Valoração ambiental do bosque das seringueiras no município de Itacoatiara

Abstract

This study aimed to economically value a green area within the urban space of the municipality of Itacoatiara, Amazonas, called Bosque das Seringueiras. The space comprises a total area of 334 m² and is made up of 68 individuals of the species Hevea brasiliensis Müll.Arg (Euphorbiaceae) popularly known as rubber tree. The forest is located at the confluence of the avenues Mario Andreazza and Borba, neighborhood Santo Antônio. The method used for valuation was contingent valuation (MVC), where willingness to pay (DAP) was used to identify how much respondents would be willing to pay for possible maintenance and conservation of the forest. The digital form was adopted as a data collection technique, containing open and closed questions, widely distributed through social networks, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram elaborated through the Google Forms platform. A total of 109 forms were analyzed. It was noted that (52%) of respondents they are male, (64%) are from 18 to 27 years old, (40%) have no income, and (59%) are in higher education. The main reasons why people do not visit the forest are: unattractive (46%), personal issues (25%) and abandonment by the government (21%). The reasons that lead people to visit the forest are: to attend events (24%), the shade (21%) and the tour (18%). The main benefits highlighted are: provides (47%) environmental benefits, (35%) as leisure area. The harms identified by the presence of the forest were: it houses marginal (52%), drug users (35%) and dangerous (13%). The presence of rubber trees is the most striking factor in the forest (53%), followed by the government leaving (27%). As for willingness to pay, (48%) of respondents said they were willing to pay for site maintenance and upkeep, (37%) said they might pay, and (15%) said they would not pay. The main reasons for the rejection were: attribution to the government regarding the costs of such services and distrust regarding the application of resources. By applying the contingent valuation method, the average willingness to pay amount of R $ 15.00 per month was obtained, resulting in a total willingness to pay amount of R $ 728,186.28, which would annually yield the amount from R $ 8,738,235.41. The main factors leading to the valuation of the Rubber Tree Grove are: natural resources, size and location, while the factors that lead to devaluation are the abandonment by the government and inappropriate use.