ATUAÇÃO DE UMA COMUNIDADE TRADICIONAL NA RESTAURAÇÃO FLORESTAL DE MANGUEZAIS DEGRADADOS NA BAÍA DE GUANABARA – RJ ACTION OF A TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY IN THE FOREST RESTORATION OF DEGRADED MANGROVES IN GUANABARA BAY – RJ

Abstract

Mangroves located in Guanabara Bay have profoundly lost their original vegetation cover. The last stronghold of the ecosystem is located in the Environmental Protection Area (Área de Proteção Ambiental - APA) of Guapi-Mirim. The aim of this paper is to present a successful experience report of a mangrove forest restoration action in Guanabara Bay conducted by members of traditional communities in partnership with the NGO Guardiões do Mar and companies, as well as to contribute to the scarce technical-scientific literature about the subject. The success of forest restoration tends to be the result of effective monitoring and evaluation throughout its execution which is enhanced when traditional communities, which have a close relationship with the ecosystem, work on the project. In addition, forest restoration projects involving traditional communities that live from the mangroves can be a strategy to increase the income of a group that is, most of the time, socially vulnerable.