THE MANGROVE SWAMP OF ITACORUBI, FLORIANOPOLIS, BRAZIL: A REVIEW OF THE AVAILABLE ECOLOGICAL DATA FOR DIRECTING NEW STUDIES

Abstract

The mangrove of Itacorubi is so close to the city centre of Florianopolis, Brazil, that it is directly exploited by the expanding city, for example as repository of wastes and debris. Since the late 1960s the mangrove was the object of studies trying to characterize the local ecosystem, plant and animal biota, physicochemical and biological processes, and management strategies to minimize human impact. The present paper presents a bibliographic survey of the available ecological data on the mangrove swamp of Itacorubi, while appointing areas in need of further investigation. Although the local biota was relatively well studied, some representative living groups were overlooked, and the employed methods are often outdated. Local abiotic parameters were relatively well documented, but most available data is outdated and not reflecting later alterations deriving of urban expansion (eg. construction of a nearby shopping mall). Monitoring physical, chemical and biological parameters in the Itacorubi mangrove is paramount for building robust panorama of the local ecological conditions as to properly evaluate proposals for the conservation, management and ecological education at the mangrove and its hydrographic bay.