We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Effects of land use on sediment composition in low-order tropical streams.
- Authors
Cunico, Almir; Gubiani, É.
- Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative effects of watershed land-use on streambed substrate composition in eight low-order tropical streams. Data were collected at 24 sampling sites for eight wadeable streams in the Pirapó River Basin, southern Brazil. According to the percentage of impervious surfaces in the watershed, we defined the streams as either urban or rural. We estimate the percentages of the different streambed substrates, hydrological variables, and the rainfall intensity. The results showed that silt, sand and coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) contributed to significant differences in streambed substrate composition between urban and rural streams. Silt, sand and CPOM were found in a higher mean proportion in the rural streams. Probably the urban streams have a greater bed load, promoted by precipitation and discharge, than rural streams, especially fine sediment. Rural streams have soft hydrographs, with stream flow slowly increasing during a rainstorm and subsequently decreasing over a long period after the rain event is over. These characteristics can provide the lixiviation of fine sediments into the stream channels due to land-surface clearance for agricultural activities and their accumulation in the streambed due to the moderate discharge regime.
- Subjects
RIVER channels; URBAN land use; RURAL land use; WATERSHEDS; HYDROGRAPHY
- Publication
Urban Ecosystems, 2017, Vol 20, Issue 2, p415
- ISSN
1083-8155
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11252-016-0603-8