Enviromental quality of water springs inside and outside conservation units in Southeast Brazil

Abstract

Water springs are ecosystems of great economic, social, cultural and ecological importance. Although legally protected, many springs have been degraded or have disappeared due to its misuse and to badly planned urban growth and expansion. In this study we have applied a rapid assessment protocol (PAR) to evaluate the environmental quality of 71 water springs, located within Conservation Units (UCs) or not, in eight localities in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Springs located in UCs were better scored and classified as great or good, with the exception of one urban UC, where its springs presented a moderate classification. Springs outside of UCs fit into the moderate and bad categories. Results show the importance of UCs in the preservation of springs, but also their vulnerability when located in urban sites. Removal of surrounding vegetation, lack of protection and open access were the main problems observed during the study, especially in springs located in areas not encompassed by UCs. Rapid Assessment Protocols have shown to be useful in the monitoring of aquatic environments and are important auxiliary tools when making decisions about prioritizing areas for conservation and habitat recovery measures.