Environmental vulnerability in the Environmental Protection Areas (EPA) of the Atlantic Forest Biome in the southeastern region of Brazil

Environmental Protection Areas (EPA) are Conservation Units (CU) for Sustainable Use that have relevant natural characteristics of the landscape, which must be preserved. However, this management category has generally presented many difficulties and limitations due to its low degree of environmental restriction, suffering several criticisms arising mainly from objectives and its conservation efficiency. These factors can cause greater pressure on natural habitats, and, eventually, generate considerable levels of vulnerability in their territory. In this sense, the objective of the present work was to diagnose the environmental vulnerability of the EPA inserted in the domain of the Atlantic Forest Biome in the southeastern region of Brazil. With the aid of the ArcGIS software, data were used in the Geographic Information System (GIS) of slope, geology, pedology and land use and occupation to determine the Environmental Vulnerability Index. The results showed that the areas studied fall predominantly into the low and medium vulnerability classes. Despite this scenario, it is necessary to implement actions and measures that aim to reduce the degradation of the areas of remaining native vegetation, due to the advance mainly of the existing agricultural and urban activities in the study area. Therefore, it is concluded that the present study is essential for territorial planning, subsidizing information for the management plans for this and other CU categories.