Proposta Metodológica para Análise Multicritério Espacial de Conservação em Fragmentos Florestais Urbanos

Abstract

Urban forest fragments play an essential role in the benefits that impact society, from ecosystem services to sociocultural factors. Evaluating these environments is crucial for sustainability and combating climate change, since by quantifying valuation variables, we can support environmental management and protection mechanisms. However, for this, methodological procedures need to be defined. This study aims to propose a methodology to analyze the context of urban forest fragments using multicriteria spatial analysis. To this end, three main phases were defined: the first phase involved the definition and hierarchization of important variables for materializing the conservation status of the fragments in an urban landscape, based on secondary data; the second, the spatial modeling of these variables, considering the use of GIS tools and geographic databases; and the third, the application of the method itself and the interpretation of the results, using the city of Manaus - AM as a case study. Thus, 14 fourteen criteria were defined, discussed based on data availability and importance for conservation. After the application of spatial modeling, the variation between and within the fragments of the study area was demonstrated, in addition to observing that the criteria “area size and connectivity” had the greatest influence on the results. That said, the method proved to be relevant for assessing the state of the set of urban forest fragments, and can be used to direct restoration and management actions for these areas in large cities.