Environmental fragility evaluation and guidelines for environmental zoning: a study case on Ibiuna (the Southeastern Brazilian region)

Environmental fragility models are important decision tools for policy makers as they help quantify environmental sensitivity and understand the relationship between human activities and environmental quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate three different environmental fragility models within the Brazilian rainforest region and to use the results to develop environmental zone classes. Two rural river basins located in Ibiuna, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, were studied. Input variables, including slope class, relief dissection rate, soil class, lithology, land cover, and climate data, were used to compute environmental fragility classes using three standard models. The model outputs were evaluated on their ability to accurately predict the most sensitive and least sensitive areas. The best models for each region were used to derive environmental zoning maps, including restoration priorities, best regions for agriculture, and areas with high needs for soil management. These maps will help support land use strategies for environmental restoration. This study provides insight into territorial ordering and management of environmental services with a regional perspective.

Large-scale ecological restoration of high-diversity tropical forests in SE Brazil

The complex interactions among endangered ecosystems, landowners` interests, and different models of land tenure and use, constitute an important series of challenges for those seeking to maintain and restore biodiversity and augment the flow of ecosystem services. Over the past 10 years, we have developed a data-based approach to address these challenges and to achieve medium and large-scale ecological restoration of riparian areas on private lands in the state of Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil. Given varying motivations for ecological restoration, the location of riparian areas within landholdings, environmental zoning of different riparian areas, and best-practice restoration methods were developed for each situation. A total of 32 ongoing projects, covering 527,982 ha, were evaluated in large sugarcane farms and small mixed farms, and six different restoration techniques have been developed to help upscale the effort. Small mixed farms had higher portions of land requiring protection as riparian areas (13.3%), and lower forest cover of riparian areas (18.3%), than large sugarcane farms (10.0% and 36.9%, respectively for riparian areas and forest cover values). In both types of farms, forest fragments required some degree of restoration. Historical anthropogenic degradation has compromised forest ecosystem structure and functioning, despite their high-diversity of native tree and shrub species. Notably, land use patterns in riparian areas differed markedly. Large sugarcane farms had higher portions of riparian areas occupied by highly mechanized agriculture, abandoned fields, and anthropogenic wet fields created by siltation in water courses. In contrast, in small mixed crop farms, low or non-mechanized agriculture and pasturelands were predominant. Despite these differences, plantations of native tree species covering the entire area was by far the main restoration method needed both by large sugarcane farms (76.0%) and small mixed farms (92.4%), in view of the low resilience of target sites, reduced forest cover, and high fragmentation, all of which limit the potential for autogenic restoration. We propose that plantations should be carried out with a high-diversity of native species in order to create biologically viable restored forests, and to assist long-term biodiversity persistence at the landscape scale. Finally, we propose strategies to integrate the political, socio-economic and methodological aspects needed to upscale restoration efforts in tropical forest regions throughout Latin America and elsewhere. (C) 2010 Elsevier BA/. All rights reserved.

Proposta de zoneamento ambiental visando a proteção dos recursos hídricos de uma bacia hidrográfica

One of the most important natural resources for sustaining human life, water, has been losing the basic requirements of quality and quantity sufficient enough to attend the population due to water contamination'problems, often caused by human beings themselves. Because of this, the sources of this resource are often located in remote places of the natural environment to ensure the quality of the water. However, when urban expansion began to occupy these areas, which were once regarded as distant, environmental pollution problems began to occur due to occupation of the land without planning. Based on this occurrence, this study aims to propose environmental zoning for the Maxaranguape river watershed in order to protect its water resources. This is important because this river can serve as a source of supply for the metropolitan area of Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte. In accordance to this proposition, the model of natural soil loss vulnerability (CREPANI et al., 2001), the model of aquifer pollution vulnerability (FOSTER et al., 2006), and the legal incompatibility map (CREPANI et al., 2001) were used to delimit the zones. All this was done with Geographic Information System (GIS) and also created a geographic database update of the basin. The results of the first model mentioned indicated that 63.67% of the basin was classified as moderately stable / vulnerable, 35.66% as moderately vulnerable, and 0.67% as vulnerable. The areas with high vulnerability degree correspond with sand dunes and river channels areas. The second model indicated that 2.84% of the basin has low vulnerability, 70.27%) has median vulnerability, and 26.76% and 0.13% has high vulnerability and extreme vulnerability, respectively. The areas with the highest vulnerability values also refer to part of the sand dunes and river channels besides other areas such as Pureza urban area. The legal incompatibility map indicated that the basin has 85.02 km2 of Permanent Protection Area (PPA) and 14.62% of this area has some incongruity of use. Based on these results it was possible to draw three main zones: Protection and Sustainable Use Zone (PSUZ), Protection and Environmental Restoration Zone (PERZ) and Environmental Control Zone, which are divided into A, B and C. The PSUZ refer to the coastal areas of the basin, where the sand dunes are located. These sites should be areas of environmental protection and of sustainable urban expansion. The ZPRA refer to river channels, which are in high need of rehabilitation. The third zone corresponds to the rest of the basin which should have, in general, the mapping of possible sources of contamination for further control on the use and occupation of the river

