Socio-Environmental Characterization of The Carinhanha River Mouth and Proposals For Its Sustainable Management

Socio-Environmental Characterization of the Carinhanha River Mouth and Proposals for its Sustainable Management
Available online at: http://pt.scribd.com/doc/138174923/Socio-Environmental-Characterization-ofthe-Carinhanha-River-Mouth-and-Proposals-for-Its-Sustainable-Management
Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos 1 Rafael Macedo Chaves 2

1 Legislative Consultant of Environment and Sustainable Management at the Legislative Power of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. PhD. student in Geology. Master of Arts in Geography. Specialist in Soil and Environment. Bachelor in Philosophy. Environmental Technician. Computer Science Technician. 2 Specialist in Geoprocessing. Forest Engineer. Environmental Analyst at IBAMA (Brazilian Environmental Agency). Head of the IBAMA Office of Montes Claros city, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.
Paper originally published in Portuguese, at:
VASCONCELOS, V. V,; CHAVES, R. M. Caracterizao socioambiental da Foz do Rio Carinhanha e propostas para sua gesto sustentvel. CLIMEP. Climatologia e estudos da paisagem, v.1, n. 1-2. 2012. 30p. Available at: http://www.periodicos.rc.biblioteca.unesp.br/index.php/climatologia/article/view/4408/4446 Translation by Harriet Konkel Reis, in April, 2013
SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CARINHANHA RIVER MOUTH AND PROPOSALS FOR ITS SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT CARACTERIZAO SCIO-AMBIENTAL DA FOZ DO RIO CARINHANHA E PROPOSTAS PARA SUA GESTO SUSTENTVEL Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos1 Rafael Macedo Chaves2
Abstract: The Carinhanha River Mouth has unique ecological aspects. There is a transition among the ecosystems of Caatinga (Semi-Arid Steppe Savanna), Cerrado (Savanna) and Deciduous Seasonal Forest (Tropical Dry Forest). There are also marginal ponds contrasting with sand soils of excessive deep drainage. Moreover, there are also traditional riverine communities and a plan to create an agrarian reform settlement. In this context, it is important to elaborate more detailed research aiming viable proposals for the protection of this environment and his inhabitants. This paper presents remote sensing analysis, biotic characterization and an integrated socio-environmental report of the Carinhanha River Mouth. Based on these studies, a proposal is presented on the creation of a federal conservation area of sustainable use for this place. Keywords: Environment; Traditional Communities; Protected Areas; Ecology; Remote Sensing. Carinhanha River.
Resumo: A Foz do Rio Carinhanha apresenta caractersticas ecolgicas nicas, ao abarcar uma transio entre Caatinga, Cerrado e Floresta Estacional Decidual, em um ambiente de lagoas marginas contrastando com neossolos quartzarnicos de drenagem profunda. Em um contexto de comunidades ribeirinhas tradicionais e de planejamento de instalao de um assentamento de reforma agrria nesse local, demandam-se pesquisas mais detalhados para propor solues viveis proteo desse ambiente e de seus
Master of Arts in Geography, Specialist in Soil Sciences and Environment, Bachelor in Philosophy, Environmental Technician, Computer Science Technician. PhD student in Geology in UFOP (Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto). Legislative consultant of Environment and Sustainable Development at the Legislative Power of Minas Gerais State, in Brazil. Contact: vitor.vasconcelos@almg.gov.br. Curriculum: http://lattes.cnpq.br/8151243279050980
2
Specialist in Geoprocessing. Forest Engineer. Environmental Analyst at IBAMA (Brazilian Environmental Agency). Head of the IBAMA Office of Montes Claros city, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Contact: rafael.chaves@ibama.gov. Curriculum: http://lattes.cnpq.br/5705478835950723
