Permanent Protection Areas Research Articles

Multicriteria Model for Prospective Locations for Sediment Dump Sites Coastal Dunes Management: Case Study from Barroquinha City, Northeast Brazil

Coastal zones are attractive for the development of economic interests (real estate and tourism) and are intensely occupied in a disorderly manner. Development in areas with available sediments can lead to conflicts between the natural movement of dunes and cities and communities and may result in burial processes. In addition, natural structures, such as dunes, play key roles in protecting against coastal erosion by balancing the beach-dune system with the sediment input, thus slowing the erosion process. This study aims to determine suitable areas for creating dune field dump sites in Barroquinha, Ceará, northeastern Brazil. The results showed that along the study area, the places with the greatest viability for creating dump sites were those furthest from the urban and permanent protection areas. In the stretch connecting Barroquinha City to the Bitupitá community on the CE-187 highway, 45 deposition points were monitored across five sectors under different environmental conditions. Sectors 2, 3, and 4 showed good responses to sediment fixation, in agreement with what was presented in the locational feasibility model. These results add to the discussion on urban infrastructure burying processes, making important contributions to urban planning and management in coastal areas. The results of this study will form an integral part of the Regional Contingency Plan for Incidents and/or situations of risk of environmental impacts in the coastal and/or oceanic zones of Ceará, which was conceived by the Chief Environment Scientist Program of Ceará State and contributes to the Action Plan against burying infrastructure by dune fields.

Challenges for reducing carbon emissions from Land-Use and Land Cover Change in Brazil

Brazil, a crucial player in global climate change mitigation, faces challenges in reducing its carbon emissions, of which nearly half are from land use changes. Despite potential reductions that can be achieved through halting deforestation and fostering forest restoration, setbacks in environmental governance have heightened emissions. This article assesses challenges and proposes solutions for conserving and restoring Brazilian biomes in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement by 2030. Notably, net carbon emissions from land-use change and forestry increased twofold from 2017 to 2022 due to deforestation in the Amazon and Cerrado. Native vegetation clearing peaked at 2.8 Mha in 2022, the largest area since 2008. The deficit of native vegetation within Legal Reserves and Permanent Protection Areas must be addressed through restoration. Achieving SDGs by 2030 demands urgent action against illegal deforestation, reinforced legislation for secondary forest protection, large-scale restoration programs, and economic incentives for forest conservation through payment for ecosystem services to rural landowners.

Confirmed record of Bacopa sessiliflora (Benth.) Edwall (Plantaginaceae) in the Brazilian Cerrado

Bacopa sessiliflora (Benth.) Edwall (Plantaginaceae) is an aquatic herb that inhabits the banks of watercourses in the Neotropics. In this study, we confirmed the occurrence of the species in the Cerrado following a field collection on the banks of the Preto River, in eastern Maranhão state, Brazil, and the study of herbarium materials. A morphological description, illustrations, phenological data, and a distribution map of B. sessiliflora are provided. The new data highlight the importance of permanent protected areas, especially riverbanks, as crucial habitats for increasing our understanding of plant biodiversity in Maranhão.

Conservation Priorities for Threatened Fish to Withstand Climate Crisis: Sustainable Capture and Protection of Inland Hydrographic Ecosystems

Globally, suitable freshwater habitats are undergoing alterations and fish population declines, primarily attributed to the swift changes in climate and land use. Developing an effective conservation policy for freshwater fish necessitates careful consideration of the impacts of climatic and spatial factors. This study focuses on the analysis of 64 threatened freshwater fish in Bangladesh to anticipate their current and future climatically suitable habitats, utilizing the bioclim() species distribution model. Additionally, this study examines existing inland hydrographic networks and their corresponding harvest rates. The findings indicate that approximately 75% of the area of occupancy for the studied species is currently climatically suitable, but this is expected to decrease to 13% under future climate scenarios. Notably, 27 threatened species are at risk of lacking climatically suitable habitats in the future within their current area of occupancy. The three components of hydrographic networks—floodplains, rivers, and natural lakes—play varying roles in providing a climatically suitable habitat for the studied species. For instance, only 34% of threatened fish species are projected to find a suitable habitat over flood areas, 23% over rivers, and 16% over lakes. Existing protected areas presently offer limited protection (21% suitable area), expected to decline to 6% in the future, with no dedicated protected areas for freshwater fish. Floodplains are highlighted for providing habitat connectivity and facilitating brood fish dispersal. However, the unregulated and unmonitored annual harvest of freshwater fish from floodwater and rivers poses a potential silent cause for rapid population decline. Prioritizing the management of hydrographic components to maintain habitat connectivity, legal protection for threatened fish species, and establishing permanent protected areas for fish are crucial aspects in developing a conservation policy to mitigate the impact of future climate scenarios on threatened freshwater species.

