Assessment of the Conservation Status of Springs

Springs sustain multiple ecosystem services, highlighting the need to assess and ensure their conservation status. This study aimed to develop a tool for the integrated assessment of springs in two watersheds in southeastern Brazil characterized by contrasting environmental and geographic conditions. The tool, named PANÁgua, determines conservation status through environmental monitoring, literature review, and spatial analysis. The results demonstrated the tool’s applicability and versatility, producing outcomes consistent with the specific characteristics of each ecosystem. Springs in the Mineirinho stream were classified as having poor conservation status due to significant environmental degradation, whereas springs in the Ribeirão do Tamanduá watershed were considered partially conserved, despite existing conflicts related to inadequate land use practices and water pollution. The assessment indicated that PANÁgua is a functional tool for diagnosing factors that influence the ecological, structural, and environmental dynamics of springs

Conservation status · Ecosystem · Environmental impact assessment · Water conservation · Watershed · Watershed Management · Environmental and biological studies · Geography and Environmental Studies · Geotourism and Geoheritage Conservation