Sustainability indicators in two distinct areas, in Caldas/MG, through the MESMIS methodology

Abstract

Sustainable development is essential to reverse and minimize the impacts of the changes arising from human intervention on environmental resources. This study aimed to the creation, selection and application of sustainability indicators, through visual diagnosis, composed of 26 indicators parameters by MESMIS methodology. Two areas were chosen for the application, consisting of a fragment of native forest and the other consisting of pasture, next to a river source, both at Fazenda Pedra Branca, municipality of Caldas, southern Minas Gerais state, which is inserted into the Environmental Protection Area Ecological Sanctuary of Pedra Branca. As a result, the forest fragment showed high sustainability index, a low management of the area is required. Already the pasture area showed several critical points to be improved. The most critical point is related to the low ecological diversity of the area and it is suggested as an alternative to increase the diversity integration between the management of grazing and forestry production through the inclusion of islands and alley crops composed of tree and shrub species. It’s also proposed the restoration of ciliar vegetation from the river source next pasture, on a consolidated rural area.