Positional Accuracy of Cave Location Data and Implications for the Management of Brazilian Speleological Heritage: A Case Study from Rio Branco do Sul, Paraná

Resumo

The quality of location data for natural caves recorded in the National Registry of Speleological Information (CANIE) is fundamental to the management, monitoring, and control of environmental conditions in Brazilian caves. Since its creation in 2004, CANIE has integrated data from different sources, methods, and historical periods, including records produced prior to the widespread use of GNSS receivers, resulting in significant variations in positional accuracy. The caves registered in the municipality of Rio Branco do Sul (Paraná State) exemplify this heterogeneity. In this context, the objective of this study was to assess the positional quality of the data recorded in CANIE and to update the municipal speleological registry through high-precision GNSS surveys and the establishment of topographic control points in the field. The data obtained met the Cartographic Accuracy Standard for Digital Cartographic Products (PEC-PCD) at a 1:1,000 scale and were structured in accordance with the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (INDE), subsequently being incorporated into the CANIE and the National Cave Registry (CNC) databases. The comparison between the originally registered coordinates and those obtained through field surveys for the caves analyzed in Rio Branco do Sul revealed significant inconsistencies, with positional errors ranging from tens to hundreds of meters, compatible with a 1:250,000 scale (PEC-PCD), thus exposing the fragility of part of the historical records. The results reinforce the need for systematic field validation of speleological information, especially for datasets produced without the use of GNSS technologies, in order to effectively support the management and protection of Brazil’s speleological heritage.