Urban influence on litterfall trace metals fluxes in the Atlantic forest of São Paulo (Brazil)

Abstract

A monitoring project for two forest catchments was established in 2001 in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The chosen catchments differed significantly with respect to human occupation. One catchment area, PEFI (23°39'S and 46°37'W), is inside the largest metropolis of South America, the city of Sao Paulo, within a Park of 549.3 ha, located about 50 km away from the ocean. The other catchment area, CUNHA (between parallels 23°13'18 and 23°16'10South and meridians 45°02'53and 45°02'53West), is within a State Reserve of the Atlantic Forest, with 2850 ha, located about 15 km from the ocean, surrounded by rural areas and small villages. PEFI is about 798 m above sea level, while CUNHA is about 1050 m. In this work we examined the monthly litterfall trace metal (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr, Pb, Cr, Cd, Hg) fluxes for both catchments during the 2001 dry season (may to September). Trace element concentrations were also determined in soils. CUNHA is characterized by low fluxes and low concentrations in soil, compared with PEFI. The same tendency was also observed for rainfall and throughfall Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu fluxes.