Breakeven price of CO2 credits driving farmers to use the area to plant forest instead of grain

Afforestation and reforestation were the challenges the farmer can seize to plant a culture that can capture more carbon than the amount emitted for cultivation. Assuming that the land was legally rented and owned, and part of an area that had not been obtained through recent deforestation, the main questions were: “why a farmer should have preferred to reserve the area to plant trees?”; and “How much did one ton of Carbon Dioxide [CO2] have to be rewarded to buy this opportunity?” This work had the target to estimate which was the minimum price for carbon credit so that the farmer will plant a forest instead of using the soil for grain cultivation. Based on the analysis that economic aspects and profit were the main drivers considered by the farmer to decide how to use the soil in case the area was not classified as Legal Reserve or Permanent Protection Area, seeking the usage which maximized the value per hectare. Considering a eucalyptus commercial forest planted under the premises of the current study, results showed that a price of around 24 BRL per ton of CO2 in 2021 is enough to turn it economically feasible. Business case had been estimated with and without profit coming from the commercial use of forest, and even assuming that no wood is cut and sold, the 2021 price of 40,48 BRL per ton of CO2 can ensure more profit than grain production over 14 years timeframe, allowing the farmer to make money beyond the usual commercial use of a forest.

New connections between brand and environmentally sustainable businesses in the Amazon forest and local business owner’s perception

The debate surrounding entrepreneurship in the Amazon rainforest region highlights the importance of sustainable actions developed by local brands. However, limited attention has been given to entrepreneur's perspectives regarding the outcome of their applied practices. The objective of this study was to understand the entrepreneurs’ perception based on their business models concerning the connection to the Amazon brand and the aspects of sustainable use of its natural resources. The study was performed through semi-structured interviews with seven Amazonian product brands entrepreneurs utilizing Grounded Theory. The results demonstrate that entrepreneurs understand that reaching the social dimension relies on the articulation of three main factors: entrepreneurs, the native people, and the shared traditional knowledge and culture. It is observed that the political dimension is still underdeveloped in the region with limited application of its effects on products. Additionally, the economic dimension is not significantly favored by the utilization of environmentally sustainable brands. Lastly, the territorial dimension depends on the establishment of permanent protection areas, as well as agroforestry systems.

National high-resolution conservation prioritisation of boreal forests

The continuous decline of forest biodiversity highlights the importance of the development of cost-effective and ecologically sustainable land-use planning approaches. Spatial conservation prioritisation (SCP) can be regarded as a useful tool for this challenge. We produced high-resolution, national scale SCP analyses to identify unprotected forest areas that host valuable forest biodiversity. We used stand-based modelled dead wood potential (DWP) data as a primary surrogate for conservation value. In addition, data on forestry operations that have negative impacts on biodiversity, connectivity between forest areas, the observations of red-listed forest species, connectivity to forest habitats of special importance for biodiversity, and connectivity to permanent protected areas were included in the analyses. Analyses addressed the estimation of present value and that of future potential following increases in connectivity. The results show that there are high conservation priority forest areas all over Finland although their distribution is highly fragmented. Depending on the version of the analyses, the best 10% of the landscape contains from 49% to 88% of the conservation values, a significant portion of which lie outside the current protected area network. Consequently, as biodiversity continues to decline in Finland and as most of the Finnish forest area is under commercial management, the current protected area network cannot be expected to halt the ongoing decline of forest biodiversity. Therefore, these analyses provide much-needed information for decision-making. They are a pragmatic tool for the planning of forest conservation networks and commercial management of forests at regional and national scales.

