Configuration of the forest remnants in an area of the Atlantic forest of northeast Brazil: guiding conservation measures at the municipality level

Abstract

Decision making for forest management and conservation on local scales (e.g., municipalities) allows the participation of the local community and the stakeholders involved in the use of natural resources. When detailed information on conservation targets (e.g., threatened species) are scarce, the use of spatial parameters on a landscape scale to guide local-scale decision making is an alternative. Here, we use the municipality of Umbaúba, located in the southern state of Sergipe, Brazil, and one of the main consumers of timber energy products in the state, to evaluate the configuration of the forest remnants on a landscape scale, in order to contribute to the decision making for local conservation and management of the forests in this municipality. Using a map of forest fragments (64.9 meters resolution), we analyzed a set landscape metrics, namely the amount of cover, shape and connectivity. We identified 35 fragments (503 hectares) of three different seasonal forest types: shrub, shrub and arboreal contact, and arboreal. In general, fragments are small-sized, irregularly shaped and show low connectivity indices, which is typical of highly fragmented areas. Despite the poor forest condition, the arboreal class had a larger cover, with the larger and more connected fragment, known as ‘Escôncio’ woods. Further than being the larger fragment in Umbaúba, it extends into the neighbor municipality, Indiaroba, comprising a larger remnant (544 ha). In addition, this remnant houses population of species threatened with extinction, such as the Coimbra-Filho’s titi monkey (Callicebus coimbrai) and the river spring of the Indiaroba River, with significance for the maintenance of local ecosystem services.