Abstract
Understanding the functioning of flooded areas has become a challenge for the scientific community due to the diversity of this environments - that can be classified as representative of these ecosystems (e.g.: marshes, swamps, shallow lakes, flood plains) -, the great variability of hydrological conditions - that represent the extent and heterogeneity of their geographical distribution - and features that influence not only their ecological functions, but also their uses, which are also determined by local economic activities. Among the many ecological functions attributed to flooded areas are: flood dampening; recharge of aquifers; reduction of pollution loads; attenuation of sediment loads; and carbon holding and storage. Based on the recognition of these numerous ecological functions and their importance for the carbon cycle, this research project has as its central objective on evaluating the relationship between the limnological variables, the seasonality and the main biochemical mechanisms that influence the fluxes of CH4 and CO2 gases in flooded areas located in the fluvial region of the Billings and Guarapiranga Reservoirs (SP), submitted to different tributary loads. In addition, it is intended to create a computational mathematical model based on the carbon balance to estimate the emission of greenhouse gases in flooded areas to evaluate under what conditions these areas are a source and/or a sink of carbon. For this purpose, physical, chemical and biological analyzes will be carried out in different compartments (air, water and sediment) at different periods of the year to quantify the allochthonous and autochthonous carbon loads, as well as to identify the biological and physicochemical processes that rule the greenhouse gas emissions in flooded areas submitted to high and low levels of pollutants loads. The results obtained in this research will permit the comprehension of these processes, as well as their relationship with hydrological, climatological and limnological variables of the basins, becoming a strategic issue both to understand their operation and to propose actions that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Another study of great importance of the project is in the design of the mass balance model of the carbon cycle to be developed for the flooded areas of the fluvial regions. These results will identify the different carbon pathways in these ecosystems and assess under which loading conditions the flooded areas of the river basin of the reservoirs behave as a carbon source or sink and if the organic matter that generates the greenhouse gases Is allochthonous or autochthonous. (AU)
| Articles published in Agência FAPESP Newsletter about the research grant: |
| More itemsLess items |
| TITULO |
| Articles published in other media outlets ( ): |
| More itemsLess items |
| VEICULO: TITULO (DATA) |
| VEICULO: TITULO (DATA) |