Riparian vegetation, permanent protection area and water quality in the paraense Amazon

Riparian vegetation or riparian forest maintains a direct relationship with water resources because it has several functions, among them, the maintenance of water quality. The objective of this research was to analyze the gaps between the permanent protection area, the riparian vegetation or riparian forest and water quality, contained in publications between 2012 and 2021, for the municipality of Paragominas, Paraense Amazon. The methodology used was inductive of quantitative and qualitative scope, and observational nature. The secondary data were obtained in electronic links, of free access, involved with the themes of this research. The literature selection occurred with the application of three selective descriptors: permanent protection area, riparian forest, and water resources, associated with water quality. The data obtained and analyzed indicated that, of the four literatures selected, the gaps found were related to: lack of analysis of water quality (n = 2; 50%); lack of suggestions for the problem encountered (n = 1; 25%). Therefore, research on vegetation/riparian forests is still analyzed without the context of environmental integration in terms of the ecosystem and environmental services provided both by these vegetations and for water bodies.

Microplastics in fishes in amazon riverine beaches: Influence of feeding mode and distance to urban settlements

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a global problem and has affected several biological levels even in protected areas. In the present study, MP contamination was investigated in fish associated with sandy beaches in a permanent environmental protection area in the Amazon. In order to achieve this goal, the shape, color, abundance, richness, and chemical composition of MPs in the digestive tract of 29 fish species in 24 beaches of the Machado River, western Brazilian Amazon, were evaluated. Linear mixed models (LMMs) were adjusted to test the effects of local human modification (HMc), distance from urban settlements, distance from the closest affluent, and trophic categories of fish species on microplastic abundance and richness in their digestive tracts. From the 1082 fish analyzed, 332 (30 %) presented MPs in their digestive tracts. A total of 617 MPs was found (1.8 ± 1.6 MPs; 4.5 ± 1.9 MPs/g fish). Omnivorous and insectivorous fish presented more MPs in sandy beaches located closer to urban settlements. However, carnivorous fish presented a higher abundance of MPs in their digestive tracts compared with the other trophic guilds. This is the first study to analyze plastic contamination in fish associated with sandy beaches in the Amazon (Brazil), and it revealed contamination of the ichthyofauna mainly related to the distance from urban settlements. Our results reinforce the need for better management of landscape surrounding protected areas to mitigate MP pollution.

Natural forest regeneration on anthropized landscapes could overcome climate change effects on the endangered maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus, Illiger 1811)

Abstract Climate change and habitat loss have been identified as the main causes of species extinction. Forest regeneration and protected areas are essential to buffer climate change impacts and to ensure quality habitats for threatened species. We assessed the current and future environmental suitability for the maned sloth, Bradypus torquatus, under both future climate and forest restoration scenarios, using ecological niche modeling. We compared environmental suitability for two Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUnorth and ESUsouth) using two climate change scenarios for 2070, and three potential forest regeneration scenarios. Likewise, we evaluated the protection degree of the suitable areas resulting from the models, according to Brazilian law: PA—Protected Areas; PPA—Permanent Protection Areas (environmentally sensitive areas in private properties); and LR—Legal Reserves (natural vegetation areas in private properties). Finally, we calculated the deficit of PPA and LR in each ESU, considering the current forest cover. Forest regeneration might mitigate the deleterious effects of climate change by maintaining and increasing environmental suitability in future scenarios. The ESUnorth contains more suitable areas (21,570 km²) than the ESUsouth (12,386 km²), with an increase in all future scenarios (up to 45,648 km² of new suitable areas), while ESUsouth might have a significant decrease (up to 7,546 km² less). Suitable areas are mostly unprotected (ESUnorth—65.5% and ESUsouth—58.3%). Therefore, PPA and PA can maintain only a small portion of current and future suitable areas. Both ESUs present a high deficit of PPA and LR, highlighting the necessity to act in the recovery of these areas to accomplish a large-scale restoration, mitigate climate change effects, and achieve, at least, a minimum forested area to safeguard the species. Notwithstanding, a long-term conservation of B. torquatus will benefit from forest regeneration besides those minimum requirements, allied to the protection of forest areas.

Environmental thresholds of dragonflies and damselflies from a Cerrado-Caatinga ecotone.

