A cartographic simulation in a Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to evaluate the environmental impacts of different forest management strategies on a watershed scale. The project was conducted in a small (2 km²) watershed located at northern coast of the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil, which is inserted in an area of eucalypt-clone plantation comprised by the agro-industrial complex Aracruz Celulose S.A. Potential impacts were assessed by applying the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) in a GIS, where different scenarios were simulated by primary data processing (auxiliary data relating to the surface soil, relief, climate and vegetation). The simulation considered four different management strategies: from the worst possible situation, such as the complete absence of any conservation practice, to a more realistic assumption where management techniques are currently applied. First results demonstrated the adequacy of these technologies for prospective investigations and as guidelines to operational management of forest plantations. Nevertheless, caution must be taken concerning the scope of this approach, specially regarding the USLE model, and the multiplicative error dispersion trend during data processing.
erosion; soil loss; USLE; GIS; simulation; modelling; forest