Temporal Analysis of the Caatinga Landscape in the Hinterland of Bahia: Community Perception of Family Farmers

This paper aims to attest the reduction of vegetation cover in the Caatinga because of the expansion process of agriculture. In this study, the method of mapping the areas was used. The perception of family farmers in the communities of Rompedor and Jatob?, both located in the Municipality of Cura??-BA, was analyzed. The methodology relied on the use of satellite images, aiming to verify the transformations in the landscape during the period 1988/2018. In gathering information on the perception of family farmers, the tool used was semi-structured interviews using the Snowball technique with 32 family farmers. The results point to agricultural expansion and, consequently, retraction in areas of native vegetation. In 1988, agriculture corresponded to 0.7 % of the total area, rising to 6 % in 2018. The vegetation coverage of the two communities shows a high stage of deforestation caused by anthropic factors that have been altering the landscape. The result of the farmers' perceptions shows information that supports the data obtained by satellite images. Family farmers consider that the natural landscape of the communities has been modified over decades, due to the way the Caatinga is used and occupied.