FOREST COVERAGE AND STREAMFLOW OF WATERSHEDS IN THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC RAINFOREST

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study analyzed the average and minimum streamflow behavior of 11 watersheds located in the Atlantic Forest Biome, relating them to the changes in forest cover. The average minimum flow with seven days of duration (Q7), the average annual flow (Qave), the total annual precipitation (Pa) and the percentage of forest cover (FC) for each watershed were determined. The joint correlation between the FC and the Pa with the flow for each watershed were analyzed by adjusting multiple linear regression equations. The partial correlation coefficient was also used to analyze whether the variation in the FC influenced the water flow when the effects of Pa are fixed. This study allowed us to identify significant associations between FC and Pa with Q7 or Qave in only two of the watersheds. Disregarding the effects of Pa, the increase in the FC tended to result in a reduction in the Qave, and in turn increased the Q7 in these two watersheds.