FMI 5000: Um projecto sobre mudanças ambientais holocénicas

FMI 5000. A project on the environmental changes during the holocene.This paper presents the aims, the proposed methodology and the cases to be studied within the FMI 5000 – Environmental Changes: Fluvio‑marine interactions over the last 5000 years (Project FCT nº: PTDC/CTE‑GIX/104035/2008). The estuarine environments are sensitive areas in the climate change and sea level rise framework, as they are in the interface between fluvial and marine dynamics. They are also strategic areas because of their great biodiversity and the various economic activities they support. These environments record the sea level changes as well as the changes in their drainage basin, whether they are natural or man induced. The goal of the project is to evaluate the balance between marine and fluvial influences, the answers to climatic events and the land use changes impacts, in a 5000 years’ time window. The estuaries of Rio Neiva, of Rio Alcabrichel and of Ribeira de Bensafrim were chosen to develop this research; the first two are located on the western coast and the third one in the Algarve southern coast.