PRIORIZATION OF AREAS FOR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION IN UGRHI 22, IN PONTAL DO PARANAPANEMA, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

Abstract

This work aimed to identify areas for ecological restoration in the Water Resources Management Unit (UGRHI) 22, in Pontal do Paranapanema, in the western of Sao Paulo State, Brazil. This area has low levels of native vegetation coverage, which can cause environmental imbalance at a loss of human activities. Thus, to reverse this scenario, it is required to define the areas in which ecological restoration actions should primarily take place. Therefore, a weighted linear combination methodology wa performed, in which the variables chosen were combined giving more weight to each one of them. Data from the natural fragility to erosion were used as sources of information, as well as the natural vulnerability of aquifers pollution, the Permanent Preservation Area (PPA) the forest inventory, the connectivity among the State of Sao Paulo, the Conservation Units (UC) and the priority areas declared by other instruments. The definition of a weight variable has been made from a matrix of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). This data is then combined, resulting in a five classes hierarchy map, which represented the degree of priority for restoration. The results have shown there are priority areas at the length and breadth of the UGRHI 22, with an emphasis on the Permanent Preservation Areas, and surrounding areas near the forest fragments of the Morro do Diabo State Park and the Mico Leao Preto Ecological Station, the Laranja Doce and Santo Anastacio river basins. According to information obtained it was concluded that the data collected adequately represent the priority areas in the UGRHI 22.