Geobiodiversidade e utilização do Riacho São Vicente no povoado Nova Cajaíba, zona rural leste de Teresina/PI - 1994 - 2024

Abstract

Streams are watercourses smaller than rivers, but they are important for the dynamics of the environment, contributing to the hydrological cycle, supplying groundwater, rivers and lakes, and favoring the maintenance of related biota. They are also essential to society as a source of water, presenting diverse uses. This study analyzed the natural characteristics (geobiodiversity) and the change in the use of the São Vicente Stream by the population of the Nova Cajaíba Village, Eastern Rural Zone of Teresina, Piauí, over thirty years (1994-2024), theme that is important because it reveals how the natural environment and social use of the stream have transformed over the last 30 years. The following question then guided the research: what are the characteristics of the geobiodiversity of the São Vicente Stream, and how was it used by the residents of the Nova Cajaíba village in the eastern rural area of Teresina-PI? The research was applied, descriptive, and exploratory, using bibliographic and documentary research. combining quantitative methods and a qualitative approach, with field verification through observations. Using the Rapid River Assessment Protocol (PAR), photographic record, interviews and questionnaires with long-time residents to investigate the relationship between geobiodiversity (integration between abiotic and biological diversity) and to the use of the stream in focus in the said village. The results indicate that, although the stream was vital for subsistence (fishing, recreation, domestic use) in the past, its use decreased drastically with the arrival of infrastructure such as the tubular well, which provided piped water, and due to the installation of fences by new owners. In addition to the change in habits, those interviewed noted environmental changes in the stream, such as deforestation of the riparian forest, siltation, and a decrease in the volume of water during floods. Residents also reported a lack of oversight or conservation efforts by public authorities in the area. In conclusion, the need for educational actions and environmental monitoring in the village is highlighted, to conserve the São Vicente Stream, guaranteeing its ecological and social importance for future generations.