Environmental protection areas: The case of the bebedouro stream watershed

Abstract

Environmental Protection Areas are legal provisions aiming at the preservation of natural resources through the maintenance of the ecosystem functions. This study aimed to characterize the changes on the land-use between 2002 and 2011, verify the implementation of these legal provisions on the Bebedouro Stream Watershed (Frutal, Minas Gerais), analyze the implications of changes in environmental laws and indicate management options for water resource conservation. For this work the following proce - dures were performed: Land-use mapping of the watershed; investigation on the occupation of the Frutal region; survey of records about the rural properties and Environmental Protection Areas registered. The comparative study of the Bebedouro Stream watershed showed the replacement of large pasture areas by sugarcane plantation; insufficient area of legal provision for biodiversity conservation and increase in the riparian forest during the period studied. Concluding remarks suggest management options for the water uses of the analyzed watershed.