CLIMEP Climatologia e Estudos da Paisagem http://www.periodicos.rc.biblioteca.unesp.br/index.php/climatologia/index Rio Claro (SP) Vol.6 n.1-2 janeiro/dezembro/2011, p.
habitantes. Esse artigo apresenta anlises de sensoriamento remoto, de caracterizao bitica e uma caracterizao socioambiental integrada para a Foz do Rio Carinhanha. A partir desses estudos, apresenta-se a proposta de criao de uma unidade de conservao federal de uso sustentvel para a o local. Palavras-Chave: Meio Ambiente. Populaes Tradicionais. Unidades de Conservao. Ecologia. Sensoriamento Remoto. Rio Carinhanha. Introduction
The Carinhanha River Hydrographic Basin has an area of 1,730 ha and is a tributary branching from the left hand margin of the So Francisco River. The bed of the Carinhanha River serves as a border between the States of Minas Gerais and Bahia for the western half of the two states therefore, due of its extension, it is characterized as a federal hydrographic basin. The Carinhanha Basin partially includes 8 cities (Arinos, Bonito de Minas, Chapada Gacha, Cnego Marinho, Formoso, Januria, Juvenlia and Montalvnia) in the state of Minas Gerais and 4 (Ccos, Coribe, Feira da Mata and Carinhanha) in the state of Bahia, according to cartographic data from the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatstica IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) and from the Agncia Nacional de guas ANA (National Water Agency). The principal geological lithostratigraphies that cover the Carinhanha River Basin are those of Urucuia sandstone and detritus-lateritic deposits, both covered by quartz sandstone neo-soils (quartzipsamments) (BORGES, 2009). The quartzipsamments, if compared with the other types of regional soil, present much higher rates of rainwater infiltration (10-4m/s), discharged to the thick porous Urucuia Aquifer, which aggregates both of the geological formations (GASPAR, CAMPOS e CADAMURO, 2007). In lieu of this, the Carinhanha Basin becomes an important aquifer that feeds So Francisco River during the dry season. This phenomenon may be perceived by the level of the Carinhanha River throughout the year. Furthermore, a great part of the subterranean water from the Carinhanha Basin may also feed the So Francisco River directly through regional underwater flux without passing over the rivers bed. Vegetation degradation along the Basin, which increases the rainwaters surface runoff and diminishes its penetration in the soil, would be a significant environmental impact on this important recharge region of the So Francisco River. Lerner (2006, p. 17) states that the Urucuia Aquifer is responsible for approximately 50% of the water discharged into the So Francisco River. Along these lines, the studies of Gaspar (2006, p. 130-143) indicate that the installation of conservation units over this aquifer is an important strategy to maintain the hydrological balance of this region. Special attention should be given to the system of oxbow lakes that predominate at the mouth of the Carinhanha River (Figure 01), keeping in mind the biodiversity of the local ecosystem and its important function for the reproduction of diverse species of fish for the So Francisco River. The region has already been designated to be of extreme biological importance by the Biodiversity Atlas of Minas Gerais State in 1998 (COSTA, 1998). This is because it is rich in fish of restricted distribution, together with a special biological phenomenon (oxbow lakes). In the new edition of that Atlas in 2005, the region was classified to be of great biological importance due to the amount of interconnected lotic
environments and the presence of endangered species (DRUMMOND et al., 2005).

