BLUE-GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE DISTRIBUTION IN PIAUÍ, BRAZIL

Studies of blue-green infrastructure (BGI) are still incipient in Brazil. Since its access and benefits may not be well-distributed among the population, it is important to evaluate BGI distribution to base territorial and environmental planning. This is especially true for less urbanized and developed states, like Piauí. Thus, this study aimed to assess urbanization, socioeconomic and BGI parameters in Piauí municipalities. We conducted a quantitative assessment through descriptive and correlation statistical analysis and spatial data visualization considering absolute population, population density, relative built area, and built area per inhabitant as urbanization parameters; per capita income, poverty, GINI inequality, and human development indexes as socioeconomic parameters; and relative forest area, forest area per inhabitant, relative BGI area, and BGI area per inhabitant as BGI parameters. Strong correlations were found between BGI and urbanization, while important but weak correlations were found between BGI and socioeconomic variables. Municipalities with more BGI are less urbanized and have worse socioeconomic conditions. Results reinforce that the urbanization processes of Piauí municipalities need to ensure open spaces for urban BGI, therefore pursuing environmental justice and BGI access and benefits for all.

Public garden squares and mean monthly per capita income in Curitiba, PR, Brazil: inequalities in the distribution and access of benefits generated by nature

A floresta urbana gera diversos serviços ecossistêmicos para as pessoas. Dentre os componentes da floresta urbana, as praças se diferenciam por geralmente possuírem menor área, mas maior quantidade e melhor distribuição pelas cidades, agindo como pequenas florestas geradoras de benefícios. Esses benefícios, entretanto, podem não ser compartilhados por toda a população, tanto devido à variabilidade na cobertura vegetal das praças, quanto pela desigualdade de distribuição das praças em relação às áreas com melhores ou piores condições socioeconômicas. Por isso, buscou-se investigar a relação entre as praças e o rendimento médio mensal nos 40 bairros agrupados de Curitiba visando a subsidiar o planejamento urbano para manter a distribuição igualitária de benefícios à população ou diminuir desigualdades, caso existam. Assim, dados quantitativos e qualitativos das praças foram comparados ao rendimento médio mensal por meio de análises estatísticas descritivas e de correlação, e da visualização espacial dos dados. Os resultados indicam que bairros com menores rendimentos possuem menos praças em relação à área do bairro e menos espécies arbóreas no total e por praça. Bairros com maiores rendimentos têm melhores indicadores de quantidade e de qualidade, em geral, exceto quanto à área média das praças e à permeabilidade. Conclui-se que os benefícios não estão igualmente distribuídos para toda a população de Curitiba, com prejuízo no acesso aos benefícios gerados pelas praças e seus serviços ecossistêmicos pela população com pior condição socioeconômica.The urban forest generates diverse ecosystem services for people. Among the components of the urban forest, public garden squares are different for having a smaller area but a greater quantity and better distribution across cities, acting as small forests that provide benefits. However, these benefits may not be shared by the entire population, due to the variability in the vegetation cover of the squares and the inequality concerning areas with better or worse socioeconomic conditions. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between the squares and the mean monthly income in the 40 clustered neighborhoods of Curitiba, aiming at supporting urban planning to maintain equal distribution of benefits to the population or reduce inequalities, if any. Thus, quantitative and qualitative data from the squares were compared to the mean monthly income through descriptive and correlation statistical analysis and spatial data visualization. Results indicate that neighborhoods with lower income have fewer squares concerning the neighborhood total area and fewer tree species in total and per square. Neighborhoods with higher incomes have better indicators of quantity and quality, in general, except for the mean square area and permeability. We concluded that the benefits are not equally distributed to the entire population of Curitiba, with a loss of access to the benefits generated by the squares and their ecosystem services for the population with worse socioeconomic conditions

