Riparian Buffer Strip Width Design in Semiarid Watershed Brazilian
Victor Casimiro Piscoya *
Department of Rural Technology -Environmental Engineering Pós-Graduate, Rural Federal of Pernambuco University (UFRPE), Recife-PE, Brazil
Vijay P. Singh
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2117, USA
Jose Ramon Barros Cantalice
Environmental Engineering Pós- Graduate Rural Federal of Pernambuco University (UFRPE), Recife-PE, Brazil
Sergio Monthezuma Santoianni Guerra
Environmental Engineering Pós- Graduate Rural Federal of Pernambuco University (UFRPE), Recife-PE, Brazil
Moacyr Cunha Filho
Department of Informatics and Statistics, Rural Federal of Pernambuco University (UFRPE), Recife-PE, Brazil
Cristina dos Santos Ribeiro
Environmental Engineering Pós- Graduate Rural Federal of Pernambuco University (UFRPE), Recife-PE, Brazil
Renisson Neponuceno de Araújo Filho
Department of Forestry Engineering-Federal University of Tocantins (UFT), Tocantins, Brazil
Edja Lillian Pacheco da Luz
Environmental Engineering Pós- Graduate Rural Federal of Pernambuco University (UFRPE), Recife-PE, Brazil
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Studies assessing technologies to design riparian strips using plant covers, based on sediment yield in river basins, are required for environmental protection. The removal of semi-shrubby, native vegetation in the Brazilian semiarid region, has contributed to the degradation of semiarid basins. The aim of this study was to design a riparian strip for the Jacu River in the semiarid region of Pernambuco as a function of sediment yield. Experiments were conducted during the years 2008-2011 in the Jacu River basin at Serra Talhada, Pernambuco State, Brazil. The sediment yield in the Jacu River channel was obtained by measuring suspended and background solid discharge. The riparian strip width estimated in the riparian areas of the Jacu River basin was 15 m. It was concluded that for this study, the sediment yield time and observation of hydrological data were important factors for determining the riparian strip width with greater security.
Keywords: Riparian vegetation, degradation, erosion, soil conservation