Landscape and environmental planning

Research projects:

Paleloíndia occupation in the State of São Paulo: A geoarchaeological approach

Description: Analysis of the current interrelationships between constitution and organisation of pedological coverage and arrangement of archaeological artefacts.

Professor in charge: Sidneide Mandrefini (sidmanfredini@hotmail.com)

 

Organisation of geographical space and urban health in the metropolis of São Paulo

Description: To understand how the organisation of the geographical space influences child urban health, in particular regarding prematurity and low weight at birth.

Professor in charge: Ligia Vizeu Barrozo (lija@usp.br)

 

Organic agriculture, agroforestry systems and socio-environmental development

Description: From the perspective of sustainable socio-environmental development, we seek to evaluate the efficiency of agroecological practices in the recovery of degraded environments and their socioeconomic feasibility.

Professor in charge: Sidneide Manfredini (sidmanfredini@hotmail.com)

 

Application of geotechnology in the orientation of land use based on impacts of global climate change

Description: The project consists in the application of geotechnology in the evaluation and orientation of land use before the impacts of global climate change on the coastal environment enclosed by coastal watersheds, considering as spatial cut-out the area between the coast of the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Professor in charge: Celia Regina de Gouveia Souza (celia@igeologico.sp.gov.br)

 

Biogeography of rocky cliffs in Ubatuba, northern coast of São Paulo

Description: The project aims to characterise the biogeography of rocky cliffs located in the municipality of Ubatuba, northern coast of São Paulo, aiming to identify factors that control the biota.

Professor in charge: Celia Regina de Gouveia Souza (celia@igeologico.sp.gov.br)

 

Integrated environmental characterisation, ecological risk, and sustainability of the remaining plain sub-biomes

Description: The project intends to perform an integrated environmental analysis of the landscape in the region of Bertioga (São Paulo) from the perspective of the Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) of micro biomes remaining in the coastal plain and low slope.

Professor in charge: Celia Regina de Gouveia Souza (celia@igeologico.sp.gov.br)

 

Diagnosis of the presence of plastic grains on beaches of the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Description: Financing by: Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Bahia/Geological Institute.

Professor in charge: Celia Regina de Gouveia Souza (celia@igeologico.sp.gov.br)

 

Population dynamics of cerradão remnant, Américo Brasiliense (SP)

Description: The area of cerrado occupies part of the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, Tocantins, and Minas Gerais, including smaller parts in the states of Bahia, Piauí, Maranhão, and tracts in São Paulo, Paraná, Pará, Amazonas, and Rondônia; it is limited to the west by the Amazon Rainforest, to the east by the Caatinga, and to the South by the Atlantic Forest. Its vegetation is formed by two physiognomic-floristic sets, representing a pattern of savanna or cerrado (grassland, dry grassland, cerrado grassland, and cerrado) and a forest one (cerradão). The cerrado in the state of São Paulo, in 1962, accounted for 13.7% of its territory, being 2.9% represented by cerradão (724,900 ha); in 1974, there were only 4.18% of the state with cerrado; in 1983, there were 149,000 ha of cerrado and 34000 ha of cerradão. Our aim is to study the population dynamics of cerradão remnant located at the headquarters of Clube Náutico Araraquara, Américo Brasiliense (SP). Between 1992 and 1994, a shrub-tree phytosociological study was performed in 25 permanent plots distributed in a random-systematic way. Phytosociological data of 17 years ago will be compared with those that will be collected in the same plots, obtaining information such as population growth, changes in the distribution of size or species, mortality rates etc. Understanding the population dynamics of a type of vegetation contributes to better understand the phytogeography of species that compose it and to plan more effective strategies for the preservation of its remains.

Professor in charge: Yuri Tavares Rocha (yuritr@usp.br)

 

Creation of tactile cartography and teaching material for understanding global warming

Description: In partnership with Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana de Santiago de Chile, Universidad del Litoral de Santa Fé, Argentina and with Centro de Educación Básica Especial para Niños Ciegos ‘Nuestra Señora del Carmen’ of Peru, with financial support from IPGH (Pan American Institute of Geography and History) – 2009-2012.

Professor in charge: Waldirene Ribeiro do Carmo (walcarmo@usp.br)

 

Indigenous geography and social cartography

Description: Prof. Alexandre Vitor de Lima Fonseca (PhD student, Graduate Program in Physical Geography of FFLCH-USP and professor at UFMA – Federal University of Maranhão – receiving financial support from the university); Prof. Dr. Daniela Marchese (University of Verona – Italy); Prof. José Camilo Ramos de Souza (PhD student, Graduate Program in Physical Geography of FFLCH-USP and professor at UEA – State University of Amazonas – FAPEAM scholarship student); Marcelo Machado Silva (LEMADI-DG researcher); Prof. Dr. Maria Lucia Cereda Gomide (alumnus of the Graduate Program in Physical Geography of FFLCH-USP and professor at UNIR – Federal University of Rondônia); and Prof. MsC. Renato Gavazzi (master, alumnus of the Graduate Program in Physical Geography of FFLCH-USP and representative of Comissão Pró-Índio [Pro-Indian Committee] of Acre).

