PROTECTION OF RIPARIAN FORESTS AND WATER QUALITY IN A BASIN IN THE ATLANTIC FOREST BIOME

Elenice Fritzsons,Luis Eduardo Mantovani

doi:10.5380/rf.v51i2.62957

Abstract

AbstractThe water quality of a drainage basin depends on the vegetation and soil of the region, land use and riparian forests, which act as a filter to protect the watercourse. For three years, we monitored several water quality parameters (turbidity, color, pH, conductivity, dissolved solids, alkalinity, and nitrate and chloride concentrations) in six adjacent microbasins to assess how riparian forests and land use affect water quality. The location is part of the Atlantic forest biome, with high-altitude humid subtropical climate and mixed ombrophilous forests. We designed a land use charter of the basin and a conflict map for fluvial permanent preservation areas. Land use included mainly natural forests, forestry, buildings, agriculture, and pastures. The multiple correlation analyses included: the water quality parameters, conflicts with permanent preservation areas, and land uses in river basins. In 51% of the basin, land uses complied with fluvial PPA legislation, but in 49% we found conflicts with other land use typologies and a lack of riparian forests. The quality of the water changed throughout the seasons and when fluvial PPAs conflicted with agriculture, buildings, and pastures. The different land uses in the basins did not influence the parameters of water quality and the same occurred with precipitation on water quality.

Highlights

Riparian forests, known as ciliary forests or riparian woodland, are primary or secondary formations that occupy the banks of rivers, streams, and marginal dikes
Riparian forests are protected by Law no. 12.651/2012 of the Brazilian Forest Code (BRAZIL, 2012), which considers them a permanent preservation area (PPA)
In 51% of the Ribeirão da Onça basin, there is compliance with the Brazilian Forest Code, Law No 12,651/2012 (BRASIL, 2012)

Summary

Introduction

Riparian forests, known as ciliary forests or riparian woodland, are primary or secondary formations that occupy the banks of rivers, streams, and marginal dikes. Riparian forests can improve water infiltration into the soil, maintain the quality of the water, provide shading, stabilize the temperature of the water, minimize bank erosion processes, and supply shelter and food for much of the aquatic fauna (FRITZSONS et al, 2011), working as an ecological corridor for animals and plants. The absence of riparian forests may change water quality, causing an increase the concentration of nutrients and particulate matter, both organic and inorganic, in suspension; changing the temperature of the water; and altering the type and quantity of sediments transported in the basin to aquatic systems. These changes can affect the structure and functions of fluvio-lacustrine ecosystems. The functions of PPAs, whether native vegetation or not, are to preserve water resources, the landscape, the soil, geological stability, and biodiversity; facilitate the FLORESTA, Curitiba, PR, v. 51, n. 2, p. 283-292, abril/jun 2021

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