Birds, landscape connectivity and environmental planning in urban landscapes

• Autor(a) principal: João Carlos de Castro Pena
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFMG
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/1843/36369
• topic: Ecologia; Ecologia; Aves; Planejamento ambiental; Área urbana; Planejamento de cidades

The role of urban landscapes in biodiversity conservation has been increasingly recognized. Various studies have demonstrated that a properly managed urban green infrastructure can increase species diversity and preserve ecosystem services essential for human well-being. However, despite the rapid expansion of Neotropical urban landscapes in recent decades, they remain understudied. Thus, the main goals of this thesis were (1) assess the effects of urbanization on birds of a largely urbanized city located in the Neotropical region, and (2) to formulate management practices and public policies that aim to increase urban biodiversity conservation and human well-being. The general hypothesis was that Neotropical urban landscapes are poorly planned and managed, and the urban environmental filter has a strong effect on the urban bird community. However, by the identification of the effects of urbanization on biodiversity and the socio-political aspects that shape urban growth and development, it is possible to identify planning and management practices that aim to reduce the negative effects of urbanization on human and non-human organisms. To achieve these goals, this thesis was divided in four chapters. In the first three chapters, the southern region of Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais, Brazil), was selected as our study area and we mapped and described its green infrastructure. Then, we assessed the effects of human impacts and the urban vegetation on birds that occupy the streets of the southern region of Belo Horizonte and modeled least cost paths for bird species, in order to formulate an urban landscape network. In the fourth chapter, we described our participation in the formulation of public policies for the new participatory master plan for Rio Claro (São Paulo, Brazil), a medium sized Neotropical city. The green infrastructure of the southern region of Belo Horizonte is poorly planned and managed, being unevenly distributed through the landscape. Consequently, the urban environmental filter has a strong effect on the urban bird community that occupy the streets. The urbanization process, especially the exposure to noise, leads to a reduced bird species richness and community functional aspects. However, appropriate planning and management practices, such as the maintenance of large street trees and the increase in the amount of native street tree species, are able to reduce the negative effects of urbanization on birds. Using expert knowledge and least cost path modeling, we defined an urban landscape network for birds, and identified the most permeable portions of the landscape and important links for the preservation of landscape connectivity. The voting process of the participatory master plan for Rio Claro was delayed twice, and its approval remain uncertain. This is an indicative of the strong political and economic influences over decisions related to environmental planning and management in Brazilian urban landscapes. Urban and landscape planning need to prioritize human well-being, environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation. Thus, by the identification of urbanization impacts on human and non-human organisms and the socio-political aspects that shape urban growth and development, we will be able to build friendlier and resilient cities, that are socially responsible and environmentally sustainable.