Using aerial photographs quantitative and qualitative parameters of drainage patterns and landscape were studied in an area located in Santa Barbara D'Oeste,SP. This area has 14,625 ha, represented by the following simple map units or associations: Dark Red Latosols; Red Yellow Podzoh'c associated with some Lithosols; Dusky Latosol associated with "Terra Roxa Estruturada" (a Rodudal). Sampling areas were selected according to third order river ramification and circles of 5 km². After físiographic characterization of these soils, two land system maps were selected. The first using vertical pancromatic aerial photographs in the scale of 1:35,000 (25/6/78) and the second, using orbital images of "Thematic Mapper" of LANDSAT-5 sensor, on 3,4 and 5 bands and color composition 3/4/5 in the scale of 1:100,000 (12/9/91). The landscape analysis (slope index) and drainage patterns (drainage density, river frequency and texture ratio) were efficient for identification of the soil mapping units in both cases, watershed and circular sampling. Aerial photograph usage permited also greater detail in the definition of mapping units, in relation to orbital images. The color composition 3/4/5 allowed the differentiation of clay Latosols from medium texture Latosols and from Ilumic Latosols.
soil mapping; aerial photos; LANDSAT; físiographic characterization