Abstract
The plant composition is a fundamental element in public green spaces, improving the environment and people’s quality of life. The executing of floristic inventories can contribute to better understanding and management of these spaces. Here, we sought to know the plants used in the afforestation of the main public green spaces in the town of Oriximiná, eastern Brazilian Amazon, as well as to perform a brief analysis of the population’s perception regarding the afforestation of these environments. The plants were collected and identified using specific literature and dichotomous keys, in addition to consultations in virtual herbariums. The analysis of the population’s perception took place through interviews, with questionnaires collected in each public green space. We registered 1616 individuals from the flora of the squares, distributed in 16 families, 24 genera, and 28 species. Exotic plants are predominant in number species and of individuals. The interviewees demonstrated that they are aware of the importance of plants in the squares and providing shade stands out as the most cited benefit. The afforestation of the squares shows some irregularities, highlighting the need for better planning which includes the use of native species and the participation of the local community in the management of these green areas. Finally, we provide a list of native species, naturally occurring in the Amazon region, that can be used in urban afforestation.
Highlights
Accepted: 6 September 2021Urbanization promotes changes in green spaces, producing significant impacts on the natural environment, such as loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services [1,2,3,4], which will likely be intensified year by year, as with high rates of urban sprawl; 68% of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050 [5]
This study presents a list of native species, naturally occurring in the Amazon region, that can be used in urban afforestation in the municipality of Oriximiná, PA (Table 4)
Regarding the floristic composition of the public areas in the study, we registered a total of 1.616 individuals, distributed in 16 families, 24 genera, and 28 species, among which three were identified only up to the generic level (Table 2)
Summary
Accepted: 6 September 2021Urbanization promotes changes in green spaces, producing significant impacts on the natural environment, such as loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services [1,2,3,4], which will likely be intensified year by year, as with high rates of urban sprawl; 68% of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050 [5]. In the United States, the carbon storage rate in urban trees was estimated at 643 million tons and the annual sequestration at 25.6 million [8]. In tropical forests, such as the Atlantic Forest, the carbon accumulation in restoration areas shows that, in immature forests, there is a reduced number of large trees responsible for the largest carbon stocks, and highlights the importance of long-time ecological restoration projects to keep the carbon sequestration rates [9,10]. A key challenge for these places is Published: 16 September 2021
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
