Brazilian landscape styles and tree biodiversity in public garden squares

Antônio Carlos Batista ,Daniela Biondi,Angeline Martini,Jennifer Viezzer,Emidio Neves De Moraes

doi:10.5380/rf.v50i3.63862

Antônio Carlos Batista , Daniela Biondi + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5380/rf.v50i3.63862

Copy DOI

Abstract

The main features of the Brazilian contemporary landscape style are the recovery of degraded areas and the use of indigenous species. This study aimed at analyzing the vegetation of the Curitiba-PR public garden squares to verify if the areas created during the contemporary period (from 1990 on) have a greater diversity of tree species than other squares and, therefore, are more significant for biodiversity conservation. For this, 32 of the city's 454 squares were sampled as determined by statistical calculation, then classified by creation year and landscape style. Trees species, families, and individuals were identified and classified as to their origin; and the variables richness; average species; number of individuals; density of individuals; and the Shannon, Pielou, and Odum indexes were analyzed. The 15 contemporary style squares presented 399 individuals of 54 species and 27 families, with 43.61% of the individuals and 50.00% of the species of exotic origin; individuals average of 26.60 ±9.72 per square and 43.09 ±35.13 per hectare; species average of 6.93 ±4.98 per square and 13.95 ±10.63 per hectare; and diversity indexes of Shannon 3.39, Pielou 0.85, and Odum 9.02. The squares in the contemporary style presented higher diversity indexes, but they have, on average, fewer species, families, and individuals, in addition to a greater proportion of exotic species and individuals. These results indicate that these squares did not follow the typical characteristics of the contemporary style and are of no greater significance for biodiversity conservation when compared to other squares.

Highlights

The public green areas in Brazilian cities can be classified in three landscape styles – eclectic, modern, and contemporary; presenting distinct characteristics to urban spaces such as parks and garden squares (ROBBA; MACEDO, 2010).The first garden squares in Brazil followed European landscape design trends, which used to represent nature dominated by humans, highlighting symmetry and geometry, and valuing focal points through the use of statues, monuments, and fountains (MAGALHÃES, 2014; SILVA, 2014)
From 1930 on, the first signs of change appeared in the conception of green areas in the cities through the country, especially the work done by Roberto Burle Marx, who started a trend of valorizing the Brazilian native
This study aimed at verifying whether the public garden squares of Curitiba created at the time of the contemporary landscape style have a greater diversity of tree species and, contribute more to biodiversity conservation when compared to garden squares of other landscape styles

Summary

Introduction

The public green areas in Brazilian cities can be classified in three landscape styles – eclectic, modern, and contemporary; presenting distinct characteristics to urban spaces such as parks and garden squares (ROBBA; MACEDO, 2010).The first garden squares in Brazil followed European landscape design trends, which used to represent nature dominated by humans, highlighting symmetry and geometry, and valuing focal points through the use of statues, monuments, and fountains (MAGALHÃES, 2014; SILVA, 2014). The public green areas in Brazilian cities can be classified in three landscape styles – eclectic, modern, and contemporary; presenting distinct characteristics to urban spaces such as parks and garden squares (ROBBA; MACEDO, 2010). The inauguration of Rio de Janeiro Passeio Público park in 1783 was a milestone for the Brazilian eclectic landscape style that, besides the already mentioned attributes imported from Europe, is determined by the soil impermeabilization and by exotic species to the Brazilian flora (ROBBA; MACEDO, 2010; OLIVEIRA et al, 2013; SILVA, 2014). Starting in 1934, with the Casa Forte garden square by Burle Marx, in Recife-PE, the modern landscape style began to employ indigenous species and highlighted the Brazilian vegetation, using it as inspiration for the use of shapes, colors and textures (CARNEIRO, 2014; SILVA, 2014)

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion