Environmental assessment of the integrity of streams in urban green parks

Abstract

Green areas in urban spaces are highly relevant environments in promoting the population’s quality of life, as they provide leisure, recreation, thermal comfort, and contact with nature. This study aimed to evaluate the degree of human alterations in streams in three urban green parks in the city of Dourados, MS, Brazil, through the survey of visual, physical, and chemical parameters. The results presented after applying the Rapid Assessment Protocol for Habitat Diversity (RAP) and measuring water physical and chemical parameters characterized the streams of the three parks as 'altered'. The minimum and maximum values of dissolved oxygen in the water were below the acceptable standards for the aquatic biota, with means of 3.2 to 5.4 mg L−1. The means of light incidence ranged from 51 to 64%, indicating the absence or reduction of riparian vegetation. The pH, temperature, total dissolved solids, and electrical conductivity values did not indicate environmental degradation. These results allowed evaluating the integrity of streams in the parks, which showed alterations due to human actions. Thus, the function of conservation and preservation of biodiversity is not being fully achieved and may negatively interfere with the generation and use of ecosystem services.