Movement of river bed in drainage headwaters enhanced by the activity of domestic animals (swines)

Abstract

This study aimed at evaluating the influence of the contact of animals with water bodies and hence their interference on the movement of river bed at Faxinal Marmeleiro de Cima, located in the municipality of Rebouças, Paraná State. The Faxinal System is a peculiar way of using and occupying the land, where there is a consortium between exploitation of natural resources and unrestricted animal husbandry, which has negative impacts on the water bodies. The direct contact of animals with water bodies implies in lack of riparian vegetation, contributing with the process of connecting the sediments of the slopes with river channels, forming sediment banks. In order to monitor the movement of these sediment banks in the riverbed, it was used the transverse profile method. Collections were conducted every two months, amounting 8 (eight) collections in 2009 and 2010. For assessing the progress of the margins it was used erosion pins. To monitor the rainfall, a direct measurement pluviometer was used. At the end of the monitoring, it was identified the degree of movement of river beds, with summer and autumn representing the periods with greater movement.