Espécies exóticas na arborização urbana de municípios do estado do Paraná

Abstract

Urban forest is essential for the quality of life in cities. Vegetation performs a series of important functions for the environment and for society. However, many afforestation projects are carried out employing species not native to local flora and may bring ecological impacts such as the reduction of native biodiversity. The objective of this study was to elaborate an overview of urban afforestation in the state of Paraná regarding the occurrence of exotic species through a systematized literature review on studies that include urban forest in the state and also based on the assessment of municipal plans of Urban afforestation approved and made available for consultation by the environmental agency Paraná. For this, studies on the subject were sought in the Google Academic database, and all municipal urban forest plans of municipalities of the state approved by the Água e Terra Institute (IAT) were analyzed to identify the occurrence of exotic species in urban forest. In total, the analysis included ten scientific papers carried out in 10 municipalities of Paraná and 18 urban forest plans. The results showed that in 70% of the studies and 57% of urban forest plans, the richness of exotic species is superior to the richness of native species found in urban forest. The most recurring invasive exotic species in the studies were: Mangifera indica L. (100% of scientific studies and 66.6% of urban afforestation plans) and Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton (90% of scientific studies and 60% of urban forest plans). By highlighting the predominance of the richness of exotic species in Paraná urban forest, the results of the synthesis presented here may contribute to the reflection on the planning of plant species used in urban forest projects.