Urban arborization in public pathways of four cities in east Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Frederico Augusto Guimarães Guilherme,Hellen Cristina Alves Nascimento,Kaila Assis Ressel,Wendy Carniello Ferreira,Michelly Cristina Silva,Daniella Nogueira Moraes Carneiro

doi:10.14295/oh.v24i2.1137

Frederico Augusto Guimarães Guilherme, Hellen Cristina Alves Nascimento + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.14295/oh.v24i2.1137

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Abstract

The study of urban arborization can generate great contributions to urban planning, mainly for new and fast-growing cities. Aiming quantifying and qualifying urban arborization in Cassilândia, Chapadão do Sul, Costa Rica and Paranaíba, in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, we performed a survey of tree species present in 30 blocks of each city. All trees were evaluated regarding tree size, planting site, pruning and physical conservation status. The species were classified native or exotic. There were 3180 individuals and 89 species, with the highest abundance of Brazilian native trees (69%), although the richness of exotic species was higher (78%). Chapadão do Sul had the largest individuals number and Paranaíba, the smallest. The diversity index was low for all cities, especially because of the large number of oitizeiros (Licania tomentosa) registered, totaling more than half of the trees surveyed. The widespread use of only one species, as found for the oitizeiro in this study, is not recommended because it reduces diversity and increases the chances of diseases and pests in trees in the urban environment. However, it was observed a high incidence of species used in urban arborization, and tree maintenance aspects, such as pruning, were satisfactory in the four studied cities.

Highlights

Trees are characteristic features of the urban landscape and have a decisive influence on the welfare of urban populations (GONÇALVES and ROCHA, 2009)
The study was carried out in four municipalities located in the eastern mesoregion of Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil: Cassilândia, Chapadão do Sul, Costa Rica and Paranaíba, with about 20,966, 19,648, 19,695 and 40,192 inhabitants, respectively (INSTITUTO BRASILEIRO DE GEOGRAFIA E ESTATÍSTICA, 2012)
The four cities studied (Cassilândia, Chapadão do Sul, Costa Rica and Paranaíba) showed respectively 838; 1,130; 657 and 555 trees (Table 1). This is a satisfactory density in relation to the size of the sample, when it is denoted the arborization in the urban perimeter of cities

Summary

Introduction

Trees are characteristic features of the urban landscape and have a decisive influence on the welfare of urban populations (GONÇALVES and ROCHA, 2009). They have been closely related to the architecture of cities, and Brazilian historical material on arborization is scarce, it is known that cultural differences in Brazil have provided different urban models. Planning for arborization is fundamental for urban development and requires, firstly, that the existing scenario be known through a quali-quantitative inventory, as well as to know the biology of plants that can potentially be used (COLETTO et al, 2008). The fragility and complexity of urban planning require actions that maximize the functions of arborization and reduce costs both for the population and the public administration. Technical and scientific concerns have increased over the last two decades, motivating some specific works, which have produced new knowledge on the behavior of species in urban areas (KURIHARA et al, 2005; SILVA FILHO et al, 2005).

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