Environmental sustentability in remnant urban forestry: a case study in the Forest Quilombo - Barão Geraldo (Campinas/SP)

• Grant number: 11/06595-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2011
• End date: July 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Nature Conservation
• Principal Investigator: Regina Márcia Longo
• Grantee: Regina Márcia Longo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Ambiental. Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (PUC-CAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Deforestation, soil degradation and isolation of remaining forest are major threats to the concrete structure, functions and stability of the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes of global significance in the present state of São Paulo. Moreover, land degradation contributes to the worsening poverty in the midst rural. São Paulo is home to two of the four major biomes that exist in Brazil: Atlantic Forest, which originally covered 81% of the state area, and the Cerrado, which originally was covering about 14% of the State area. The intense process of deforestation and land degradation observed historically, and still involves pressure on the remnants of original ecosystems, has led to an accelerated loss of biodiversity. In Brazil as a whole, currently less than 8% of the domain area of Atlantic forest preserves its original biotic characteristics. The grassland areas are under heavy pressure from deforestation, and in São Paulo nearly all are subject to some degree of disturbance. Thus, studies in forest remnants in urban areas, especially in a highly populated region of Campinas as it is of vital importance on several aspects: soil conservation, biodiversity conservation, wildlife preservation, watershed preservation and improvement in quality of lives of residents in the surrounding community is presented as positive values among others. In this context the present research work aims to evaluate the changes occurring in physical, chemical and biological soil properties resulting from the substitution of natural vegetation by grazing and cane sugar in the Quilombo Mata - Barão Geraldo (Campinas) This work will serve as input for quantifying the impacts of anthropogenic activities presented in this remnant forest and later scheduled for reclamation. (AU)