FROM THE FLOOD PULSE CONCEPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE, AN ANALYSIS OF THE RESEARCH ON LIMNOLOGY IN THE BRAZILIAN PANTANAL WETLAND

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the gaps, trends and advances in the uses of the concepts of flood pulse and climate change through the analysis of scientometrics in Limnology in the Pantanal, between the years 1990 to 2021. The most studied ecological groups and rivers were: aquatic macrophytes and phytoplankton, and Cuiabá and Paraguai, respectively, with the highest number of article publications between 2016-2020. The temporal dynamics of social networks showed the presence of new local institutions, from other Brazilian and international states in the last 20 years. Studies on climate change are still incipient, while those related to the flood pulse are more frequent in the Pantanal. Trends and advances were found in the ecosystem approach of the flood pulse, related to the height of the water level. Few studies address the flood pulse in terms of duration and frequency. The flood pulse is shown as a consolidated concept, emerging as a highly sensitive tool in the face of short, medium and long-term environmental changes, such as climate change, making it possible to identify and deal with socio-environmental challenges and point out participatory governance mechanisms.