Aquatic ecosystems are affected by different land uses that modify gradients of environmental conditions. These impacts act directly on the community structure, especially the most sensitive ones, such as aquatic insects. Thus, dragonflies have been used as good models to assess these changes, since their suborders Anisoptera and Zygoptera have different ecophysiological and behavioral requirements. This study aimed to evaluate the following hypotheses: (1) dragonfly species composition differs along the environmental gradients of streams; therefore, we expect a higher proportion of species of the suborder Anisoptera in environments with a higher degree of disturbance, since these environmental conditions select heliothermic species with exophytic oviposition; (2) the reduction of habitat integrity and canopy cover will lead to a lower richness of the Zygoptera suborder, due to the restrictions of its thermoregulation and oviposition behavior in relation to Anisoptera, since the higher light input would favor heliothermic and exophytic species; (3) alterations in habitat integrity create ecological thresholds and points of change in the abundance and frequency of Odonata species, generating gradients in the environmental integrity conditions. Specimens were collected from 24 streams (first to third order), in a gradient of land uses. Canopy cover and stream width were predictors of taxonomic richness and abundance of the suborders Anisoptera and Zygoptera, with greater coverage and smaller width, positively affecting Zygoptera and negatively Anisoptera. The turning points were determined by a habitat integrity index, where below 0.38 there is an increase in generalist taxa and a decline in sensitive taxa. On the other hand, above 0.79, there was a sensitive taxa increase in detriment of generalists. Four individual taxa indicators were selected, two of which associated with a negative response (Perithemis tenera and Acanthagrion aepiolum) and two with positive responses (Epipleoneura metallica and Zenithoptera lanei) for habitat integrity. Our results are important to guide management strategies, recovery, and protection policies for areas of permanent protection, aiming to conserving biodiversity and natural resources essential to life quality maintenance.

Small reserves as hotspots for Fungi preservation in Brazil

Small conservation areas have been created in many countries usually to protect plants and animals, but no priorities are deserved in protecting fungi. The creation of preservation areas is meeting a new problem: there are only small remaining areas, since exploration is destroying large forests. Applying the technique of the transects in three different areas in Brazil (Pampa and Cerrado biomes and Amazonian Forest), diversity and ecological data were collected for Agaricomycetes fungi, mainly order Agaricales, and compared to the fungi already known and their conservation status to understand how fungi are protected indirectly with the creation of small protected areas. The samples were collected in differents permanent protected areas (APP – permanent protected areas) in river margins in southern Brazil (RPAS), Saint Hilaire Forest in the Universidade de Goiás (MSH - ca. 20 ha) in Goiânia/GO and in the Universidade Federal do Amazonas Protected Forest (Manaus/AM - MUFAM), all located in Brazil. In MUFAM, 140 specimens were collected in 2014 and 2018 resulting in 47 species. In MSH 86 specimens were collected in 2019 and 2020 with 31 species identified. In RPAS 278 new species records for the Brazilian Pampa biome were cataloged, 23 new records for the state of Rio Grande do Sul and 4 new registrations for Brazil. This demonstrates the importance of small forest fragments to fungi preservation and maintenance, being efforts in that direction important in future studies of new conservation areas implementation.

ANALYSIS OF THE PERMANENT PRESERVATION AREA ON THE BANKS OF THE SALGADO RIVER IN THE URBAN AREA OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF AURORA-CE

Abstract: Regardless of their topology, areas located at springs are considered permanent preservation areas in Brazil. Such areas may or may not be covered by native vegetation and contribute to the conservation of local natural resources through the determination of areas that are improper for land use in order to maintain the original plant coverage. Urban environments suffer degradation due to the lack of planning and basic sanitation. The aim of the present study was to analyze the permanent preservation area on the banks of the Salgado River in the urban zone of the municipality of Aurora, state of Ceará, Brazil. A case study was conducted involving the following steps: bibliographic review, determination of the study area, selection of indicators, on-site visits, identification of problems and the presentation of a proposed solution. The results indicated that the banks of the river were highly degraded due to urbanization and the removal of vegetation. The water resource was contaminated due to the construction of houses, enterprises and a public square in the protected area and was contaminated by residential sewage and the sewage system itself as well as solid and liquid waste from means of transportation, noise pollution and light pollution, which hinder the habitation and movements of endemic animals. In conclusion, the area limits and treatments necessary for the permanent protection area stipulated by law have not been successful due to the continued process of appropriation for urbanization. Thus, human activities cause harm to the natural environment and the population itself, exposing these elements to diseases and floods.

