Mapping of ecosystem services provided by the Paraíba do Sul river alluvial plains APA

Abstract

Ecosystem services (ES) are all the benefits provided by ecosystems essential to subsistence, human well-being, and economic development, and, consequently, their recognition is fundamental for sustainable territorial planning. To identify the priority ES provided by the APA of the Alluvial Plains of the Paraíba do Sul and Jaguari Rivers, a region fully integrated into the urban fabric of São José dos Campos (SP), a collaborative study was developed to obtain the environmental perception of location key-actors - public agents, researchers, and APA residents. The analysis was developed from interpreting maps of use and occupation of the territory and adaptation of the Rapid Participatory Diagnosis (RPD) methodology recommended in the TEEB Regional/ Local context. The results reiterated the importance of the region, already legally protected, to ensure the local environmental quality and identified the priority ES: freshwater, photosynthesis, nutrient cycle, local microclimate, and regulation of water flows