Interpretação ambiental e sua aplicabilidade nos roteiros ecoturísticos da Floresta Nacional de Carajás – PA

Abstract

The creation and planning of protected natural areas contribute to the conservation and protection of natural diversity and reduce deforestation. Thus, the Conservation Units (UCs) can be essential in the search for this conservation, coupled with the population’s involvement, especially in the surrounding area. This involvement has been encouraged through public use due to the potential awareness it can bring to society, besides the support for environmental issues through the conciliation of leisure activities and tourism. However, when talking about ecotourism or sustainable tourism in UCs, it is essential to highlight that the dimensions of sustainability (economic, sociocultural, environmental, and politico institutional) will be influenced by tourism activities due to the impacts that the activity provides, whether direct or indirect, positive or negative. For this reason, it is crucial to internalize Environmental Education (EE) and Environmental Interpretation (EI) as tools to promote this awareness and involvement. Knowing the visitors’ profile, their main visitation interests, and their main demands makes it possible to provide public use planning. This planning can occur through the Visitation Opportunities List (ROVUC), which is a tool for inventorying the different existing or potential visitation opportunities, helping in the diversification, implementation guidance, and promotion of the most appropriate management of natural environments in order to provide the desired visitation experiences in the UC. For this reason, the methodology adopted for this work was using the ROVUC tool to inventory the existing natural attractions with ecotourism potential in the Carajás National Forest (FLONA), located in the state of Pará, in the Amazon forest biome. The qualification of the interpretive potential of public use and the description of the main themes of environmental interpretation addressed in ecotourism routes and with ecotourism potential was carried out. From the methodology, it was possible to evidence the existing attractions, identifying possible themes that can be used in the environmental interpretation of each attraction and their potential for public use of activities that are not yet performed. Thus, it is also expected that this work can contribute to the expansion/revision of the Program for Public Use of the Management Plan of the UC studied, contributing to the development of the Political Pedagogical Project - PPPEA, through the inventory of existing and potential attractions and activities in Carajas National Forest, thus enabling a diversified and ordered route by the degree, thus providing a better experience in visitation and contributing to the strategic planning of the respective FLONA.