Figure 01 Scenario of oxbow lakes in the Mouth of the Carinhanha Riveri. Author: Rafael Macedo Chaves, May (2008). Source: IBAMA Flight over the Carinhanha River Basin by the SUPES-MG technical team.
The region of the Carinhanha River oxbow lakes sits on a detritus-lateritic tertiaryquaternary geological structure (MARTNEZ, 2007), above which developed a deep layer of quartzipsamments (CHAVES, 1994), with a practically flat relief. This type of soil is characterized by an accentuated lack of fertility, having a strong tendency for desertification if not properly managed. Borges (2009, p. 63) points out how a region to the north of Moreira Community, in the municipality of Carinhanha/BA, is already desertified in function of unsuccessful attempts of land use (Figure 02). The mouth of the Carinhanha River is located in an ecological transition area that includes alluvial ombrophilous dense forest ecosystems (riparian forest with permanent flooding), "deciduous forest (seasonally dry forest), savannah (Cerrado) and steppe savannah (Caatinga) (SHARIF and GUIMARES, 2009). Due to this ecotone characteristic, the region presents 73% more biodiversity than the vegetation from the banks of the So Francisco River (SANTOS and VIEIRA, 2006). The native vegetation coverage is relatively well preserved, and there was no major recent change of land use, as borne out by studies of Borges and Santos (2009).
Figure 02 Desertified area at the Mouth of the Carinhanha River. Adapted from: Borges (2009, p. 63).
The oxbow lake environment also presents a great variation in local ecosystems. These ecosystems are highly complex because of the interaction between aquatic and terrestrial environments (PETRY et al., 2002, p. 117). Interconnected with the water courses, they have a great diversity of niches, due to the transition that occurs with the riparian forest and the depth variation of the flooded areas. These variations form multiple gradients of temperature and luminosity, creating micro-environments that are inhabited with flora having distinct morphological and physiological characteristics (RURALMINAS, 1996). During the rainy season, this river floods and connects to the oxbow lakes. At this time many species of fish migrate from the river to the lakes, which are their reproduction territories. During the dry season, due to the diminishing of the water volume in the lakes, they turn into an ambient rich in nutrients that serve as food for the fry (fish offspring) until the next rainy season when they migrate to the river (CUNICO et al., 2002, p. 384). Research conducted by Pompeu and Godinho (2003) and Luz (2008) proved the importance of the oxbow lakes for the reproduction of ictiofauna in the central part of the So Francisco River. In 2005, being aware of the ecological, productive and touristic importance of the Mouth of the Carinhanha River, the Municipal Government of Carinhanha declared it to be an environmentally protected area [rea de Proteo Ambiental (APA)] of Carinhanha / Periperi. This area has approximately 700 hectares, which includes the banks of the So Francisco River, the mouth of the Carinhanha River and the oxbow lake denominated Periperi. On the other hand, the national institute for colonization and agricultural reform [Instituto Nacional de Colonizao e Reforma Agrria (INCRA)] is requesting the government to begin an agricultural settlement in the city of Juvenlia (MG), denominated the Projeto de Assentamento Tabua/Dois Rios, on the border between the State of Minas Gerais (MG) and the State of Bahia (BA), in the municipality of Carinhanha (BA), exactly on the banks where the Rio Carinhanha meets the So Francisco River. The land is from an expropriated farm and has a registered area of 18,155.5760ha, and a measured one of 15,281.0108ha. There, approximately 200 families are currently illegally occupying it with
tents or wooden huts roofed with plastic sheeting in hopes of being granted title to the land (SOUZA and GUIMARES, 2009). This settlement in an area of such great ecological importance generated outcry from the environmental entities in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais, i.e. the NGO for preserving savannahs called Viva-Cerrado. These entities claimed that on their side, they had previously lobbied that the Mouth of the Carinhanha River should be declared a Federal Reserve. The objective of this study was to perform a preliminary environmental characterization of the Carinhanha River in order to propose solutions for its preservation and sustainable development for the traditional riverine people. Maps were mounted using remote sensing that helped to characterize the ecological niches. In the end, a preliminary proposal was made to create a conservation unit (CU) for the sustainable use of the region.
METHODOLOGY With the intention of delimiting the area of influence of the ecosystems of the Carinhanhas Mouth, a preliminary analysis was done with remote sensing. According to the information furnished by the Environmental Secretariat for the municipality of Carinhanha/BA, the years that the Carinhanha River reached flood peaks were the summers of 1979/1980, 1989/1990, 1992/1993 and 2000/2001. Using this information, satellite images were chosen for moments before and after the great floods, as well as recent images for current characterization. The images selected were: - Landsat 2, for October 06, 1979 and August 07, 1980. - Landsat 5, for March 23, 1989; March 02, 1993; March 19, 1999; March 24, 2001; February 26, 2009; April 15, 2009; and July 07, 2009. - CBERS, for July 28, 2006 and April 25, 2009. Resolution fusion was done using images from Landsat TM from April 15, 2009 and HRC CBERS 2B band from April 25, 2009, to be able to visualize details with up to 2.7 meters spatial resolution. This technique was achieved using Image Analysis for ArcGis 9.3. The remote sensing analysis was aided by files containing films of a flight taken by IBAMA on May 27, 2008, flying over the Carinhanha River Hydrographic Basin, together with georeferenced photographs taken at the same time. Fieldwork was done between the ninth and eleventh of September in 2009. Transportation was by car, when there were roads, and by boat going upstream along the Carinhanha River to the limits of the settlement Tabua / Dois Rios. This fieldwork experience provided an insight into the existing ecosystem inter-relationships, as well as the interaction of the local habitants with their natural environment.