Zoneamento geoambiental como subsídio ao planejamento territorial municipal: estudo de caso para Currais Novos/RN

This paper presents the master plan and geoenvironmental zoning natures as instruments of environmental planning and management. The discussion of territory environmental planning is guided by two directions: at first the environmental elements involved in planning and the another is the implementation of these instruments at the municipal territory. To analyze the planning directed of the municipal territory we consider the fragments of its, represented by country and urban. The master plan inside of the Estatuto da Cidade (City Statute) and the geoenvironmental zoning are directed to territorial environmental planning. Regarding of the master plan the first challenge has been the spacial area that the plan can cover. It is necessary to prepare master plans that could include all the territory. The environmental zoning are directed for the territory totality.In this sense, the geoenvironmental zoning of the Currais Novos was done in the totality of the municipal territory and guided by the environmental physics variables. The geoenvironmental zoning sets in a planning and ordering of the territory instrument based in the landscape analysis. Therefore grounded in the Geosystems‟s Theory this work has like a main objective to propose a geoenvironmental zoning for the Currais Novos Municipality in RN. So, was used an analysis technique suggested for Bardin (2010) and the Currais Novos‟s physical environment characterization through of the fieldwork and cartographic data vectorization, beyond the image‟s treatment SRTM. The geoenvironmental systems definitions were based in the suggestion of Cestaro, et al. (2007) support in Bertrand (1968). For both were identified five geoenvironmental systems: Borborema Plateau, Residual plateau, Chapada da Serra de Santana, semiarid river valley and lagoon valley and eleven geoenvironmental subsystems: Borborema Plateau Western Slope, Isolated Massif of the Borborema Plateau, Residual Crest, Residual Massif, Erosional Scarp of the Chapada, flat top plateau, fluvial plains, temporary river of the semiarid and ornamental water or sluice

Proposta de zoneamento geoambiental do município do Crato/CE

The geo-environmental zoning is an important means to plan the management of the territory, once it is the result of integration of different elements of the physical environment. The Municipality of Crato has a diversity of geo-environmental systems due to its complex landscape, which characterization and delimitation will contribute to the most appropriate occupation and the fewer prejudicial to municipal area. This study, which was supported by geo-systemic theory, searched to reach the following objectives: to elaborate a proposal of geo-environmental zoning; to characterize identified and demarcated geo-environmental systems, including their potentiality and limitations of land use and human occupation; and to generate a database on digital maps through GIS Geographic Information System. Four geo-environmental systems were identified (Chapada do Araripe: plateau and hillside, Massif and residual crest, Sertão of peripheric southern depression and fluvial Plains) and ten geo-environmental subsystems (Eastern plateau covered by cerradão/cerrado, Western plateau covered by cerrado/carrasco, Northern-west hillside, central residual Massif, Northern Residual Massifs, Sertaneja depression dominated by sedimentary materials, Sertaneja depression dominated by embasement crystalline material; wet fluvial plains and dry fluvial plains). The identified system and subsystem are similar to those proposed by FUNCEME in spite of some changes due to the more detailed mapping

Produção do espaço e transformações urbanas no litoral sul de João Pessoa - PB

This present work has as its objective the analysis of transformations relating to the production processes in the Southern littoral urban space of the city of João Pessoa PB. The research estimated that the urban space is the product, means and condition of the society which produces it. The object-area of this inquiry is constituted of five districts: Altiplano Cabo Branco, Portal do Sol, Ponta do Seixas, Penha and Costa do Sol. The urban expansion which occurs in this area is characterized by the appearance of sufficient contradictory space phenomenona. On the other hand, the launching of real estate products such as the horizontal closed condominiums, directed towards the upper class, and the occurrence of areas of irregular occupation, inhabited by lower socioeconomic class and with a great lack of infrastructure and basic urban services, revealing the social contradictions. Due to this, processes such as auto-segregation and segregation imposed beyond the precarious and delinquent inclusion, has become the determining characteristic of this part of the city in analysis. The study also takes into account the appreciation of the new urban environmental zoning of Altiplano do Cabo Branco and from this moment on, start the discussion about the tendencies of urban expansion in this area, due to the interests and strategies of the real estate sector and the prominent role of the government in the current valorization process of urban soil of the area. The presence of residuals of agricultural businesses indicates a typical picture of the peri-urban areas configuring what we observe today at the Southern littoral of João Pessoa

