Environmental indicators in forest fragments from urban watersheds

Abstract

Accelerated urbanization in Brazil promoted the rapid growth of cities and, in most cases, was not based on adequate land use planning. The result was the intense fragmentation of the landscape, causing the destruction and fragmentation of forest habitats, which were restricted to small and isolated remnants. In this sense, the present study promoted an analysis of the environmental quality of vegetation fragments in the sub-basins of Ribeiraõ Anhumas, Campinas, Saõ Paulo, Brazil by calculating and interpreting the circularity index (CI), in order to define the format of the fragments, connectivity/isolation and the use and occupation of the environment as well as area and location, in order to promote the diagnosis and identification of priority areas for the implementation of restoration and environmental management actions. It was identified, therefore, that the remaining vegetation of the upper, middle and lower sub-basins is divided between small and medium unconnected fragments of which 56.2% and 24.2% presented an elongated and moderately elongated shape, respectively, and, therefore, high susceptibility to external interference and edge effects. On the other hand, high urbanization evidenced mainly in the high-level limits forest management projects, since the fragments are surrounded by built areas.