Field Activity: Comparative study between mangroves and the impacts of urban activities Greicilene Regina Pedro, Walter Barrella

Abstract

Mangroves are one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet and their importance for the maintenance of goods and services is enormous. Urban Ecology seeks to integrate several areas with emphasis on ecological, geographic and social aspects in the study of the effects of urbanization on ecological processes, ecosystem services and biodiversity. The present work aimed to present a proposal of field activity in Ecology to observe the effects of human activities on mangroves of the Baixada Santista, SP, by comparing two distinct areas, one in direct contact with the urban environment and the second whose primitive characteristics relatively well preserved. The proposed activities seek to develop in the field classical exercises related to the physical description of the environment, flora and fauna, as well as observation of local water and substrate conditions. Following are proposed exercises in the classroom and laboratory to develop some basic Ecology concepts such as abundance, density, frequency, biomass, coverage, population distribution, birth rates and mortality, diversity indexes and ecosystem productivity. Finally, activities are proposed to correlate observed data and impacts from human activities, especially those related to urban environments.