Propriedades rurais e a conversão do cerrado: estratégias de responsabilização para a conservação do bioma em Minas Gerais

Abstract

In this study, we address the alarming conversion of the Cerrado biome in the state of Minas Gerais. We were driven by the increasing need to understand the environmental dynamics of degraded landscapes within the biome in order to guide successful strategies for the conservation and restoration of the Cerrado. Our study focused on the collective role of rural properties in the conservation and conversion of the Cerrado in this state. Our results revealed that, although there is loss of native vegetation across all vegetation types, a systematic conversion process occurred predominantly in savannah vegetation. Surprisingly, rural properties did not have a direct effect on the recent conversion of Cerrado vegetation. However, given the extent of these properties, it is necessary to integrate these social agents into the planning and implementation of spatial protection mechanisms. In this study, we propose models of local accountability for landscape recovery. To achieve this, we calculated the deficit of natural areas in relation to a collective threshold for landscape conservation, based on the private conservation mechanism of legal reserves. By assessing deficit landscapes as areas for adjusting conservation mechanisms, we can better plan, supervise, and locally adapt the conservation efforts, involving both the public and private sectors, to positively influence the structural transformation of native vegetation in the Cerrado. With this work, we hope to contribute to advancing appropriate strategies for the use and conservation of Cerrado landscapes, aiming to maintain a minimum and collective threshold for the protection of the biome across all landscapes.