SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE BUFFER ZONE OF THE IBIRAPUITÃ BIOLOGICAL RESERVE, ALEGRETE - RS

This project was carried out with funds from the National Biodiversity Program of the Ministry of Environment, and generated the following products:

a) definition of limits for the Buffer Zone of the Ibirapuitã Biological Reserve, located in Alegrete, Rio Grande do Sul, in the South of Brazil. These limits were accepted by the State Secretary of Environment and used to compose the Reserve management plan. See the map.

b) maps of the Biological Reserve and Buffer Zone: vegetation, soil use and occupation.

c) installation of physical references for marking the boundaries of the Buffer Zone. This is a pioneer initiative in Brazil and was intended to clarify the local population about the existence and location of the buffer zone. See a picture.

d) A forestry model using species native to the region, in the Decidual Seasonal Forest, based on market, growth and economic feasibility studies.

Economic feasibility study for native species used in commercial plantations

The studies carried out by IDEAAS show that the production of wood and other forest products from native species is a very profitable business. Economic returns are 5 or more times higher than those yielded from the plantation of non-native species such as Pinus or Eucalyptus. Besides, there is no risk of biological invasion and several benefits in the environmental and social areas:

  • landscape conservation, a right assured in the Brazilian Constitution.
  • Water conservation or even increase in the availability of water, contrary to the trend in regions where non-native species are planted, since their water consumption is higher than the one in the natural environment.
  • Recreation of habitat for native animals and plants, with side benefits to natural processes, such as pollination, essential in many agricultural activities.
  • Social and environmental sustainability, since the initiative generates equilibrium and there is no risk of extraction over the ecosystem capacity, which damages the productive capacity of the environment.
  • Change in the social status of low-income families in the mid-term, improving quality of life and opening opportunities in rural areas.

In order to be this effective, the production system was designed based on the following principles:

  • use of native species to each area, which requires local selection of species for each case to optimize results.
  • Use of 20-30 species from different ecological groups at the same time, which makes harvest viable in the short, medium and long terms.
  • No clear-cutting. The system is perpetual and, once built, provides income in short periods of time and high income.
  • Feasibility for small and medium size properties, adding income in the medium term. This system can be looked at as a private pension fund for rural producers.
  • The selection of species takes into account the needs and preferences of farmers, according to the use they make of wood and wood products.

 

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