Zoneamento ambiental do Município de Aquiraz-CE

The Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza (RMF) is composed by thirteen cities, where is call the attention of Aquiraz. The city has a excellent resort area and a big importance in socioculture and historics aspects. It was one of the first village of Ceará, and it was founded in 1699, with was also the capital of the state until 1726. The urban local development has been disorganized in the last decades, the fact is, insert of turismon in its coast, and it is unable with alow capacity of the natural suppots, configuring unsustainable and et environment ambience. Considering as a turistic region, it is preoccupy, been necessart to create a better control of the nature of the region by the users. The environmental zoning in this work it is to plan of adequate form the use of the ground based in the management of the interests and the social and economic necessities in accord with the preservation of the environment and the natural characteristics of the city. The same is one great instrument planning where use to be analized in differents ways: social, ambiental, economical and institucional, and promove alternatives of use and occupation of the land to recreate the city. The methodo used to get the real objective, englobed zonal maps in ambiental unities and others themes (geologic/geomorphologic) since than the images from satelities LANDSAT and SPOT and fotografies under position of maps, secundaries listes gets in publics department, bibliographie, informations by the local populations. This prociduries mede easy to create maps, geologic/geomorphologic, of use and occupation the earth and the environmental zoning to analize the dynamic and the working of each ambiental unity of the city Aquiraz wich is located by map of this job. As a result of this job was confectionated the environmental zoning map of Aquiraz wich was divided in five ambiental unities and restrictions areas of occupation: unit I Littoral Plain (zoning with serious restrictions to the occupation); unit II Sub-Littoral Plain (improper zoning to the occupation); unit III between tray zoning Pré-Littoral and Peripheral Depression (improper zoning to the occupation); unit IV Strativism reserve of the plug (zoning used more under control in its occupation) and unit V Fluvial Plain Localities of the Indians Jenipapo-Kaninde/ locality Quilombolas (zoning used more without official regulation). With proposal in the ambient units above one expects that it has a reduction of the ambient degradation and protection of the local biodiversity of the city of Aquiraz in the State of the Ceará

O uso de geotecnologias no planejamento ambiental: o plano diretor municipal de Tambaú - SP

A Lei Federal 10.257, de 10 de julho de 2001, regulamentou os artigos 182 e 183 da Constituição Federal de 1988 no que trata da política urbana, especialmente da propriedade, sendo obrigatório para municípios com mais de 20.000 habitantes. Até então, os planos diretores municipais vinham sendo feitos levando em conta apenas as respectivas áreas urbanas, A partir desta lei, tais planos tiveram de levar em conta também as áreas rurais, integrando-as no processo do planejamento municipal sustentado. Analisando-se os planos diretores municipais recentes, elaborados a partir dessas novas diretrizes, nota-se que a maioria ainda enfatiza a área urbana, em detrimento da área rural. O objetivo deste trabalho foi, a partir de um estudo de caso, avaliar e validar metodologias e tecnologias rotineiramente empregadas em Geociências e Ciências Agrárias.

Impactos ambientais da mineração no estado de São Paulo

Generally, mining causes significant impact over the environment, since this activity often involves suppression of vegetation, soil exposure and erosion resulting in important changes in the quantity and quality of surface and ground-waters and in air pollution, among other negative effects. The prevention and mitigation of these impacts in the State of Sao Paulo are made through the environmental licensing. Another way of environmental management includes programs like mining and environmental zoning and regional mining director plans. But there is clear dissociation between the actions effectively taken and those recommended in the projects, limiting the recovery of degraded areas to measures that only attenuate the visual impact. this paper presents considerations on the subject and challenges of the industry to adapt to the Federal Constitution and the National Policy on Environment.

Caracterização do uso e ocupação da terra nos anos de 1972 e 2006 sobre as Áreas de Preservação Permanente de Nascentes e corpos d’água na área Urbana do Município de Ourinhos-SP

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Expansão da cultura da cana-de-açúcar confrontada com o zoneamento agroambiental utilizando análise supervisionada de imagem

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Zoneamento geoambiental do município de Praia Grande (SP): uma contribuição aos estudos sobre a Baixada Santista

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Zoneamento ambiental do município de Ubatuba - SP

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Zoneamento geoambiental do município de Mongaguá - Baixada Santista

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Zoneamento ambiental como subsídio para o planejamento de uso e ocupação do solo do município de Corumbataí - SP

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)