Discussion of the Results Regional Characterization by Remote Sensing Comparison of the images demonstrates that great alterations do not occur between the areas flooded in 1979 and the present. However, different reflection for the satellite images of each moment permitted a more detailed delimitation of the existing hydrographic phenomena. Four principal ecosystems were delimited:
1) Floodplains with oxbow lakes along the rivers meandering shorelines. 2) Seasonal flood areas lying on hydromorphic soils. 3) Areas of temporary lakes (pseudo-karstic sinkholes) on the top of deep quartzipsamments. 4) Adjacent deciduous forest (seasonally dry) over quartzipsamments.
The ecosystem delimitation can be seen in Figure 03, with its areas defined in Table 01, below.
Table 01 Area (in hectares) of the Eco-Hydromorphic Systems of the Carinhanhas Mouth with delimitation obtained by Landsat Image of July 20, 2009. Minas Gerais Bahia Total Complex system of Temporary Lakes 25,858.48 106,652.31 132,510.79 over
quartzipsamments
Seasonal Flooding Oxbow Lakes Deciduous Forest (seasonally dry) Total 6,281.12 7,459.12 3,625.09 43,223.81 4,518.89 4,364.68 0.00 115,535.88 10,800.00 11,823.80 3,625.09 158,759.69
Based on field studies, it was possible to infer the way each vegetation structure corresponds to the seasonal availability of water. In the land near the banks of the Carinhanha River, the vegetation associates itself with the local context of permanent or temporary flooding. Further from the margins, the vegetation is distributed according to variations in the groundwater depth under the quartz sandstone neo-soils, as well as to the existence of temporary oxbow lakes. The animals are also distributed according to the flood and firm land ecosystems, as well as the seasonal availability of food and water. The local population, either intuitively or because of frustrating experiences, does not extend the agriculture area over the quartzipsamments, as can be observed in Figure 04.
Figure 3 Map of the Eco-Hydrographic Systems of the Mouth of Carinhanha River
Author: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, August (2009)
Figure 04 Example of limit between an agricultural area and the system of temporary lakes over quartzipsamments.
Author: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, October (2009)
Characterization of the Environment Water Resources In the Carinhanhas Mouth region, there are no other water courses than the Carinhanha River and the So Francisco River. The quartzipsamments of the region present such a high rainwater drainage rate that no other path for the downpour exists. Outside of the humid land where the oxbow lakes are, or in other words, where the dry forest, the savannah (Cerrado) and the steppe savannah (Caatinga) predominate, the only points of access to water are the series of temporary round ponds that only appear in the rainy season.
Flora The banks of the Carinhanha River are intertwined with forest vegetation and native pioneering ecosystems. The predominant forest formations are the alluvial ombrophilous dense forest (riparian forest) and mangrove populations. The shrub formations are predominantly Ofachyrocline satureioides (macela), cabeluda (hairy grass) and calumbi always with one of three standing out over the other in each micro-environment (Figure 5). The herbaceous phytosociology of the lowland grasses also includes other species, regionally known as bengo grass, capim-bravo (angry grass) and corumat grass. The taxonomic identification of the flora species present along the banks of the Carinhanha River are those listed in Table 01 of this articles supplement.
Figure 5 Complex system comprising the meandering Carinhanha River and its oxbow lakes, together with shrub and forest formations.
Author: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, September (2009)
Moving away from the banks of the Carinhanha River, there are two predominant forms of transition between the fluvial ambient and firm land. The first one starts with the dense alluvial ombrophilous forest that is always green, and permanently flooded, intertwined with the meandering river and the oxbow lakes. Further away from the banks of the river, this forest gives way to a seasonal semi-deciduous forest and finally a deciduous one that is seasonally dry. This dry forest at the Carinhanhas Mouth contains typical species of the Mata Atlantic, Savannah (Cerrado) and Steppe Savannah (Caatinga) biomes, predominated by tree species. A preliminary sampling of the species was conducted in the field and can be verified in Table 02, in the supplement of this article. Then, the second vegetation transition form from the banks of the river happens when the concave margin of its meandering directly carves the sandy banks creating cliffs that vary from 5 to 30 meters in height, over quartzipsamments. The higher elevation above river level brings the top vegetation of these gullies directly up to the level of the deciduous forest. Then moving further inland, this forest gives way to a transitional savannah (locally called Gerais) and a steppe savannah (locally called Carrasco). In the savannah areas, the phytosociological inventory of INCRA (2009) identified the following species: Aroeira do Serto (Astronium urundeussa), Muamb (Cleome heptaphylla), Gonalo-Alves (Astronium fraxinifolium), souari nut tree pequizeiro (Caryocar sp.), Copaba (Copaifera officinalis), Quinzinzeiro, Barbatimo (Stryphnodendron barbatimam), Caraba (C. calocephala), Jacaranda (J. caroba), Imburana (Bursera leptophleas), AngicoPreto (Mimosa family, Pipladenia genus), Baru (Dipteryx sp.) and Tingu (Serjana erecta). Figures 6, 7 and 8 present some of the various physiognomies and vegetation
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transitions present in the Carinhanhas Mouth.

