RIPARIAN FOREST ENVIRONMENTAL DIAGNOSIS: AN INTEGRATED ANALYSIS OF BOTANICAL AND METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS AS WELL AS ATMOSPHERIC AIR GENOTOXICITY

Abstract

The environmental assessment of three riparian forest fragments in the upper (CA), medium (TA) and lower (CB) sections of the Sinos River, in the southern part of Brazil was carried out by applying an integrated analysis of botanic al and meteorological parameters as well as the atmospheric air genotoxicity. The analysis showed that the riparian forest at CA site had a greater number of trees that were taller, occupying a more basal area, supporting a higher epiphytic richness. Moreover, the air genotoxicity and the amount of rainfall were higher than at TA and CB sites. Considering that the organism responses are influenced by environmental conditions, the indicators analyzed supported the idea that the riparian forest at CA site is still a reference area, especially evidenced by the high richness of vascular epiphytes, including species susceptible to humandisturbance and by the absence of genotoxic risk.