Ecological valuation applied to areas of permanent preservation

Abstract

This study apply the concept of Emergy Evaluation and Functional Assessment of Ecosystems to estimate the values​​associated with maintenance of permanent preservation areas from an ecological perspective; the areas of study are conserved in small farms in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Six were rated Environmental Services: (1) the service ofproviding water and nutrients to the streams, (2) theaquifer recharge, (3) climate regulation, (4) providing food for wild flora and fauna of the surrounding ecosystems, (5) pollination, biological control, increased fertility and productivity of the system, (6) carbon sequestration and regulation of the chemical composition of the atmosphere. The total values ​​of annual services to the fragments of 7, 25, 75 and 200 years respectively, R$3,376.13, R$ 3,534.86, R$ 4,015.95 and R$ 4,712.06. Permanent Preservation Areas are important for sustainability of production processes that benefit directly the different environmental services provided by these areas and to maintain the well being of humanpopulations