Association between urbanization and the biotic integrity of urban forest remnants

Abstract

The disturbance of forest fragments has reduced environmental quality, ecosystem services and climate mitigation in several cities. The aim of the current article is to analyze the quality of native forest fragments close to urban areas. Seven forest fragments in Southeastern Brazil were selected for analysis based on two spatial scales: landscape and fragment. Analyses were structured by combining landscape diagnosis to the evaluation of the analyzed fragments, based on the application of an Index of Biotic Integrity. Data analyzed at landscape scale have shown association between the size of the analyzed urban forest fragment and its biotic integrity, as well as inversely proportional association between integrity and perimeter/area ratio. The fragment scale enabled corroborating the current study’s hypothesis and evidenced association between quality of urban forest fragments and their proximity to urban areas. The adopted method has proved to be an important instrument to help developing environmental public policies focused on urban forests’ planning and conservation.

Plant and gastropod diversity across fragmented urban landscapes: patterns and environmental drivers

“…The study found that neophyte plant species actively proliferated in ISL and PEN plots. This aligns with the research of Giacon et al (2022), who observed that the proximity of urbanised areas impacted biotic integrity indicators, including epiphytes, tree diameter and height, and the presence of late species in the canopy. Thus, these variables indicate a healthier ecosystem.…”

Plantas intensamente forrageadas por abelhas em uma floresta estacional semidecidual: caracterização dos atributos florais

“…Por se tratar de um fragmento florestal com histórico de degradação, esperava-se que ocorresse ocupação do ambiente predominantemente por lianas (BUDOWSKI, 1965;TIBIRIÇÁ et al, 2006). Bignoniaceae e Malpighiaceae são famílias constituídas principalmente por gêneros de lianas (GENTRY, 1991;MEYER et al, 2020) e estiveram entre as famílias mais abundantes em outros levantamentos de lianas (MORELLATO & LEITÃO FILHO, 1996;UDULUTSCH et al, 2004;REZENDE & RANGA, 2005;TIBIRIÇÁ et al, 2006;GIACON et al, 2022). Assim, as duas famílias com maiores números de espécies estudadas no presente trabalho estão em posição favorecida porque a maioria de suas espécies possui características favoráveis à ocupação do ambiente em regeneração.…”