INFLUENCE OF RAINFALL AND LAND COVER IN LIMNOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESERVOIR OF THE ERNESTINA (RS) HYDROELECTRIC PLANT

The anthropic action on the land use has characterized environmental modification processes, especially on water. Following this assumption, the objective of this study was to analyze the influence of rainfall and land cover in limnological characteristics of the reservoir of the Ernestina Hydroelectric Plant. The classification of the land use was performed by the image of the LISS-III sensor. The classes used were forest coverage, exposed soil, agriculture, urban area, and water. Together, data of rainfall and land use, it was observed their influence on limnological variables: Chlorophyll a and transparency of the reservoir's water. The Chlorophyll a shows higher values in September, a period in which there were higher rates of rainfall and greater exposed soil area. The water transparency presented the lowest values in this period. In general, the aquatic system of the Ernestina reservoir recorded the climate effect boosted by anthropic action mainly in the soil preparation period for planting of summer crops.