Impactos da urbanização em Veredas

Abstract

Veredas are important riparian ecosystems present in the Cerrado biome, with organosols associated with groundwater outcrop. This habitat provides a fauna-floristic refuge for various species and is co-responsible for maintaining biodiversity in the Cerrado. The hypothesis of the present study is that urbanization promotes low environmental quality with negative changes in abiotic and biotic structure in Veredas. Thus, the objective was to test the relationship between urbanization and environmental quality, analyzing the abiotic and biotic parameters in Veredas. The specific objectives were i) to qualitatively characterize the Veredas areas within Uberaba/MG; and ii) compare the abiotic and biotic characteristics of qualitatively distinct Veredas. Ten areas of Veredas were located with the Google maps® application and Google Earth Pro®, the georeferencing performed with the iFINDER Go2 handheld GPS. The Veredas Integrity Assessment Test was applied to the ten points in May 2018. From the results of the Veredas Integrity Assessment Test, two more preserved and two anthropized points that had a water reservoir were selected. Three samples of physical-chemical water analysis and biomonitoring with benthic macroinvertebrates were performed between 2018 and 2019. In addition, four samplings of the fauna between 2018 and 2019. The results of the Veredas Integrity Assessment Test showed that of the ten points, five are partially preserved, one in the intermediate stage and four totally uncharacterized. The physicochemical analyzes showed different results between the points considered partially preserved and totally uncharacterized. The community of benthic macroinvertebrates was more diverse at the points considered partially preserved and simpler at the totally uncharacterized points. The averages of the BMWP Index were high for the partially preserved points, with low values for the totally uncharacterized points. In the survey of odonatofauna 30 species were captured. At points 3 and 5 in the central region of the city, 15 and 14 individuals from Odonata were sampled respectively. At points 9 and 10, farther from the central region, 94 and 13 individuals from Odonata, respectively, were collected. The results of the physicochemical analysis, the macroinvertebrate community and the BMWP and EPT Indexes corroborated the Veredas Integrity Assessment Test, pointing out that the best integrities occurred in the most distant points of the central region of Uberaba/MG. The survey of the fauna was effective to point out the environmental quality of the Veredas, as well as the same result as the Veredas Integrity Assessment Test. The points (9 and 10) classified as partially preserved presented higher values of richness and diversity, as well as endemic species of Veredas, while the two totally uncharacterized points (3 and 5) presented lower values of richness and diversity, with the presence of species. generalists and exotic. The results of the Veredas Integrity Assessment Test, the physicochemical analyzes of the waters, the biomonitoring with macroinvertebrates and Odonata, indicate the most preserved and most uncharacterized environments. In conclusion, urbanization promotes degradation and decharacterization in Veredas areas. This study can be used as an environmental management tool to characterize Veredas areas.