USE AND OCCUPATION OF SOIL IN RIPAR AREAS AND ITS IMPLICATION ON THE QUALITY OF SOIL AND WATER OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
Eutrophication. Erosion. SIG.
Land use in riparian zones increases their vulnerability to erosion, expanding their potential as a diffuse source of nutrients and contaminants to water bodies, especially in semi-arid climates, whose soils are naturally more susceptible to erosion. The objective of this work was to understand the influence of the use and occupation of riparian zones on the physical and chemical attributes of soil and water quality in aquatic ecosystems. We analyzed soil use and quality in the riparian zones of four lagoons and six reservoirs in the State of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil) and our results show that: i) there are three main classes of land use and occupation: native vegetation, agricultural and exposed soil, with the last two nights presenting soil quality degradation; ii) the soil exposed is the class of use and occupation that contributes most to the contribution of sediments and nutrients in the water bodies; iii) riparian zones located in the tropical semi-arid region have a greater intensity of degradation than riparian zones of the tropical humid region; iv) as the anthropic occupation of the soil increases, especially by the class of soil exposed, the degradation of the riparian zone tropical humid region approaches the riparian zone of the semi-arid; v) the levels of sand, silt and clay, as well as pH, organic matter and available phosphorus are indicators of the quality of riparian soils.