Conectividade estrutural da paisagem: a modelagem de bioenergia como instrumento para a conservação ambiental e o planejamento territorial em regiões neotropicais

Abstract

Human activities fragment the landscape limiting the potential for plant and animal species to disperse and colonize environments. The persistence of flows of energy, materials, genetics, and ecosystem services is compromised and affects the health of ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. The use of landscape graphs as a technique to aid in the design of conservation strategies enables conservationist prioritization in ecological networks, the identification of the best places to add new elements to the network to increase connectivity, and estimates the impact of infrastructure implementation on landscape connectivity. In this study, the PANDORA model was used to measure the structural connectivity of a landscape by calculating and comparing the current bioenergetic scenario and bioenergy fluxes with hypothetical scenarios, innovating by adjusting the model parameters to the neotropical landscape. PANDORA is based on Graph Theory, thermodynamic concepts, mathematical equilibrium, metabolic theory, and landscape metrics. High equilibrium bioenergy values in landscapes make them more resilient and allow them to develop to higher levels of structural and functional complexity. In a case study in the city of Juiz de Fora, MG, changes were simulated in the forest cover of Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs) in watershed areas, and the responses in the bioenergetic scenario to the proposed changes in land use and cover were evaluated. It was found that changes in the vegetation cover of small areas can affect the bioenergetic scenario of the entire landscape. The use of models can provide valid and reliable support for landscape and urban planning.