Trilhas em área florestal protegida: impactos na biodiversidade e integração ao plano de manejo

Abstract

Protected areas comprise natural spaces that allow the maintenance of natural resources, the conservation of ecosystems and also the development of environmental education and interpretation activities, recreation in contact with nature and ecotourism. The latter include trails that, despite having negative impacts on ecosystems, guarantee the visitors' experience in nature and generate positive impacts on people, with an impact on health, attitudes and behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze recreational activities on trails to guide the planning, management and implementation of visitation in Conservation Units. This study aims to answer the following questions: what are the negative impacts on biodiversity resulting from the existence of trails in a protected area of Atlantic Forest? What is the compatibility of the existing trails with the zoning and uses determined in the Management Plan for the area? The study was developed in the Dois Irmãos State Park (PEDI), located in the city of Recife, PE. In order to answer the first and second questions, georeferenced information was obtained from the trails, their widths and lost biomass, and from the zoning established in the current PEDI Management Plan, and the trails were classified with the help of the Park management. The results for the two questions are presented in the first and second chapters, respectively. In addition to the mapping and characterization of the trails, the map of the hidden trails was obtained using LiDAR technology. 28,547.04 m of trails were mapped, with a density of 24.65 m per hectare of the park. The successional stages, slope and distance from the edge negatively and significantly influence the width of the trails. Most of the possible trails are concentrated in the Land Regularization Sector. Although compatible with the Management Plan, in general, there are many informal trails driving the loss of biomass in the UC and not compatible with the management instrument. There is a trail with the potential to include People with Disabilities (PwD) or people with reduced mobility. The results obtained regarding the impact of the width and biomass lost in UCs and the incompatibility of some trails with the zoning, in addition to the uses by the population, contribute to ecological science and scientific development. In addition, they contribute to the management of protected areas and conservation of forest ecosystems. They also make it possible to increase environmental awareness regarding the importance of conservation of UCs in view of the benefits they promote for biodiversity and the visiting public.