SBR-9508433 Carl S. Zimmerer Christian Brannstrom University of Wisconsin - Madison Dissertation Improvement Research: Environmental Degradation and Agricultural Change in Western Sao Paulo, Brazil,1900-1980 The objective of this dissertation improvement research is to understand changes in human -environment interactions from local and regional spatial scales. This will be accomplished throughthe study of recent changes in specific watersheds to explain how settlers and small-holders created, perceived, and reacted to changing soil resources. Local processes will be related to broader changes in Sao Paulo and Brazil s political economy. Environmental analysis and empirical historical research will be conducted to determine the social consequences of soil degradation. Soil and fluvial sediment samples will be taken from different landscape positions to determine post-settlement soil loss and sediment accumulation. Historical documents will be used to reconstruct patterns of land use and land tenure in the area, and collected oral narratives will help to understand human perceptions of enviro nmental and social changes. The research will contribute to understanding the social implications of human-induced environmental degradation
