Richness, diversity and tree composition in the squares of Palmas, Tocantins

Abstract

In urban centers, the planning of urban afforestation is essential to guarantee the quality of life of citizens, with green areas and squares being strategic places to promote interaction between people, thermal comfort and the conservation of urban biodiversity. Unlike many Brazilian cities, Palmas, capital of Tocantins state,  sought to incorporate in its urban planning since the beginning the delimitation of green areas and squares with the objective of ensuring thermal comfort and leisure for the population. The present study aimed to evaluate the afforestation of the squares in the urbanized blocks of Palmas Urban Plan, characterizing and quantifying the afforestation of the squares implanted in different periods and squares still without infrastructure, comparing their richness, diversity and tree composition. It was also sought to assess whether these locations are fulfilling their socio-environmental role as planned. 2,350 trees from 35 botanical families and 111 species were registered in the squares of 12 blocks in Palmas – TO state. The native species of the Cerrado were the most frequent in all square types. The Alpha and Beta diversity analyzes determined that the areas that were not deforested were the most diverse and had more similar communities, positive patterns that differ from those described for the afforestation of most Brazilian squares, a different model that must be preserved and propagated by the public authorities.