Brazilian landscape styles and tree biodiversity in public garden squares

The main features of the Brazilian contemporary landscape style are the recovery of degraded areas and the use of indigenous species. This study aimed at analyzing the vegetation of the Curitiba-PR public garden squares to verify if the areas created during the contemporary period (from 1990 on) have a greater diversity of tree species than other squares and, therefore, are more significant for biodiversity conservation. For this, 32 of the city's 454 squares were sampled as determined by statistical calculation, then classified by creation year and landscape style. Trees species, families, and individuals were identified and classified as to their origin; and the variables richness; average species; number of individuals; density of individuals; and the Shannon, Pielou, and Odum indexes were analyzed. The 15 contemporary style squares presented 399 individuals of 54 species and 27 families, with 43.61% of the individuals and 50.00% of the species of exotic origin; individuals average of 26.60 ±9.72 per square and 43.09 ±35.13 per hectare; species average of 6.93 ±4.98 per square and 13.95 ±10.63 per hectare; and diversity indexes of Shannon 3.39, Pielou 0.85, and Odum 9.02. The squares in the contemporary style presented higher diversity indexes, but they have, on average, fewer species, families, and individuals, in addition to a greater proportion of exotic species and individuals. These results indicate that these squares did not follow the typical characteristics of the contemporary style and are of no greater significance for biodiversity conservation when compared to other squares

ÁREAS VERDES, POPULAÇÃO E RENDA EM CURITIBA, PR, BRASIL

O Objetivo do Desenvolvimento Sustentável 11.7 visa fornecer acesso universal a espaços públicos verdes, o que pode ser alcançado por um sistema bem planejado de áreas verdes (AV). Este estudo buscou, portanto, identificar lacunas na distribuição de AV relacionada a variáveis demográficas e socioeconômicas. Curitiba foi selecionada como área de estudo por ser internacionalmente conhecida por suas 1.182 AV. Dez variáveis sobre população, renda e AV foram calculadas com base em dados espaciais e divididas em 40 bairros agrupados. Foram realizadas análises estatísticas descritivas bem como correlações de Pearson, Spearman e Kendall. Os principais resultados são apresentados em valores mínimos-máximos por bairro (com valor médio entre parênteses): quantidade 12 – 113 (31,07); área média 0,00 – 0,66 km² (0,03); área total 0,02 – 7,87 km² (0,67); quantidade por área do bairro 0,35 – 12,44 AV/km² (3,98); área do bairro ocupada por AV 0,30 – 42,44% (5,03%); população por quantidade de AV 442,17 – 2.789,26 habitantes/AV (1.564,97); e índice de AV 0,65 – 269,56 m²/habitante (16,77). Correlações fortes foram encontradas principalmente para renda per capita entre a quantidade de AV por área do bairro (positiva) e a população por quantidade de AV (inversa). Os resultados mostram grande amplitude e diferenças relevantes entre bairros que podem auxiliar planejadores urbanos

Neotropical freshwater fisheries : A dataset of occurrence and abundance of freshwater fishes in the Neotropics

The Neotropical region hosts 4225 freshwater fish species, ranking first among the world's most diverse regions for freshwater fishes. Our NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set is the first to produce a large-scale Neotropical freshwater fish inventory, covering the entire Neotropical region from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to the southern limits in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. We compiled 185,787 distribution records, with unique georeferenced coordinates, for the 4225 species, represented by occurrence and abundance data. The number of species for the most numerous orders are as follows: Characiformes (1289), Siluriformes (1384), Cichliformes (354), Cyprinodontiformes (245), and Gymnotiformes (135). The most recorded species was the characid Astyanax fasciatus (4696 records). We registered 116,802 distribution records for native species, compared to 1802 distribution records for nonnative species. The main aim of the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set was to make these occurrence and abundance data accessible for international researchers to develop ecological and macroecological studies, from local to regional scales, with focal fish species, families, or orders. We anticipate that the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set will be valuable for studies on a wide range of ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, fishery pressure, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, and the impacts of species invasion and climate change. There are no copyright restrictions on the data, and please cite this data paper when using the data in publications