Dinâmica da vegetação e proposta de conectividade ecológica na Mata Atlântica de São João da Barra/RJ (Brasil)

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most biodiverse biomes on the planet, yet its ecological integrity is under threat due to the exploitation of natural resources. In the municipality of São João da Barra, Rio de Janeiro, these pressures are intensified by the expansion of the Açu Port Complex, making vegetation cover monitoring essential to support conservation strategies. This study assesses the spatial dynamics of restinga and mangrove vegetation—both part of the Atlantic Forest biome—in São João da Barra to inform proposals for ecological corridors. We employed geoprocessing and remote sensing techniques, using land use and land cover data from the MapBiomas project for 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015, and 2023. These datasets were processed using QGIS software to support the development of forest corridor proposals. We analyzed areas within conservation units, preserved vegetation cover, and the municipality's environmental zoning. The results indicate the predominance of herbaceous restinga throughout the study period, while arboreal restinga, although covering a smaller area, showed gradual expansion. Mangroves, the least represented vegetation type among those analyzed, declined. The study highlights the urgent need for initiatives aimed at establishing ecological corridors to promote connectivity between preserved vegetation fragments and mitigate landscape fragmentation, thus contributing to the conservation and environmental restoration of the Atlantic Forest.