Coastal solar saltworks of Brazil are exploited for sea salt, which becomes progressively concentrated by evaporation. This study aimed to review the current and new potential uses of these systems, in order to provide more dynamic for this activity. The first evaporation ponds are also used for artisanal fisheries, ensuring the livelihood of many families. All the brine rich in secondary salts (bittern) can be widely used by the chemical industry, while the Brazil shows an incipient production of "flower of salt", a salt with distinct characteristics with higher market value than sodium chloride. On the other hand, the saltponds have a high potential for management and obtaining of large populations of Artemia spp., purifying the brine through the action as biological filter. This microcrustacean occurs naturally in intermediate salinity ponds, being commonly used in aquaculture. Species of microalgae and halobacteria found in the saltworks are employed for extraction of beta-carotene and glycerol, used in an extensive list of products with high commercial value. These ecosystems represent refuge zones for many species of migratory birds, becoming imperative to promote the conservation of these hypersaline wetlands.
As Áreas Úmidas (AUs) costeiras são caracterizadas como ambientes de transição entre os meios aquáticos e terrestres periodicamente alagáveis. Todavia, poucos estudos buscam caracterizar os macrohabitats destes importantes ecossistemas no litoral semiárido do Brasil. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo realizar uma classificação das AUs e seus macrohabitats localizadas na planície flúvio-marinha do Rio Apodi-Mossoró, no litoral semiárido do Rio Grande do Norte. A metodologia adotada para classificar as AUs tem como base a classificação nacional de áreas úmidas, apresentando os sistemas, os subsistemas, as subclasses e os macrohabitats identificados. Também foram analisados os pulsos de inundações que atingem os ecossistemas, de acordo com os seguintes parâmetros: previsibilidade (previsível ou imprevisível), frequência (monomodal, polimodal ou multianual) e amplitude dos pulsos (baixa, alta ou variável). Os resultados foram produzidos com auxílio de imagens do satélite CBERS-4 (20/08/2019), além de dados coletados in situ e de bases secundárias, manipulados em ambiente de Sistema de Informações Geográficas. Foram mapeados 07 modelados geomorfológicos de acumulação na área de estudo (planícies flúvio-marinha, fluvial, flúvio-lagunar, flúvio-lacustre, lacustre, terraço fluvial e dunas eólicas). Nestes modelados, foram identificadas 8 tipologias de áreas úmidas: (1) macrohabitats naturais - estuário, lagoas, laguna, manguezais e campos salinos; (2) macrohabitats antropogênicos - salinas solares mecanizadas, salinas solares artesanais e carcinicultura. Portanto, conclui-se que esta proposta de classificação se torna uma ferramenta de fundamental importância para o ordenamento territorial costeiro no âmbito ecológico e econômico, aliado com a conservação dos ecossistemas locais na área de estudo e em outros ambientes semelhantes.Palavras-chave: áreas úmidas costeiras, planície hipersalina, SIG, produção de sal marinho. Classification of wetlands and their macrohabitats in the marine floodplain of the Apodi-Mossoró river/RN (semi-arid coast of Brazil) A B S T R A C TCoastal Wetlands (CWs) are characterized as transition environments between periodically flooded aquatic and terrestrial environments. However, few studies seek to characterize the macrohabitats of these important ecosystems on the semiarid coast of Brazil. This research aimed to carry out a classification of CWs and their macrohabitats located on the Apodi-Mossoró River Fluvian-Plain, located on the northern semiarid coast of Rio Grande do Norte. The methodology adopted to classify the CWs was based on the national classification of wetlands, taking into account the systems, subsystems, subclasses and macrohabitats identified. Flood pulses that affect ecosystems were also analyzed, according to the following parameters: predictability (predictable or unpredictable), frequency (monomodal, polymodal or multi-year) and pulse amplitude (low, high or variable). The results were produced with the help of CBERS-4 satellite images (20/08/2019), in addition to data collected in situ and data from secondary databases, manipulated in a Geographic Information System environment. The 07 geomorphological models of accumulation in the study area were mapped (fluvial-marine, fluvial, fluvial-lagoon, fluvial-lacustrine, lacustrine, fluvial terrace and wind dunes. In these models, 8 types of wetlands were identified: (1) macrohabitats natural - estuary, lagoons, lagoon, mangroves and saline fields; (2) anthropogenic macrohabitats - mechanized solar salt pans, artisanal solar salt pans and shrimp farming. It can be concluded that this classification proposal becomes a tool of fundamental importance for coastal territorial planning in the ecological and economic scope, combined with the conservation of local ecosystems in the study area and other similar environments.Keywords: coastal wetlands, hypersaline floodplain, GIS, marine salt production
AimIn this research, we aimed to model limnological parameters in the Salina Unidos (Macau-Brazil) using GIS technology. We hypothesized that in solar saltworks, the geochemical characteristics of the brines (i.e. the strong solution of salts) vary considerably through the salt ponds circuit, in which drastic changes can damage the entire salt production.MethodsGeochemical parameters were monitored in seven sampling points distributed along the salt ponds circuit, during a complete cycle of salt production, i.e., from January to December 2007. The open source software Spring 5.1.6 was used to build, store, analyze and model the spatial distribution of the parameters.ResultsWe identified a spatial gradient of the salinity and temperature, with values increasing from evaporation ponds to concentration ponds, showing a relationship with the salt production. The parameters, depth, dissolved oxygen concentrations and total dissolved reactive phosphorus showed a decrease from the evaporation ponds towards the concentration ponds. Among the dissolved inorganic nitrogen forms analyzed (NH3-, NO2- and NO3-), nitrate was the predominant, namely in the concentration ponds, where it reached the highest concentrations. The concentration of chlorophyll awas higher in the initial and intermediate evaporation ponds, showing a distinct dynamics of in relation to other environmental variables.ConclusionsThe increased concentration of the analyzed limnological parameters, from the evaporation ponds towards the concentration ponds, evidenced a heterogeneous distribution varying significantly with season. The geochemical spatialization of brine, as illustrated by GIS approach, is very important for the conservation of these environments because this spatial heterogeneity can provide a high diversity of habitat types. This spatial analysis proved to be a practical tool for an adequate management of solar saltworks considering the environmental (ecosystem) and the socio-economic aspects.
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