The role of native vegetation on offering water regulation services in agricultural catchments

Abstract

The increase of demands for water use in São Paulo state has warmed disputes for water use license between watersheds and it has raised discussion about public policies that assure the maintenance of ecosystem services related to water. Whereas these services have close relation with forests, the conservation of remaining forest fragments and the ecological restoration have been largely encouraged. Despite of increase on forest cover verified in São Paulo state arising from this incentive, the recent studies show that the deforestation occurs yet and even on remaining fragments, the degraded structure can offer the services in different levels. The soil conditioning is resulting from the development of vegetation along the time and although areas in restoration processes are expanding, the necessary time to perceive the hydrological response is still not known, neither how much is possible recover from a total that has been lost. In this context, the previous knowledge of effects from public policies of conservation and restoration can subsidize important decisions and, in view of this, the goal of the project is to understand how the native vegetation acts on the ecosystem services of water provision and regulation. The study will be realized in Marins watershed (sub-basin of Piracicaba river) through the hydrological model MIKE SHE. The scenarios will be simulated with areas in restoration processes in different ages and forest fragments in different levels of degradation. (AU)