Classificação das áreas úmidas costeiras da Zona Estuarina do Rio Apodi-Mossoró (RN)

Abstract

The Wetlands Coastal are characterized as transitional environments between aquatic and terrestrial periodically flooded with less than six meters deep at low tide, it is worth noting that these ecosystems are understood by variables ratings worldwide due to priorities of their services to natural and socioeconomic environment, according to the ecological, economic and service of these ecosystems, there are few studies on what concerns the location, extent and distribution of these macrohabitats in coastal regions in Brazil. Therefore, the mapping becomes a key role in knowledge of AU, given that without a certain classification of these ecosystems the information is not known completely, however, the essential parameters for a good classification is the presentation of the hydrological dynamics of active physical factors and plant composition of some ecosystems, however, is through these factors through the intercession of human actions that are presented the functions and characteristics of each identified AU. Another key factor for the occurrence of wetlands are the flood pulses, fundamentally important factor for the length limitation of ecosystems. Therefore, the wide diversity of AU hypersaline distributed in the estuarine area of Apodi-Mossoró river, occur due to the influence of the semi-arid climate, this due to natural factors found in the region (high temperatures, low precipitation, high evaporation rates and water March availability and / or estuary). Thus, this study aimed to carry out a classification of wetlands coastal located in the basin of Rio Apodi-Mossoró. The study area extends from the city of Areia Branca, RN, east orientation, to the city of Tibau, RN, in the western portion, located fully in the Potiguar Mesoregion, and Mossoró micro-region. For the classification five steps was used: a literature review and preliminary mapping of the study area; accompanied by a montage of a digital map base, and the realization of a digital image processing; following a classification and quantification of wetlands found in the study area; continuing with the characterization of the geological domain identified in the floodplain area, ending with an evaluation of the types of flood pulses that affect wetlands. With the mapping of the wetlands in hypersaline basin of Apodi-Mossoró River, were identified eight ecosystems (estuary, lagoons, lagoon, mechanized solar salt, handmade solar salt, shrimp, mangroves and apicuns) occupying a total area of total 20.322,00ha the study area, it can be seen that in the prevailing ecosystem study area are mechanized solar salt occupying around 56% of the entire territory of the basin, with a total of 11.475ha and hypersaline ecosystem with smaller footprint, It is the mangrove forest with only 219ha total identified in the study area, totaling the small percentage of 1%. Therefore, the use of visual interpretation and prior knowledge of the study area was of essential importance for the map production with the mosaic of all identified wetlands, especially in distinguishing the limits of each macrohabitat.