegetation cover on the slopes. Inside the gully, younger soils, even if only lithosoils, provide greater concentrations of those nutrients, presence of water or more humid conditions almost all over the year, besides protection against the effects of seasonal burning. These seem to be the most important factors responsible for the existence of the corridors. Inside the gullies it was observed the occurrence of the same vegetation species as that occurring on the slopes, although three times denser and higher. There were also detected species from the fauna, which are not present on the slopes, suggesting that this boundary makes the gully-systems even more important for the preservation of fauna. The connection between gullies and the water streams of the area assures the flow transfer of this biodiversity through the entire system.
*This research was financially supported by FAPEMIG.