Full text
| |
| Author(s): |
Aline Aparecida Fransozi
Total Authors: 1
|
| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Piracicaba. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC) |
| Defense date: | 2020-01-10 |
| Examining board members: |
Sílvio Frosini de Barros Ferraz;
Ricardo Gomes Cesar;
Rafael Mingoti;
Luiz Felippe Salemi
|
| Advisor: | Sílvio Frosini de Barros Ferraz |
| Abstract | |
The forest recognition as a source of benefits for humans has generated a number of forest restoration initiatives around the world. These benefits include those related to water, which had been flag to encourage projects in degraded agricultural areas such as pastures. These young forests are expected to offer products and services at the same level as old forests. However, the forest-water relationship is complex and not yet fully understood. Despite the benefits, there are trade-offs that need to be considered in management decisions. Generally, the forest decreases water production in the basin compared to smaller vegetation, but offers other benefits such as the containment of maximum flows and possible regulation of minimum flows, depending on climate conditions. In addition, the forest has a recognized role in maintaining water quality by increasing infiltration rates and preventing runoff, reducing erosion and sediment amount. Considering the above, this work aimed to study the hydrological effects of the conversion of degraded pasture to forest and its growth. Overall, the review found that secondary forest is able to improve physical properties and soil permeability when planted in pasture areas, but only reaches the level of reference forests at least 20 years after regeneration. Although the forest is the tool chosen to recover degraded pastures in Brazilian public policies, there are few studies conducted in Brazil measuring the infiltration process at field in this conversion, and none in the Atlantic Forest. The work developed in the Atlantic Forest concluded that secondary forest originated from natural regeneration was able to improve soil properties and infiltration process in degraded pastures, but also only reached the reference level in the 21-38 year class. Forest age has been identified as an important factor and is essential to consider time in projects that address the recovery of water and soil. In the watershed scale, all hydrological indices (average flow, minimum flow, maximum flow, discharge, and base flow index) decreased after conversion from degraded pasture to forest and remained stable with advancing forest age, which may indicate that the forest measured and used in the simulations may not have reached the maturity stage. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 15/23719-6 - The role of native vegetation on offering water regulation services in agricultural catchments |
| Grantee: | Aline Aparecida Fransozi |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct) |