Flexibilizações do novo código florestal brasileiro em imóveis rurais às margens do Rio Grande

Abstract

Although the Brazilian Constitution stipulates the need for the preser-vation of natural resources, current Forest Code (Federal Law 12,651/2012) provides means to make flexible the size and use of protected areas, causing negative impacts on the environment. A study case of the municipality of Lavras MG Brazil analyzes changes related to Permanent Preservation Areas (PPA) on the banks of rivers and in the neighborhood of artificial reservoirs built for the generation of energy or water supply, and the Legal Reserve (LR) of farms on the banks of the Rio Grande. Based on data of the National Rural Environment Registration and on the System of Geo-graphic Information, several scenarios compared the effects of more restrictive mea-sures and flexibility measures with consolidated anthropic use. Flexibility may cause a 79.4% reduction in the area studied in PPAs on the banks of rivers, 67.7% in PPAs around artificial reservoirs for the generation of energy or water supply and 7% in Legal reserve. Reduction affects negatively the ecological functions of PPAs and LRs.