LULC zoning in the “Madeira river” settlement, legal Amazon, Brazil, before and after implementation of the rural environmental registry (CAR) (2008-2018)

The Madeira River Settlement at Rondônia state is one of the various Federal projects in the Legal Amazon created by the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA). Over the years, fire practices such as slash-and-burn agriculture in the Legal Amazon have been converting the remained forest into pastures and croplands. According to the Brazilian New Forest Code, the rural environmental registry (CAR) became mandatory for monitoring the land occupations, aiming at maintaining forests and legal reserves preserved. The study goal was to analyze socioenvironmental aspects of the land-use and land-cover (LULC) dynamic at Madeira River settlement and its surroundings before and after the registry implementation, between July 2008 and July 2018. Thematic classes and altimetry were overlaid using algebraic operators to create a zoning model with 21 zoning classes. The highest reduction in forested areas was observed in zone six, between SRTM heights of 90 and 100 m, with a forest loss of 1684 ha and forest gain of 638 ha. Transition map results showed the most forest conversion into secondary vegetation of 57.29 km2 in ten years (2008–2018). The occupation increased at zones 11 and 12, showing the movement of settlers into the rainforest, with higher altimetry. The remained settlement lots located at low altimetry in the permanent protection area (PPA) are subject to the risk of flooding. The results also showed that the correlation between lot size and deforestation was not significant, suggesting that a set of social and environmental driver variables may be responsible for both losses and gains in the vegetated area in each lot. Family farming needs assistance for sustainable food production and to avoid soil degradation and abandonment, with an integrated effort of institutions, government and society. The manuscript serves as a regional case study that provides a relevant issue related to public policies concerning Legal Amazonian settlements occupation and deforestation, which may support the monitoring and controlling actions in the region.

Relação entre índice de estado trófico e o uso do solo em áreas de preservação permanente no Rio Paraíba do Sul

The present study aimed to correlate the variables that could influence the water quality of Paraiba do Sul River (PSR), such as vegetation cover in the permanent protection areas (PPA), rainfall, and the Trophic State Index (TSI). The riparian zones were classified according to the vegetation cover from satellite images, as follows: Tree plant cover (TPC), Permeable area (PER), and Impermeable area (IMP). The total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll-a (CL) concentrations in the collected water were used to determine the TSI. A multivariate correlation analysis was carried out using the TSI values, rainfall, and vegetation cover. Also, the presence of cyanobacteria was evaluated. We observed a higher occurrence of IMP and PER in the riparian zones. The TP and CL concentrations increased during rainy periods, mainly in PER. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that the terrestrial areas influenced significantly the PSR parameters. PER contributed to the impairment of the water quality from the PSR, particularly in the rainy period. The presence of toxin-producing cyanobacteria was detected in the PSR. Our results reinforce the necessity to preserve and promote the restoration of the riparian areas in watersheds, mainly in the PSR.

Risk of Collapse in Water Quality in the Guandu River (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

The Guandu River, one of the main rivers in the state of Rio de Janeiro, provides water for more than nine million people in the metropolitan region. However, the Guandu has suffered from massive domestic and industrial pollution for more than two decades, leading to high levels of dissolved total phosphorus, cyanobacteria, and enteric bacteria observed during the summers of 2020 and 2021. The use of Phoslock, a palliative compound, was not effective in mitigating the levels of phosphorus in the Guandu River. Furthermore, potable water driven from the river had levels of 2-MIB/geosmin and a mud smell/taste. With all these problems, several solutions are proposed for improving the Guandu River water quality, including establishment of (i) sewage treatment plants (STPs), (ii) strict water quality monitoring, (iii) environmental recovery (e.g., reforestation), and (iv) permanent protected areas. The objective of this paper is to verify the poor water quality in the Guandu and the ineffectiveness and undesired effects of Phoslock.

Private reserves suffer from the same location biases of public protected areas

Setting aside private land is an essential component of the biodiversity crisis response. In Brazil, landowners are required to have Legal Reserves (LR) (20%–80% of their property set aside for native vegetation) which, if degraded, need to be restored. Alternatively, landowners can compensate for an LR deficit by purchasing surplus credits. Each landowner can define the location and spatial arrangement of their LR, affecting the reserve's ability to maintain biodiversity and provide ecosystem services (ES). We used hierarchical models to determine drivers for the amount and location of those LR in 3622 farms. The likelihood of setting aside part of the farm as LR (avoiding off-farm compensation) increased with farm size and extent of native vegetation cover, particularly for riparian areas and steep slopes, where conserving vegetation is also mandated in what are called Areas of Permanent Protection (APP). Properties with APP were more likely to meet the full LR requirement within their areas if located in areas of higher transportation costs and lower agricultural suitability. Within properties, the location of LR was mostly in areas with low agricultural suitability, high transportation cost, and close to APP. Landowners' decisions intend to maximize property income and reduce restoration costs, resulting in a spatial pattern similar to public protected areas — usually located on marginal land for agriculture. These areas do not necessarily provide the greatest biodiversity and ES benefits, suggesting that government interventions may be needed to encourage landowners to set aside native vegetation in ways that maximize conservation and ES outcomes.

