Between salt and cement: a critical analysis of the fragmentation process of restinga vegetation in the southern sector of Cabo Frio (RJ) (1990-2020)

Abstract

Currently, there is a lot of discussion about the degree of interference of human beings in ecosystems. Regardless of this debate, one thing that cannot be denied is the presence and influence of our species across the planet. In this context, a large part of the human population was concentrated in coastal areas, where important and diverse biotic communities are found, but also very fragile: on the Brazilian coast, one of these formations are the restingas. However, far from contributing to misanthropic propositions, it is important to say that the problem of ecological pressure does not stem from something intrinsic to human beings, but from historical structures that determine their action. That said, this work aims to spatialize the restinga formations in the southern sector of the municipality of Cabo Frio (RJ) between the years 1990 and 2020, and to relate its recent production of space with its expressions in terms of landscape. The methodology chosen includes a bibliographic survey, the acquisition of images from the Landsat 5 and 8 satellites for calculating vegetation indices and producing thematic maps. The results revealed that, in the delimited period, the restingas suffered little variation in their extension, which shows that the most intense fragmentation process is prior to the studied period. On the other hand, the surroundings showed a significant change, linked to a process of territorial restructuring, with the densification of the urban area and the conversion of salt flats into residential areas, which in the future may generate increased pressure on the environments studied.