A perda e a fragmentação de habitats constituem uma das principais ameaças a conservação da biodiversidade e aos serviços ambientais prestados. Por intermédio das métricas de Paisagem, as mudanças nos padrões da mancha de remanescentes vegetacionais podem ser mensuradas e monitoradas. A presente pesquisa objetivou realizar o Diagnóstico da Vegetação Remanescente de Mata Atlântica e Ecossistemas Associados em Espaços Urbanos de João Pessoa-Paraíba. Para tal, foram obtidas imagens de satélite RapidEye, adquiridas no GeoCatalógo do Ministério do Meio Ambiente, correspondente ao ano de 2015, dando suporte a elaboração e edição de dados vetoriais. Posteriormente, foi efetuado o cálculo das métricas de paisagem na extensão V-LATE (Vector Based Landscape Analysis Tools Extension), versão gratuita para estudo. Feito isto, foram elaborados mapas temáticos de Borda e o de Índice médio de forma, gerando assim o diagnóstico ambiental da vegetação. A vegetação remanescente de mata atlântica apresenta-se fragmentada em 48 manchas, com área reduzida e uma alta densidade de bordas. O índice médio de forma foi equivalente a 2,698, evidenciando que as manchas apresentaram formatos mais lineares, muitas vezes, não contendo areas-núcleo no interior dos fragmentos. Conclui-se que a vegetação remanescente de mata atlântica em João Pessoa apresentam forma e estrutura que suscitam preocupante grau de fragilidade ambiental, fazendo-se necessária a ampliação das fiscalizações na área, bem a implementação de medidas de recuperação e preservação ambiental.

The distribution of the Vulnerable West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus is influenced by physical and environmental factors such as water salinity, temperature and depth, freshwater supply and the availability of food resources. In Brazil, information on the habitat use of this species is insufficient for effective conservation. Here, we monitored manatees that had been found stranded as calves, rehabilitated in captivity and subsequently released, to identify their home ranges and examine their adaptation to life in the wild. The study, which involved monitoring six manatees using satellite and VHF telemetry systems, was conducted during 2016–2019 in the states of Paraíba, Sergipe and Bahia in north-eastern Brazil. Home range size of individuals was 2.56–42.07 km2 and all fidelity sites (areas used most frequently) were within protected areas. The longest distance travelled from the coastline upriver was 14.24 km and the longest distance offshore was 0.93 km. There were no significant differences in home range data between the dry and rainy seasons, but there was significant difference between the sexes, with males travelling across larger areas than females. All but one of the six individuals met the majority of indicators established in the Brazilian Manatee Reintroduction Protocol, and thus were considered to have successfully adapted to the wild. Our study provides information on patterns of habitat use and areas intensely used by manatees, which can assist protected area managers in defining priority areas for manatee conservation in Brazil.

Estuaries in Brazil are highly threatened environments and habitat loss is the main influential factor for the increase in the number of strandings of Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus) calves in the north-eastern region of the country. The aim of the present study was to analyse and quantify the spatiotemporal dynamics of mangroves in the state of Paraíba and the association with manatee calf stranding events. The study area encompassed 10 remaining mangroves along the coast of the state, four of which were located within protected areas. Information on the mangrove forests was obtained from satellite images from the last four decades. Data on stranded Antillean manatee calves were obtained from a databank with records from 1980 to 2019. The data were analysed using geoprocessing techniques and statistical analyses. The results demonstrated changes in the mangrove forest over time, with larger areas existing during the 1980s, reductions in the following periods but a slight increase in the last decade. The number of stranded Antillean manatee calves increased over the years, with stranding events concentrated mainly on the northern coast of the state. The smallest number of stranding events occurred in the 1980s, when the mangrove forests were larger. Our findings confirm that the integrity of mangroves is of extreme importance to the maintenance and sustainability of Antillean manatee populations.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Federal Protected Areas on the coast of the state of Paraíba in northeastern Brazil with regard to the preservation of mangrove forests. The study area encompassed remaining mangrove forests distributed in four federal protected areas (PAs) located in Paraíba: Area of Relevant Ecological Interest (AREI) of Mangroves of the Mamanguape River, Environmental Protection Area (EPA) of the Mamanguape River, the Restinga de Cabedelo National Forest (NATFOR), and the Acaú-Goiana Extractive Reserve (EXTRES). The methods consisted of a spatiotemporal analysis considering the year of creation of each PA, with mapping and quantification as well as the assessment of impacts and effectiveness. NATFOR and EXTRES had the most conserved mangrove areas on the temporal scale, whereas AREI and EPA had the largest reductions in areas of mangrove forest. Urban expansion, sugarcane monoculture, and shrimp farming represented the main negative impacts spatially identified in these PAs. Based on the results of this study, the mangrove forests analyzed have continually suffered anthropogenic pressures since their creation as protected areas. The greatest effectiveness in the preservation of mangrove forests was found in Acaú-Goiana EXTRES and the least effectiveness was found in the AREI of Mangroves of the Mamanguape River.