Contemporary morphological patterns: morphometric analysis of open spaces in different types of urban lots in the city of Uberlândia-MG

The main objective of this study is to explore the influence and reflexes of urban and environmental legislation on the production, configuration, and distribution of urban open spaces. The work is based on the premise that, over the last years, legislation has played an important role in the composition of the urban spatial mosaic, especially regarding the need and obligation of all new lots to reserve, in the lottable land, a minimum percentage of open spaces, understood in this research as the road network, public recreation areas, permanent environmental protection areas, municipal easements and property easements. The object of this observation are the urban lots approved by the city of Uberlândia since 2000, a period in which several factors forced the city to adjust to the new urban development instruments and to the master plan, mainly the city’s rapid growth, also a result of the growth of the Brazilian real estate market. We applied the morphometric methodology, using the QGIS software to quantify open space and analyze measurements and rates of the morphological elements based on the legal parameters. The result was the identification of the way open spaces were designed in the analyzed projects, their spatial relations, morphological typology and distribution patterns, uncovering recurring patterns that characterize the landscape of many medium-sized Brazilian cities.

Plant richness drives ant diversity in Eucalyptus‐dominated landscape on Brazilian savanna

AbstractThe conversion of natural areas into agricultural systems and silviculture is the greatest threat to biodiversity in tropical ecosystems such as the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado). This landscape transformation could lead to the loss of native species, including ants that cannot tolerate the new environment dominated by exotic plant species, such as Eucalyptus spp. The present study aims to investigate ant diversity and their functional groups to verify which vegetation and landscape variables explain their changes in a neglected formation of Cerrado (Campos Murundus) surrounded by Eucalyptus forests planted. We sampled ants in 29 sites, which presented a gradient of richness, average plant heights, and distances from Eucalyptus plantations and permanent protected areas (PPAs). We found 83 ant species from six functional guilds (arboreal, Camponotini, epigeic omnivorous, higher Attini, lower Attini and specialist predators). Plant richness best explained the diversity of ants. Higher distance from Eucalyptus plantations also positively explained the frequency of functional groups, whereas higher distance from the PPAs negatively explained the frequency of Camponotini species. Our study showed that vegetation (plant richness) and landscape variables help to understand ant diversity in a Eucalyptus‐dominated landscape. This reaffirms the importance of preserving the vegetation and their associate fauna in Campos Murundus by increasing the extent of conservation of this threatened biome.

Degraded grassland and the conflict of land use in protected areas of hotspot in Brazil

The development process in Brazil has impacted the landscape over the years, causing, especially, changes in land cover. A critical topic in global studies on environmental issues. As a counterpoint to this process, the Brazilian State opted for the delimitation of protected natural spaces, with the argument of improving biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, human subsistence and the well-being of current and future generations. The article assesses changes in the biodiversity of a protected area, considered as a global biodiversity hotspot, in the Brazilian Cerrado. We used the environmental arguments associated with its creation and a 30-year time series analysis. That identified and quantified land uses, levels of landscape degradation and their environmental suitability in relation to permanent protection areas according to the Brazilian Forest Code. Forestry over 10 years (1987–1997) increased by 8%, but decreased to around 5% in subsequent periods (2007–2017). Degraded pasture areas decreased between periods of expansion of forestry. There was a reduction in the area occupied by pastures, which went from 39 to 31% in the period from 1987 to 1997, but increased by 6% in the following years (2007–2017). The results showed that the expansion of silviculture from 1987 to 1997 occurred in areas previously occupied by moderately degraded pastures, evidencing, on the other hand, an improvement in the quality of the pasture areas in the following period. In addition to forestry and pasture, there was also an expansion of irrigated agriculture in the region, as well as conflicts related to water scarcity. The study, in addition to investigating the conservation conditions of the vegetation cover in the Protected Area, can also be used as a reference in the evaluation and formulation of management plans and social coexistence strategies, which are still very limited in protected areas around the world.