Changes in Water Resources Systems:
Methodologies to Maintain Water Security and Ensure Integrated Management (Proceedings
of Symposium HS3006 at IUGG2007, Perugia, July 2007). IAHS Publ. 315, 2007, 1-8
Advances
in water management of southern Brazilian sub-tropical wetlands using
bio-indicators
RUTINÉIA TASSI1,
DAVID DA MOTTA MARQUES2
& WALTER COLLISCHONN2
1 Departamento de Física, Setor de Hidráulica e Saneamento, Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, A. Itália km 8/SN, Rio Grande/RS, Brazil
2 Instituto de Pesquisas Hidráulicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
Abstract This
study presents a new criterion for water management in southern Brazilian
sub-tropical wetlands through the use of biological indicators. The emergent
aquatic macrophyte giant grass Zizaniopsis
bonariensis, was used to define a suitability index. Hydrological scenarios
were combined with the suitability index, allowing the selection of good
habitat water levels. The results showed the importance of biological indicators’
inclusion in the criteria list for water management. Under some conditions
predicted by traditional hydrological procedures this emergent macrophyte
species would be stressed.
Key
words bio-indicators;
sub-tropical; water management; wetlands; Zizaniopsis
bonariensis