Urban Trees, Epiphytism and Avifauna in central districts of Santos-SP Christian Ares Lapo, Mara Angelina Galvão Magenta

Abstract

A great number of scientific works have reported the importance of trees in urban environments, placing them as central to improve the quality of the air we breathe, amongst other aspects. The present paper focused on urban trees, their epiphytes and the avifauna in three central neighborhoods in the city of Santos, state of São Paulo, Brazil: Vila Belmiro, Vila Mathias and Campo Grande. The research counted on an inventory of the street trees in three sampled areas which covered 25% of the territory in each one of the districts, by blocks. Both trees and bushes were identified (882 elements), as well as the most recurrent spontaneous epiphyte species and rare ones, beside the local avifauna. It turned out that there is significant difference in urban trees when comparing Vila Mathias to the other districts, since there are blocks there where the number of trees is not enough or they simply do not exist. Finally, emphasis was placed on the capacity of epiphytes such as Rhipsalis baccifera (J. S. Muell.) Stearn,  Microgramma vacciniifolia (Langsd. & Fisch.) Copel., Pleopeltis pleopeltifolia (Raddi) Alston and Tillandsia stricta Sol. ex Ker Gawl. to colonize new trees and the struggle of birds such as Turdus rufiventris Vieillot, 1818, and Patagioenas picazuro (Temminck, 1813), among others, to adapt to disturbed urban environments.