Public use and landscape analysis in the Serra da Canastra National Park, Brazil: a geospatial approach

Abstract

The Conservation Units (CU) were created to protect natural environments from growing degradation and to impede the expansion of urbanization and agricultural crops. The Serra da Canastra National Park, established to protect the headwaters of the São Francisco River and other places of scenic and ecological interest, is extensively visited due to its many tourist attractions, such as waterfalls, fauna and flora. An analysis of the park?s geography is needed to assess the risk involved in and its suitability for public use due to its territorial extension and environmental complexities. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the background of issues of interest to CU management. Additionally, we used high-resolution RapidEye imagery, altimetry and database of park infrastructure to build geospatial database and estimate classes of suitability for and risk in public use through GIS tools. The resulting cartographic data can support the planning of policies concerning the landscape and park?s territorial management.