Relação entre características ambientais e a utilização de nascentes como fonte de água pela pecuária familiar no território do Alto Camaquã

Abstract

The present work aims to study the relationship between environmental characteristics and the use of springs as sources to supply the family livestock in the territory of the Alto Camaquã. Due to the absence of catchment systems and water distribution in the territory of the Alto Camaquã, the direct use of springs as water sources became the most viable solution, technically and financially, for human supply and animal watering. Located at the headboard of the Watershed Camaqua, the Alto Camaqua is characterized by extensive rural area and large number of outcrops that provide water, usually in quantity and quality that meet the basic needs of the local population. However, the use of these sources without control and the empirical means developed for the use of water can impact and impair the dynamics of this water body. Given this perspective, the work aimed to survey characteristics that would influence the behavior of springs and analyze the relationship between these characteristics and the use of springs as a water source in the districts of Barrocão, Alto Bonito and Aberta do Cerro, at the municipalities of Piratini and Pinheiro Machado. Thus, was made a survey of the geology, hydrogeology, pedology, drainage system, surface recharge area, type, use and degree of conservation of the springs, land use in the proximity of outcrops and water quality. The relationships between the characteristics and uses of the springs were analyzed by means of multivariate statistics. Were made cluster analysis, ordination from principal coordinate analysis, bootstrap and randomization tests. It was identified that in the area bounded exists three groups of springs significantly dissimilar and that the formation of these clusters demonstrate the relationship between the characteristics and type of use of the springs. Despite being used for the same purposes, in the same region, there is a differentiation between the springs that need to be considered for the integrated management of water resources.