Potential occurrence of Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze in the urban forest of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop the potential distribution model of Araucaria angustifolia and verify the relevance of Curitiba’s urban forest for its conservation. The potential distribution model was developed considering meteorological and topo-edaphic criteria through the MaxEnt® algorithm. The potential distribution map was classified into three classes of environmental adequacy: high, medium, and low. Pedology and declivity were the criteria most representative of the species distribution. The model presented an accuracy of 93.4%. The northern region of Curitiba and the areas along watercourses presented the highest environmental adequacy for A. angustifolia. A total of 72.94% of the analyzed green areas have medium and/or high adequacy for the species. We recommend creating protected areas in the regions indicated by the model, aiming at favoring the conservation of A. angustifolia and reducing pressures on their populations in the urban environment.