Modelling environmental vulnerability of the Biosphere Reserve Parque Atlántico Mar Chiquito, Argentina, under agricultural and urban impacts

Abstract

The World Biosphere Reserve Parque Atlántico Mar Chiquito is the only micromareal lagoon in Argentina and the southernmost in South America. The objective of this study is to model the environmental vulnerability of the hydrological basin under different land use changes. The model can provide information to prevent flood events, pollution and other hazards, as well as constituting a contribution to integrated land planning and management. We estimated the Runoff Curve Number for each hydrologic soil-cover complex under seven land-use scenarios, considering agronomic activities and urban growth. The results showed that the waterlogging vulnerability increased under the selected scenarios, strongly associated with the soil types present in the district but also due to the land uses and their impacts in well-structured, well-drained soils.