Doutor nascente: aplicativo para monitoramento e avaliação da conservação ambiental de nascentes

Abstract

Over time, humans have modified the environment in various ways, including negative ones. These modifications are called environmental impacts. Environmental impacts affect various ecosystems, including aquatic ones, especially freshwater ecosystems, such as rivers. Equally important for nature as rivers are their springs, as they ensure the quality and volume of river waters. However, springs need more attention due to their fragility against environmental impacts. Thus, aiming to monitor and analyze the environmental quality of these water resources, the Environmental Impact Index Evaluation in Springs (AIIN) methodology was developed by Gomes, Melo e Vale (2005). This methodology consists of evaluating predefined and observable parameters with the naked eye, such as water color, presence of garbage around, among others. However, this methodology is usually used with the "paper and pencil" method, causing discomfort and incomplete information. In this way, the use of smartphones in the process would be of utmost importance, as the device has several features that could enrich the analysis, such as geolocation and camera, contributing to more efficient analysis and more complete and reliable data. Thus, this study aimed to develop Doutor Nascente, a field application based on the AIIN methodology to assist environmental professionals in carrying out their monitoring and evaluation activities of environmental conservation of springs.