The effect of agricultural intensification and water-locking on the world's largest coastal lagoonal system

Bueno, Carolina; Alves, Felipe Lopes; Pinheiro, Lara M.; Pérez, Laura; Agostini, Vanessa Ochi; Fernandes, Elisa Helena Leão; Möller, Osmar Olinto; Weschenfelder, Jair; Pinho, Grasiela Lopes Leães; Wallner-Kersanach, Mônica; Moura, Renata Rodrigues de; Durán, Jimena; Etchevers, Ismael; Costa, Luíza Dy Fonseca; Werlang, Chariane Camila; Bortolin, Eduardo Calixto; Machado, Eunice da Costa; Figueira, Rubens César Lopes; Ferreira, Paulo Martins; Andrade, Carlos F.; Fornaro, L.; García-Rodríguez, Felipe

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149664

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 45 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay are major producers of agricultural commodities that increased substantially in the last years to supply the demand of the world market (Bueno et al, 2021; Schlindwein et al, 2021). As a result, the expansions of monocultures such as soybean or eucalyptus were performed in absence of adequate conservation strategies and environmental impact assessments (Bueno et al, 2021; Modernel et al, 2016; Viglizzo & Frank, 2006). Along with this escalation in world demand for crops, warming, increased precipitation and increased river flow are expected (Díaz et al, 2013; Vera et al, 2006) with synergistic effects modulating water quality, pollution and biodiversity loss (Wilkinson et al, 2022; Zabel et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Land use changes are affected mainly by economical drivers (Bueno et al, 2021; Modernel et al, 2016; Schlindwein et al, 2021). Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay are major producers of agricultural commodities that increased substantially in the last years to supply the demand of the world market (Bueno et al, 2021; Schlindwein et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Large proportions of land are dedicated to agricultural production with annual crops, such as soybean, maize, wheat and rice (Giller et al, 2021). These large‐scale cash crop areas have transformed land use dynamics with important implications for food security, biodiversity conservation and revenues (Bueno et al, 2021; Graesser et al, 2018; Tucci, 2001; Tucci & Clarke, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cultural eutrophication originated through multiple human activities including agriculture, cattle raising and poorly treated sewage water from human settlements (Fang et al, 2022), which were traced back by paleolimnological studies (Bueno et al, 2021). Among the multiple human‐related driving forces, agriculture is a prominent and persistent cause of diffuse nutrient loads and the world's largest source of both phosphorus and nitrogen pollution to water bodies (Bennett et al, 2001; Chakraborty et al, 2017; MacDonald et al, 2011; Withers et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Rise of toxic cyanobacterial blooms is promoted by agricultural intensification in the basin of a large subtropical river of South America

Kruk

Segura²,

Piñeiro

et al. 2023

Global Change Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are globally increasing with negative effects on aquatic ecosystems, water use and human health. Blooms' main driving forces are eutrophication, dam construction, urban waste, replacement of natural vegetation with croplands and climate change and variability. The relative effects of each driver have not still been properly addressed, particularly in large river basins. Here, we performed a historical analysis of cyanobacterial abundance in a large and important ecosystem of South America (Uruguay river, ca 1900 km long, 365,000 km2 basin). We evaluated the interannual relationships between cyanobacterial abundance and land use change, river flow, urban sewage, temperature and precipitation from 1963 to the present. Our results indicated an exponential increase in cyanobacterial abundance during the last two decades, congruent with an increase in phosphorus concentration. A sharp shift in the cyanobacterial abundance rate of increase after the year 2000 was identified, resulting in abundance levels above public health alert since 2010. Path analyses showed a strong positive correlation between cyanobacteria and cropland area at the entire catchment level, while precipitation, temperature and water flow effects were negligible. Present results help to identify high nutrient input agricultural practices and nutrient enrichment as the main factors driving toxic bloom formation. These practices are already exerting severe effects on both aquatic ecosystems and human health and projections suggest these trends will be intensified in the future. To avoid further water degradation and health risk for future generations, a large‐scale (transboundary) change in agricultural management towards agroecological practices will be required.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Rise of toxic cyanobacterial blooms is promoted by agricultural intensification in the basin of a large subtropical river of South America

Kruk

Segura²,

Piñeiro

et al. 2023

Global Change Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Each study area presents a peculiar response to ENSO, relying on the drainage basin characteristic, anthropogenic structural changes, agricultural land use, deforestation, mining, and urban expansion (Hestir et al, 2013;Dogliotti et al, 2016;Bueno et al, 2021). The environmental changes associated with the ENSO phenomenon have been studied in coastal systems from seasonal to decadal time scales (Hestir et al, 2013;Gray et al, 2015;Dogliotti et al, 2016;Bitencourt et al, 2020;Távora et al, 2020b;Karl et al, 2021).…”

Section: Seasonal To Interdecadal Response Of Suspended Particulate M...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-Term Variability on Suspended Particulate Matter Loads From the Tributaries of the World’s Largest Choked Lagoon

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Continental freshwater contributions are the main long-term control on the variability of suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations in choked lagoons. The current work aims to assess the seasonal to interdecadal variability in SPM concentrations from Patos Lagoon tributaries, as a case study towards the understanding of tributaries contributions to coastal lagoons. Thus, an interdecadal dataset (1984–2020) was collected in the region of the tributaries of Patos Lagoon (southern Brazil), integrating Landsat series (653 scenes) and in situ measurements. SPM concentrations were estimated from the scenes using a semi-analytical multiwavelength algorithm, applied in the regions of the lower course of the tributaries. Results identified SPM concentrations variability in seasonal scales, enhanced by El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in interannual time scales, also influencing in interdecadal trends. The seasonal SPM concentration variability reached 50 g.m–3 to each tributary. Higher SPM concentration values occurred from winter to spring, enhanced during El Niño periods and frequently reaching annual means higher than 100 g.m–3. Periods from summer to autumn, however, presented lower SPM concentrations, especially during La Niña periods, when the mean annual SPM concentration remained mostly below 50 g.m–3. Seasonal and interannual (ENSO) forcings combined developed configurations of high input periods (HIP) and low input periods (LIP). During the LIP, the river plumes are limited to their tributary zone of influence and the whole lagoon has reduced SPM concentrations. During the HIP, the river plumes spread over the lagoon sub-environments, and the SPM concentrations of all tributaries reach the estuarine zone and the ocean. Thus, the mentioned natural phenomena influence the river plumes spreading, the SPM concentrations in the lagoon, and the export to the Atlantic Ocean in time scales varying from seasonal to interdecadal.

show abstract

Creating a Collaborative Management Framework for the Conservation of an Indigenous Mounds’ Landscape in the Wetlands of India Muerta (Uruguay): State of the Art and Future Perspectives

Gianotti,

del Puerto,

Courtoisie

et al. 2023

Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effect of agricultural intensification and water-locking on the world's largest coastal lagoonal system

Cited by 15 publications

References 45 publications

Rise of toxic cyanobacterial blooms is promoted by agricultural intensification in the basin of a large subtropical river of South America

Rise of toxic cyanobacterial blooms is promoted by agricultural intensification in the basin of a large subtropical river of South America

Long-Term Variability on Suspended Particulate Matter Loads From the Tributaries of the World’s Largest Choked Lagoon

Creating a Collaborative Management Framework for the Conservation of an Indigenous Mounds’ Landscape in the Wetlands of India Muerta (Uruguay): State of the Art and Future Perspectives

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About