Figure 6 Physiognomies of the Seasonal Deciduous Forest (Seasonally Dry Forest)
Author: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, September (2009) Figure 7 Typical Carrasco. Transition between Deciduous Forest, Savannah (Cerrado) and Steppe Savannah (Caatinga).
Author: Rafael Macedo Chaves, September (2009)
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Figure 8 Transition between Savannah (Cerrado) and Seasonal Deciduous Forest
Author: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, September (2009)
Fauna In the ecosystems of this meandering river and its oxbow lakes, the biodiversity is evident, with the great number of birds who feed on the rich ictiofauna of the river and the oxbow lakes, as well as the fruit and seeds of the adjacent vegetation. In the short stretch that we travelled along the river, an inventory was made and the identified species are listed in Table 03 of this articles supplement. The temporary round ponds are refuges for the native fauna, since them offer water and edible seedlings. When there is the change for the dry season, however, the fauna migrates to the oxbow lakes in search of new water sources. In the same manner, cattle are raised in an unconfined condition and react the same way as the other animals, migrating seasonally. Besides this, some river people use the temporarily dry lakes to plant crops. The soil of these lakes is locally called mud land and its fertility yields a crop much larger than if it would be planted on the quartzipsamments. This interdependence of fauna and human beings on these two ecosystems (temporary lakes on quartzipsamments and oxbow lakes) demonstrates the importance of preserving both of these environments for the sustainability of the ecological and productive processes of the Carinhanhas Mouth. There is an abundance of fauna at the Carinhanhas Mouth which include various large mammals that serve as bio-indicators of the good state of preservation of the area. Table 04 in the supplement of this article lists the animals that the river people mentioned having seen with great frequency. These species, mainly the mammals, as well as the richness of birds, also serve as flagship species upon which environmental entities and the local population nourish zeal and pride to fight for their preservation. Together with these species, also found are an abundance of small animals, such as wild rabbits (Silvilagus brasiliensis) and Brazilian guinea pigs called pres (Cavia aperea).
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Riverine People Communities Even though satellite images do not show great areas of alternate use of the soil, the Carinhanhas Mouth is inhabited by traditional riverine people communities. Over the generations, these communities have learned to live in these surroundings in an almost sustainable manner. There are two principal riverine communities presented in the map of Figure 9. The first is denominated Moreira, with housing located along the left margin of the Carinhanha River in the State of Bahia. The inhabitants use the river to catch fish and although this community is situated in Bahia, subsistence farming is practiced on both banks of the river. As a side activity, these people raise unconfined cattle, mainly in the savannah areas over quartzipsamments that appear further north moving into the interior of Bahia. The community has an extension of 1,696.36 ha, not counting the area used by the unconfined cattle for grazing in native fields. The other riverfront community is a village called Porto Agrrio (Agrarian Harbor), localized in the State of Minas Gerais, along the margins of the So Francisco River, occupying 41,94ha. The inhabitants have a history of unconfined cattle-raising along the rivers margins. Subsistence agriculture appears as a secondary activity. A majority of those designated to be part of the settlement Projeto de Assentamento (PA) Tabua/Dois Rios are inhabitants of this village. Environmental Impacts Desertification As pointed out in the introduction, one of the principal environmental impacts generated by anthropic occupation of the region is desertification of the quartzipsamments because of poor land use management. The traditional use of cattle-raising by the local river people is already at the tolerable limit for this type of soil. Therefore, the implementation of the contemplated settlement project will bring new inhabitants into the area, which will certainly have critical environmental impact due to overgrazing ii of the land. Once, degraded to the point of desertification, land rehabilitation is limited and slow. Predatory Hunting and Fishing The pressure on the oxbow lakes would increase when settlers begin to arrive from the other regions to Tabua / Dois Rios. Due to greater clay concentration, organic material and soil humidity along the oxbow lakes margins, not to mention the water supply, many rural farmers use this area for agriculture and cattle-raising during the dry period, causing irreversibly damaging environmental impacts in the lotic environments. According to the local population, it is unthinkable to survive without the use of the land surrounding the oxbow lakes and the banks of the Carinhanha River. Therefore, the environmental cost created by the decrease in the quantity and biodiversity of the fish in the region will reflect directly on the survival of these river people with regards to their food, commercial activities and local tourism. The riverine people at the mouth of the Carinhanha River also have the custom of digging channels connecting the river with the adjacent oxbow lakes. Their justification for such an activity is that it maintains the level of the water in the lakes so that they do not dry up in the dry season. However, this interference in the hydrological cycle alters the natural
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dynamics upon which ictiofauna reproduction depends. Furthermore, the interaction of the riverine people with the native land fauna is not perfectly harmonious. It is common for animals such as tapir and capybara that inhabit the flooded areas, to invade the bean and vegetable crops planted along the river banks. Complaints have also come from the riverine people that groups of illegal fishermen and hunters also appear in the mouth of the Carinhanha, leaving in their trail dead animals floating in the Carinhanha River.
Figure 9 Location of the riverine peoples communities and urban areas in the region, regarding the settlement Tabua / Dois Rios. Note the desertified area to the north of the Moreira community, previously identified in Figure 2 by Borges (2009, p. 63).
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Erosion and River Aggradation Observing the clear waters of the Carinhanha River, in contrast with the muddy waters of the So Francisco River, one could easily come to the conclusion that the Carinhanha River does not present a potential source for the silting of the So Francisco River. However, as the aggradation of that river bed is caused mainly by particles of a large granulometry, such as sand and small pebbles. These grains are not normally transported in the Carinhanha Rivers normal flow. However, during heavy rains, it transports large quantities of these grains and as such, significantly deposits them on the So Francisco River. In the case of the mouth of Carinhanha, special attention is called to some cliffs that border the meandering river. These cliffs are frequently more than 10 meters in height and are made up of pure sand from the quartzipsamments. As they are always located on the external side of the meander curve, these cliffs have a natural tendency to erode, due to the force of the water flux in its geomorphological process of altering the bed of the meandering river. Any deforestation in the deciduous forest that covers these steep banks, or even the constant use of the banks base for boarding canoes, are able to initiate great erosive processes, as shown in figure 10. In this respect, it is crucial to adequately advise the riverine people about the conservation of these relief accidents.
Figure 10 Eroded cliff on the banks of the meandering Carinhanha River

