“Exotic” species in the afforestation of Porto Alegre – RS and the conception of urban forest Vladimir Stolzenberg Torres

Abstract

Urban vegetation consists of species considered native and exotic, in a lato sensu aspect, however, there is a need for a conceptual definition in the context of an artificial ecosystem, in this case, the urban one. The study inventoried the species occurring in four large squares in Porto Alegre, identifying tree species present there and their interrelationships. 72 species were identified, of which 35 were traditionally considered native to Rio Grande do Sul and, consequently, 37 were considered exotic to this State, representing, respectively, 708, 343 and 365 individuals. The applied indices corroborate expectations regarding the heterogeneous constitution of Porto Alegre's urban forest.