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To streamline tree mapping, the Secretariat of Environment and Animal Welfare (Sema) is studying the development of an app to record information on tree species in the city's urban forest. If the study proves viable, the software is expected to be ready by the second half of this year.
The system, currently under study, is part of the Urban Forestry Master Plan, mandated by the Public Prosecutor's Office and launched in March of last year. The inventory is the most time-consuming phase of the project; however, the app will make it possible to map urban trees in certain areas of the city, collecting data such as geographical coordinates and tree health.
Sema forestry engineer Maurício Sampaio explains that mapping is already being conducted without the app. “We use high-resolution imagery. We have already mapped Zones 1, 2, and 3, and Zones 4 and 5 are currently being analyzed,” he comments. “The app will be an additional tool to help Sema with this inventory,” he adds.
Urban Forestry Master Plan
In addition to the inventory, the Urban Forestry Master Plan is responsible for assessing the condition of the trees and establishing a plan for the next 30 years. “We want to create a database with information on every tree in Maringá's urban forest. For instance, requests for pruning or removal made through the 156 hotline will be registered in our system to maintain this control,” says Sampaio.
Through this project, Maringá will benefit from well-managed trees, preventing falls, power grid issues, and current and future environmental risks, while also ensuring biodiversity conservation.
Urban forestry is linked to regulating temperatures in urban areas, human interaction, wind speed control, sidewalk preservation, soil permeability, and cultural-historical significance.
“They are essential for quality of life. The more trees a city has, the better. In Maringá, the trees have already become a landmark, and people recognize the city for its urban forest,” he notes. The last survey, conducted in 2006, estimated there were 130,000 trees in Maringá.
This is not the first time Maringá has innovated in environmental initiatives; the city also has 37 community gardens maintained by 899 low-income families.
Via CicloVivo.
This article was written by CicloVivo. The translation is powered by AI.