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Integrated socioeconomic characterization The illustrative sketch that follows (Figure 11) demonstrates the scheme for the functioning of the ecological and social systems at the mouth of the Carinhanha. In this way, the authors hope to clarify the spatial and functional relationship among the different processes and actors existing in the study area.
Figure 11 Illustrated scheme of the interaction between the natural ecosystem and human occupation at the mouth of the Carinhanha River
Authors: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos and Rafael Macedo Chaves, September/October (2009).
Propositions The viability of an agrarian reform settlement in its regular productive format at the farm Tabua / Dois Rios is highly contestable. Subdividing the quartzipsamments into individual lots will inevitably lead to desertification, due to over exploration of the land. The capacity of the local soil usage is already at its limit and the added presence of settlers from other regions will not permit them to practice sustainable farming in the area, because of its limited extension. Excluding the areas of restricted usage (deciduous forest, permanent preservation areas close to water bodies and flooded areas), there remains only 545 hectares with pasture under reasonable conservation, but with little capacity to sustain cattle-raising activity. It is important to mention Regulation No. 88 of 1999, by the
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nations land policy agency (Ministrio Extraordinrio de Poltica Fundiria), that impedes the expropriation of estates for agrarian reform in areas covered with native Atlantic Forest. The usage of permanent preservation areas along the margins of water bodies and flooded areas also becomes a serious problem, including issues regarding the viability of environmental licenses for land use. The usage of areas near the oxbow lakes is already a tradition of the local people and the settlers have repeatedly said that it is impossible to survive in this area without using the river banks to raise cattle and plant crops. Furthermore, the pressure from the settlers to use the banks of the Carinhanha River will probably start conflicts with the riverine people from Moreira community, which although being located in Bahia, already uses both margins of the river to plant and also to supply water access for their cattle. As a counterpart, the initial plea of the environmental entities to create a total protection unit encounters evident difficulties. It is a very delicate situation when one thinks of removing the riverine people from their traditional habitat when they have already lived in the Carinhanhas Mouth for various generations. However, the National law for conservation areas [Lei do Sistema Nacional de Unidades de Conservao (SNUC) (Lei Federal no 9.985, de 2000)] offers other alternatives for environmental protection. Within the possible options, the conservation units for sustainable use are an interesting alternative, as they permit environmental conservation and also the maintenance of the already settled human occupation. One form of the CUs is the Sustainable Development Reserve (SDR) which deserves to be put in evidence for the case of the Mouth of the Carinhanha. The concept of an SDR unit, according to article 20 and paragraph 1, of Federal Law No. 9,985, 2000, is:
A natural area that houses traditional peoples, whose existence is based on sustainable systems for natural resource exploitation, developed over generations and adapted to local ecological conditions and which plays a key role in the protection of nature and maintenance of biological diversity. A Sustainable Development Reserve basically aims to preserve nature and, at the same time, ensure the conditions and means necessary for the reproduction and improvement of methods and the quality of life and the exploitation of natural resources by traditional peoples, as well as enhance, conserve and perfect the knowledge of this environment and its management techniques developed by these peoples.iii
According to Federal law, 2000 9,985 (SNUC), the SDR is managed by a Board of Counselors, involving representatives from public agencies, civil society organizations and traditional peoples resident in the area. This form of management is able to deal with the various interests involved in Mouth of the Carinhanha, through dialogue and social cooperation. In an SDR, the exploitation of natural ecosystem components on a sustainable basis is admissible, as well as the replacement of native vegetation cover by crop species. However, the use of the land and of the natural resources is subject to zoning, legal limitations and implementation of a management plan for the area. These limitations would be formulated so as to harmonize the traditional productive activities with environmental support capacity. Finally, it is also important to remember that the land of an SDR is a public domain and, if necessary, the government can expropriate private areas, such as those existing in the Carinhanhas Mouth on the side of the state of Bahia. It should be noted that one of the most important measures in the creation of the
