Ana MERLO REYES, Intitut des Géosciences de l'Environnement - Université Grenoble Alpes, France
M. Isabel RAMÍREZ RAMÍREZ, Centro de Investigaciones en Geografía Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. UNAM Campus Morelia, Mexico
Rosaura PAEZ BISTRAIN, Centro de Investigaciones en Geografía Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. UNAM Campus Morelia, Mexico
All land uses require large water expenditures leading to the modification of the natural characteristics and quality of the resource. In this study, we analyzed the physicochemical and bacteriological properties of water during the wet and dry seasons in seven micro-basins of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) in Michoacan, Mexico, under different soil use and conservation status, assessing the relationships between land use and water quality parameters using the Spearman’s correlation coefficient (p<0.05). Our results showed: 1) Marked seasonal differences in water quality parameters, mainly in low forest density sites at the micro-basins outlets; 2) sites with extensive surfaces of conserved forest at the micro-basin recharge zones show a positive correlation with dissolved oxygen, and a negative correlation with nutrients and coliform bacteria concentrations, indicating good water quality; and 3) sites located at the micro-basins outlet zones showed low water quality related to high nutrients and fecal coliform bacteria concentrations, which are caused by agricultural intensification, human settlements lacking appropriate water sanitation infrastructure, and poor waste disposal management practices; which has public health implications. These results call for decision-makers, users, and landowners in the MBBR to implement alternative land management practices and multiple uses of management units to preserve the structure and health of the forests in the middle and high basin zones and provide guidelines for the management and final disposal of solid wastes and greywater.
Mots clés : conserved forest|Land use/land cover|Protected Natural Area|Public health
A105549AM