Professor in charge: Regina Araújo de Almeida (reginaaa@usp.br)

 

The current geographical context of mycobacterioses

Description: To understand how the geographical context (environment and socioeconomic conditions) affect the spatial distribution of mycobacterioses (tuberculosis and leprosy) in several localities of Brazil.

Professor in charge: Ligia Vizeu Barrozo (lija@usp.br)

 

The role of Conservation Units in local development

Description: The creation of Conservation Units (CU) has its recognised importance within environmental conservation, however, it continues to be seen by local people as confrontational in its relationship with the local and regional sociocultural development. We have seen in several studies analyses of the possibilities that different social groups have found to dialogue with this policy by assuming, explicitly or implied, the concept of sustainability as a viable way to promote development with conservation of natural resources.

Thus, the creation of Conservation Units, although imposing limits to surrounding communities and municipalities on land use and occupation, can also promote gains and advantages to these same communities, since it can trigger a series of activities and services generated because of these CU’s. If well articulated to how the population of these communities is, lives, and works, these activities can generate a development alternative.

Therefore, the aim of this project is to analyse a few Conservation Units in the state of São Paulo as inducing territories of local development. To accomplish the objectives of this project, some case studies will be carried out in a State Park and in a Sustainable Development Reserve of Jacupiranga Mosaic in the state of São Paulo. Through these case studies we will trace overviews of the influence of CU’s on social and economic development of communities located in its surroundings or internalised in CU’s. In addition, it will be possible to analyse the role of Public Authority as promoter of policies that generate income and employment generated because of the Conservation Units.

Professor in charge: Sueli Ângelo Furlan (sucaangf@usp.br)

 

Spatial distribution pattern of tree species consumed by Cebus nigritus (Cebidae) in the Atlantic Forest, State Park

Description: To analyse the distribution pattern of tree species used as food by a group of C nigritus using the method of rectangular plots of fixed area, distributed in an area of 459 ha of the Atlantic Forest, located in the PECB, in Serra da Paranapiacaba between the municipalities of São Miguel Arcanjo, Sete Barras, Tapiraí, and Capão Bonito, state of São Paulo.

Professor in charge: Yuri Tavares Rocha (yuritr@usp.br)

 

Landscapes and territorialities

Description: To study and protect the biological and cultural diversity in ecosystems and wetlands of Brazil.

Professor in charge: Sueli Ângelo Furlan (sucaangf@usp.br)

 

Management plan of natural parks of Rodoanel south beltway: landscape conservation and ecology analysis

Description: Management plan of the municipal natural parks in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. Landscape ecology studies to analyse the conservation design of integral protection created in the environmental compensation program of the highway implementation and its aspects of regional conservation and restoration.

Professor in charge: Sueli Ângelo Furlan (sucaangf@usp.br)

 

Beach monitoring program for evaluation of impacts of dredging constructions in the Port of Santos

Description: The aim of this study is beach monitoring for evaluation of impacts of dredging constructions in the Port of Santos.

Professor in charge: Celia Regina de Gouveia Souza (celia@igeologico.sp.gov.br)

 

Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of an area in the lower course of Ribeira de Iguape River (SP) based on bio and geoindicators

Description: Project of a paleoenvironmental reconstruction of an area in the lower course of Ribeira de Iguape River (SP) based on bio and geoindicators

Professor in charge: Celia Regina de Gouveia Souza (celia@igeologico.sp.gov.br)

 

Paleoclimatic and paleogeographic reconstruction in the lower course of Ribeira de Iguape (SP) during the Holocene

Description: The project aims to recognise paleoenvironments and to evaluate environmental variations during the Holocene on the lower course of Ribeira de Iguape region from palynological studies in sedimentary deposits; to propose a consistent paleogeographic pattern of paleoenvironmental variations that contribute to a better understanding regarding the deposition environments that composed this region and which would be exploited by shell mound builders.

Professor in charge: Celia Regina de Gouveia Souza (celia@igeologico.sp.gov.br)

 

Natural resources and territorial organisation

Description: This research group studies the relationship between territorial organisation and environment characteristics, particularly regarding natural resources.

Professor in charge: Luis Antonio Bittar Venturi (luisgeo@usp.br)

 

Great biological diversity on a rocky cliff in the municipality of Ubatuba, northern coast of São Paulo

Description: Research on the great biological diversity on a rocky cliff in the municipality of Ubatuba, northern coast of São Paulo.

Professor in charge: Celia Regina de Gouveia Souza (celia@igeologico.sp.gov.br)

 

Integrated use of seismic methods in the mapping of quaternary sedimentary deposits in the coastal plain of Bertioga

Description: The project aims to evaluate the potential of the combined employment of different seismic techniques (section stacked with P-wave reflection, tomography with refraction of P-wave and S-wave velocity section through the spectral analysis of surface wave) for mapping quaternary deposits in the coastal plain of Bertioga.

Professor in charge: Celia Regina de Gouveia Souza (celia@igeologico.sp.gov.br)

 

Density variation of Enterococcus bacteria in sea water on a rocky cliff in the municipality of Ubatuba

Description: Study on density variation of Enterococcus bacteria in sea water on a rocky cliff in the municipality of Ubatuba, northern coast of São Paulo.

Professor in charge: Celia Regina de Gouveia Souza (celia@igeologico.sp.gov.br)