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SDR would be to remove the settlers that are not traditional in the region. In addition to them creating an unbearable situation for the environment, these settlers would most likely be involved in illegal deforestation activities found on the settlements perimeter. Thus, the creation of an SDR would be a way of ensuring the territory to local people, before it is ravaged by individuals who have no connection with the place. It is proposed that the SDR territory should include the Tabua/Dois Rios farm in Minas Gerais, already belonging to INCRA. In Bahia, the SDR should consist of the area occupied by the Moreira community as well as the oxbow lakes encountered between this community and the mouth of the Carinhanha River. In conclusion, the borders of the UC should be, at least: The land owned by INCRA (Figure 9); The areas occupied by the Moreira Community (Figure 9); The unconfined cattle-raising pastures used by the Moreira Community; The oxbow lakes of the Carinhanha River adjacent to the Moreira Community in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais (Figure 3).
As the area of influence (protection buffer) of this SDR, it is proposed that it should be at least the extent of ecosystems delimited on the map in Figure 03, obtained from satellite images. Later studies would make it possible to delimit the area of influence for the "deciduous forest" situated to the South of the settlement, covering areas that border with other settlement projects and rural properties in the municipalities of Juvenlia and Mango, in the state of Minas Gerais.
CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, therefore, the SDR management tools available are more adequate for the occupation of the studied area than would be the pleaded agricultural reform settlement, when considering the lifestyle of the riverine people communities. The SDR concept is also more viable because it is easier for the analyst responsible for environmental licensing to deal with existing usage in areas of permanent preservation. In lieu of what has been presented in this article, a viable option would be to create a federal SDR at the Mouth of the Carinhanha, with the shared management of INCRA, National Unity Conservations Agency (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservao da Biodiversidade ICMBio) and representatives of the local people. In this manner, it would meet the demands of the agricultural reform movement, the environmental entities and the sustainable development objectives of the Government, in its representation in the Agricultural Reform and Environmental Agencies. Finally, the possibility of creating a federal CU at the mouth of the Carinhanha provides the opportunity of presenting the Carinhanha River as something that, instead of dividing two States, unites them by the common goal of sustainable development and environmental preservation. With an SDR, it would be possible to conciliate environmental preservation and traditional riverine population maintenance, which in turn, would maintain the hydrological balance, the balance regarding the contribution of sediments to the So Francisco River Basin, as well as the rich local biodiversity.
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Acknowledgements Registered here are our thanks to the field guides Jos Castor Abreu (NGO Viva Cerrado), Valdemar Pereira de Sousa (Nilson Riverine person), Jos Haroldo de Franca Lima (Riverine person) e Raimundo Fumo (Leader of the settlement project at Tabua / Dois Rios) for their contribution during the study with their extensive knowledge of the area.
References BORGES, K.M.R. Avaliao da susceptibilidade erosiva da Bacia do Rio Carinhanha (MG/BA) por meio da EUPS Equao Universal de Perda de Solos. 68 p. Dissertao de Mestrado Universidade de Braslia. Departamento de Geografia .UnBGEA, Gesto Ambiental e Territorial, 2009. BORGES, K.M.R.; SANTOS, P.M.C.S. Modelo Linear de Mistura Espectral MLME aplicado ao monitoramento do Cerrado, Bacia do Rio Carinhanha (MG-BA). XIV SIMPSIO BRASILEIRO DE SENSORIAMENTO REMOTO, Anais... Natal, Brasil, 25-30 abril 2009, INPE, p. 5663-5669. BRASIL. Lei Federal no 9.985, de 18 de julho de 2000. Regulamenta o art. 225, 1o, incisos I, II, III e VII da Constituio Federal, institui o Sistema Nacional de Unidades de Conservao da Natureza e d outras providncias. Publicado no Dirio Oficial da Unio (D.O.U.) de 19.7.2000. BRASIL. Ministrio Extraordinrio de Poltica Fundiria. Portaria no 88, de 6 de outubro de 1999. Direciona as obtenes de terras incidentes nos ecossistemas Floresta Amaznica, Mata Atlntica, Pantanal e demais reas ambientalmente protegidas para reas j antropizadas. COSTA, C.M.R. (coord.). Biodiversidade em Minas Gerais: um atlas para sua conservao. Belo Horizonte: Fundao Biodiversitas, 1998. 94p. CUNICO, A.M.; GRAA, W.J.; VERSSIMO, S.; BINI, L.M. Influncia do Nvel Hidrolgico sobre a Assemblia de Peixes em Lagoa Sazonalmente Isolada da Plancie de Inundao do Alto Rio Paran. Acta Scientiarum. Maring, v. 24, n. 2, p. 383-389, 2002. CHAVES, H.M.L. Estimativa da eroso atual e potencial no Vale do So Francisco. In: Relatrio Final de Consultoria. Braslia: CODEVASF FAO, 1994. 35p. DRUMMOND, G.M.; MARTINS, C.S.; MACHADO, A.B.M.; SEBAIO, F. & ANTONINI, Y. Biodiversidade em Minas Gerais: um Atlas para sua conservao Ed. Fundao Biodiversitas. Belo Horizonte, 2005. 222 p GASPAR, M.T.P. Sistema Aqfero Urucuia: Caracterizao Regional e Propostas de Gesto. Tese de Doutorado n 76. Universidade de Braslia. Instituto de Geocincias. Braslia: 2006. 197p.
