Spatial and temporal dynamics of native vegetation cover in buffer zones of conservation units of the State of São Paulo

• Grant number: 20/04603-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2020
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Guilherme Molin
• Grantee: Alexandre Bomfim Gurgel do Carmo
• Home Institution: Centro de Ciências da Natureza (CCN). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Campus de Lagoa do Sino. Buri , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/18416-2 - Understanding restored forests for benefiting people and nature - NewFor, AP.TEM

Abstract

The continuity and perpetuity of several species in the world suffer anthropic threats in their natural environment. An example of this influence is the replacement of native vegetation with pastures, agriculture and urban areas. The landscape dynamics, resulting from anthropic processes, guided the creation of the first conservation unit (UC). The planning and structuring of buffer zones is an important strategy to achieve the conservation objectives of UCs, and also to mitigate isolation problems. A buffer zone is said to be a place, around the UC, where the use and occupation of land may suffer specific influences and restrictions for protection and increase conservation. That said, it is speculated that once the buffer zones of certain UCs have been defined, there will be an increase in forest cover over time. In view of the large number of UCs in the state of São Paulo, their geographic dispersion and the absence of indexes for a possible quantitative and qualitative ranking of the conservation status of the buffer zones, there is a need for research that allows this assessment. The present work aims to evaluate, in a temporal way, how the PAs buffer zones are evolving in relation to their native vegetation coverage, applying landscape metrics. We will generate a ranking of UCs, according to their degree of evolution. To this end, we will create a transition matrix for the coverage of native vegetation from 1988 to 2018, in 10-year windows, of all the buffer zones of UCs in the state of São Paulo; We will rank the UCs according to their current state of conservation of the buffer zones; and we will rank the UCs, year by year, and according to the proposed metrics. The results generated can be used to promote public policies and action strategies to optimize resources for conservation and restoration programs, in addition to serving as information for future works that will seek to understand the spatial difference of different regions of the state of SP. (AU)