Influência de um fogo florestal na qualidade da água da Ribeira de São Domingos...

• Author(s): Meneses, Bruno Miguel do Carmo Santana
• Date: 2013
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/6489
• Origin: Repositório da UTL
• Subject(s): water; surface water contamination; surface runoff; forest fire; nutrient loss
• Document Type: Master Thesis
• Language: Portuguese
• Advisor(s): Cortez, Nuno Renato da Silva

Description

Mestrado em Engenharia do Ambiente - Instituto Superior de Agronomia Forest fires are responsible for several environmental problems, especially for polluting watercourses. In this dissertation we intend to evaluate the changes occurring in the physical and chemical constitution of water of São Domingos stream (crossing the municipalities of Lourinhã and Peniche, Portugal), in particular pH and nutrient content variation, related to surface runoff from the burnt area of the Cezaredas plateau, where a forest fire occurred at July 19th, 2012. Thus, water samples were collected in three points strategically chosen along this stream (one upstream of the burnt area and two downstream, one of the last being located immediately after the burnt area) from which the pH, the electrical conductivity and the concentrations of N, P, K, Na, Ca and Mg were assessed. The data obtained in the analysis of the samples collected downstream of the burnt area show an input of nutrients in the stream water and an evidence that nutrient transportation occurs in a higher degree during the first episodes of rainfall which are also responsible for generating surface runoff. This is due to the greater availability of nutrients in these areas and the reduced soil protection, a factor that facilitates surface runoff.