Restauração ecológica de zonas de recarga hídrica e de proteção especial por meio de sistemas agroflorestais - SAFs

Abstract

The general objective of this paper was to seek alternatives for the conservation of water resources through land use management techniques, in particular the agroforestry systems, for the ecological restoration of permanent preservation areas (ppas) on the banks of water courses and slopes steep, associated with sustainable production, fundamented on existing experiences in the water catchment area of the Manhuaçu River, in the eastern region of the state of Minas Gerais, for the preparation of technical guidelines in a booklet format. It was also included in this study demands related to the legislation inherent to the subject as well as the diagnosis of hydric ppas in the region. In order to achieve the proposed goal, a diagnosis was made based on data from the 'Cadastro Ambiental Rural – CAR' (Rural Environmental Registration) of the current situation of land use in ppas in the Manhuaçu river basin, data treatment and plotting of maps of the areas. At this stage, it was observed that most ppas are degraded or with non-forestry uses, generally being used for pastures. The most degraded areas are those located on the banks of water courses and around springs, a fact that has been pointed out as one of the causes of the decrease in the flow of water resources in the region, with its restoration being an interest already manifested in the Basin Plan by the populations that occupy this territory. However, even though the recovery of these areas is compulsory, many of its holders do not perform it due to its expensive costs and because the ppas are, in general, the most productive areas of their rural properties. In view of this obstacle, the new Brazilian forestry code brings as innovation the possibility of recomposing ppas through the implementation of agroforestry systems, which until recently it was prohibited by previous legislation, an analysis that is also the object of this research. More ahead in this paper, from the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from the agroforestry experiences, the techniques and other positive aspects that led to their success were identified and / or also hindered in their adoption and management, whose results pointed to the efficiency of the agroforestries in the conservation and preservation of water resources associated with productivity, practicality, low cost and functionality of its execution, making it possible to be used then as an auxiliary tool in the decision making by the public authorities, farmers and other actors that are part of this scenario. For this, management principles and examples of specific systems for some representative environments of the region are presented, which are important and must be recovered and preserved. The studies also pointed to the need to improve the existing legislation related to the subject, as well as the need for a deeper and detailed scientific research. Through systematization and analysis of all the information obtained in the previous phases, proposals for agroforestry systems that were more adapted to the ecological and socioeconomic conditions of the studied area were established, materializing in a ludic booklet in order to invite the actors who occupy that territory to put its actions into practice.