Área de Proteção Ambiental Rainha das Águas do município de Paraíba do Sul (RJ, Brasil): estudo da cobertura florestal, contingências e manejo

The present study aimed to assess the forest cover of the Rainha das Aguas Environmental Protection Area (APA Rainha das Aguas) and its contingencies and potentialities, intending to set the bases for a management plan. The APA covers the entire municipality of Paraiba do Sul, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Through literature review and field activities, we obtained information about the contingencies, potentialities, and characteristics of the APA, including the visual characterization of the vegetation to validate the forest cover analysis, using the Cartographic Bases RJ (2010) and Continuous RJ-25 (2018), in SIRGAS 2000 Datum. We detected 612 forest fragments, with a percentage of forest cover of 23.01%. Deforestation and forest fires are among the problems identified in the APA, which resulted in the reduction and fragmentation of native forests. Hunting, predatory fishing, improper construction, agriculture and forestry carried out improperly, effluent pollution, species introduction, lack of knowledge of the population about the APA, and scarcity of financial resources are also relevant problems. Among management actions recommended are reforestation, environmental inspection, environmental planning, encouragement of polyculture and agroecological practices, wastewater treatment, dissemination of information about the APA and its potentialities to the population, and use of the amount obtained with Ecological ICMS, environmental compensation, and APA products and services in the management of the protected area. Environmental education should be widely used to minimize several problems. The potentialities of the APA include historical, ecological, and rural tourism. It is crucial to emphasize the importance of protecting the Paraiba do Sul River, which is essential for public water supply. With the implementation of management programs, the APA Rainha das Aguas will be able to collaborate effectively for the sustainable development of the municipality of Paraiba do Sul.