Refavela: arborização urbana da Pedreira Prado Lopes, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

Abstract

Deforestation generated by urban expansion is one of the main human activities that cause various consequences for the environment and human society. The reduction of forests to small fragments of green areas considerably modifies environmental conditions and resources. The vegetation is often disconnected from one another or just remains the presence of isolated trees in the landscape. Therefore, the presence of vegetation cover in the urban environment becomes essential to mitigate environmental impacts related to the socioeconomic pressures of large cities. Urban afforestation is fundamental to the provision of services related to climate regulation, being a cultural asset for leisure and helping to improve people's quality of life. Considering this entire context, the main objective of this study is to characterise the arboreal component of the Pedreira Prado Lopes favela, located in the northwest region of the municipality of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. The aim is to understand the context of urban afforestation in this territory and how it relates to the socio environmental context of the region. To achieve this objective, a bibliographical survey on the topic and a floristic survey of public roads in the study area were carried out. There was a low abundance of arboreal individuals throughout the PPL territory, indicating one more effect of socio-environmental inequality on the local population. As a way to mitigate the effects of ongoing climate change, investment in public policies is considered essential. It includes the creation and preservation of urban green areas. The maintenance of vegetation cover and its ecosystem services in these environments allows all layers of populations, regardless of where they live, to have greater access to an ecologically balanced environment.