Impactos ambientais urbanos e a prestação de serviços ecossistêmicos: uma análise na zona de proteção ambiental 10 (Natal/RN)

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the influence of environmental impacts on the provision of cultural Ecosystem Services, provision, regulation, support and knowledge, in Environmental Protection Zone 10, in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast of Brazil. The methodology adopted is based on the deductive method, divided into 03 (three stages): Prefield, field and office. In the Pre-field stage, a bibliographic review was carried out to appropriate the established concepts; in the field stage, technical visits were made to the entire sector of ZPA 10 to characterize the geoenvironmental conditions, classify the ecosystem services and identify the environmental impacts on the Ecosystem Services offered by geodiversity and biodiversity; in the office stage, the analysis and interpretation of the data obtained was carried out. The theoretical basis is anchored in the concepts of Landscape, Environmental Impacts, Environmental Zoning and Ecosystem Services (ES). The results indicate that ZPA 10 is formed by a set of elongated sandbanks parallel to the coastline, aligned with the predominant wind direction, interrupted by the urban area of the Mãe Luiza neighborhood. The dunes, covered or not by vegetation, are distributed and interact with the other elements of the physical and biological environments. The ZPA provides several types of SE, such as those classified as cultural SE (contemplation of the landscape, leisure activities); SE Provision SE (Food, nutrients and materials for civil construction); Regulation SE (atmospheric processes, terrestrial processes); Support SE (Soil processes, habitat) and Knowledge SE (Scientific exploration). The analysis also revealed that in several spatial contexts of ZPA 10, activities occur that cause environmental impacts of various types and these are directly interfering with the provision of biodiversity and geodiversity services in the area, through actions such as sand removal, use of fire and deposition of construction debris and solid waste, which affect the aesthetics of the landscape, air quality, water quality, soil erosion and cause impacts on fauna and flora. Therefore, by observing this relationship between environmental impacts and ecosystem services, this study should contribute significantly to the valorization of such services, as well as the environmental preservation of the spatial scope of the research.