The consequences of riparian forest change over fluvial temperature, Capivari stream, curitibana cárstic region, Brazil

Abstract

The consequences of riparian forest change over fluvial temperature, Capivari stream, curitibana cárstic region, Brazil. Riparian forests are essential for protecting river waters and the shading effect, they intercept and absorb the solar radiation contributing to the thermal stability, preventing the extremes: diurnal heating and the nocturnal cooling. Following this conception, this paper leads to evaluate the fluvial water temperature alteration in Capivari stream, Paraná subtropical carstic region, during an average interval of 12 years. Thus, the index thermic range was developed and applied from 1986 to 1987 and from 1998 to 2000. Daily data of the temperature of air and water were used. The data analysis shows that the stream water significantly more thermal balanced from 1998 to 2000 than in 1986/87. Studies involving mapping and quantification of the riparian forests in the study basin reveal an addition of the forests in 1996 than 1980. Thus gives support that this increase in forests numbers could be the cause of the higher thermal balance equilibrium found in fluvial waters.