A importância dos serviços ecossistêmicos no Parque Natural Municipal do Cuiá na cidade de João Pessoa-PB

Abstract

It is well known that the capitalist development model applied in our contemporary society is responsible for several processes of environmental degradation, such as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the increasing scarcity of drinking water , the degradation of soils, etc. Given this panorama, urban green spaces such as squares and parks are highlighted because they allow a balance in the urban environment through the presence of natural elements (e.g. vegetation) and are responsible for providing the so-called ecosystem services (SA) (SE). In this sense, this study aims to identify the ecosystem services of climate regulation, provisioning services and potential cultural services provided by the Cuiá Urban Natural Park, located in the south of the city of João Pessoa. T o monitor climate regulation in the study area, three thermohygrometers were installed in the park: one at the eastern edge, one in the center , and one at the western edge. The sensors were installed from March 11 to April 13, 2022, to monitor air temperature and humidity variables hourly . For the monitoring of the provisioning service, a survey of the species present in the park was carried out, mainly medicinal and fruit species, using as main source the list of species of the Flora of Brazil of 2020, prepared by the Research Institute of the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro, and the National List of Medicinal Plants of Interest for SUS (RENISUS). For the analysis of cultural ecosystem services, an adaptation was required and the proposal of the Municipality of João Pessoa for the zoning and installation of recreational equipment was analyzed. In this sense, it was found that Cuiá Park is crucial for the environmental quality of the region, since it establishes a direct relationship between the needs of people and the functioning of the ecosystem, apart from important services that provide ecosystem services, highlighting the importance of vegetation and its fundamental role in climate regulation, in the provision of fruit and medicinal plants, and the cultural value (potential) for the population. Finally , it reiterates the need for the commitment of the environmental agency responsible for the implementation of the park, since the provision of SE depends on adequate infrastructure, as well as the need for an effective planning and action plan to address the impact of urbanization of the surrounding area on the park.