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GASPAR, M.T.P.; CAMPOS, J.E.G.; CADAMURO, A.L.M. Condies de infiltrao em solos na regio de recarga do sistema aqfero Urucuia no oeste da Bahia sob diferentes condies de usos. Revista Brasileira de Geocincias. 37(3): 542-550, setembro de 2007. LERNER, G.L.S. Estudo de impactos na gerao hidroeltrica ao longo do rio So Francisco devido transposio de suas guas utilizando modelo matemtico de fluxos em rede AcquaNet. Dissertao de Mestrado. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro COPPE/UFRJ, M.Sc., Planejamento Energtico Rio de Janeiro: 2006. 108 p. LUZ, S.C.S. Aspectos estruturais da assemblia de peixes de uma lagoa marginal do submdio So Francisco, aps sua desconexo e deplecionamento. (2008). 84 f. : il. Orientador : William Severi. Dissertao (Mestrado em Recursos Pesqueiros e Aquicultura) Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. MARTNEZ, M.I. Estratigrafia e Tectnica do Grupo Bambu no Norte do Estado de Minas Gerais. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Instituto de Geocincias. Programa de Ps-Graduao em Geologia. Dissertao de Mestrado. Belo horizonte. 2007. PETRY, A.C., ABUJANRA, F., PIANA, P.A., JLIO JR, H.F. & AGOSTINHO, A.A. Assemblias de Peixes das Lagoas Sazonalmente isoladas da Plancie de Inundao do Alto Rio Paran. Maring, PR. Universidade Estadual de Maring, Nuplia/PEA. 2002. POMPEU, P.S.; GODINHO, H.P. Ictiofauna de trs lagoas marginais do mdio So Francisco. p. 167-182 Em: guas, peixes e pescadores do So Francisco das Minas Gerais.Organizadores: Hugo Pereira Godinho, Alexandre Lima Godinho. Belo Horizonte: PUC Minas, 2003. 468p. RURALMINAS. Plano Diretor de Recursos Hdricos da Bacia do Rio Paracatu PLANPAR. Consrcio MAGNA / DAM / EYSER - Governo de Federal, Governo do Estado de Minas Gerais, Governo do Distrito Federal, Brasil, Fevereiro 1996. SANTOS, R.M.; VIEIRA, F.A. Florstica e Estrutura da Comunidade Arbrea de Fragmentos de Matas Ciliares dos Rios So Francisco, Coch e Carinhanha, Norte de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Revista Cientfica Eletrnica de Engenharia Florestal. Faculdade de Agronomia e Engenharia Florestal de Gara/Faef. Ano IV, nmero 08, agosto de 2006. SOUZA, V.S.; GUIMARES, A. Relatrio sobre a Vegetao e Uso Atual do Imvel Tabua / Dois Rios, Localizado no Municpio de Juvenlia-MG, com Proposta de Uso e Supresso de Vegetao para Fins de Uso em Projeto de Assentamento . Instituto Nacional De Colonizao E Reforma Agrria Incra. Belo Horizonte, julho de 2009.
i
In Portuguese language, the word Pontal refers to the surrounding land around the mouth of a river. It would be similar to the world Delta, although this last one is used only for the mouth of a river which meets the ocean or a lake. Otherwise, Pontal may refers also to the surrounding land around a tributary`s mouth, where it reaches the main river. Here in this paper, we use the expression the mouth of the Carinhanha River referring to its Pontal, i.e., these
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surround lands. ii Overgrazing: technical term used in Agronomy/Veterinary/Zootechnics referring to the degradation of the soil and forage due to the presence of cattle above the use capacity of the native or exotic grass. iii Our translation of: rea natural que abriga populaes tradicionais, cuja existncia baseia -se em sistemas sustentveis de explorao dos recursos naturais, desenvolvidos ao longo de geraes e adaptados s condies ecolgicas locais e que desempenham um papel fundamental na proteo da natureza e na manuteno da diversidade biolgica. A Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentvel tem como objetivo bsico preservar a natureza e, ao mesmo tempo, assegurar as condies e os meios necessrios para a reproduo e a melhoria dos modos e da qualidade de vida e explorao dos recursos naturais das populaes tradicionais, bem como valorizar, conservar e aperfeioar o conhecimento e as tcnicas de manejo do ambiente, desenvolvido por estas populaes.

Socio-Environmental Characterization of The Carinhanha River Mouth and Proposals For Its Sustainable Management

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Socio-Environmental Characterization of the Carinhanha River Mouth and Proposals for its Sustainable Management

Available online at: http://pt.scribd.com/doc/138174923/Socio-Environmental-Characterization-ofthe-Carinhanha-River-Mouth-and-Proposals-for-Its-Sustainable-Management

Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos 1 Rafael Macedo Chaves 2

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environments and the presence of endangered species (DRUMMOND et al., 2005).

Figure 3 Map of the Eco-Hydrographic Systems of the Mouth of Carinhanha River

Author: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, August (2009)

Author: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, October (2009)

Author: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, September (2009)

transitions present in the Carinhanhas Mouth.

Author: Rafael Macedo Chaves, September (2009)

Figure 8 Transition between Savannah (Cerrado) and Seasonal Deciduous Forest

Author: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, September (2009)

Author: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, October (2009)

Author: Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, October (2009)

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