Improving the management effectiveness and decision-making by stakeholders' perspectives: A case study in a protected area from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Assessing management effectiveness in protected areas is a fundamental instrument to achieve socio-biodiversity protection goals. This study aimed to analyze the management effectiveness of Cunhambebe State Park (from now on, "PEC") in the State of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, from the perception of stakeholders and the multi-temporal analysis of land use and land cover between 1998 and 2018. We used the Rapid Assessment and Prioritization of Protected Area Management method for a participatory approach. Seventy-two indicators were used and applied to assess the perception of stakeholders related to the Advisory Council. The management effectiveness of PEC was classified as moderately satisfactory (63.41%). Indicators of "Legal security", "Vulnerability", "Site design and planning" and "Financial resources" revealed the weaknesses and threats of management and what should be the priority projects for better effectiveness. Through the multi-temporal analysis, we identified that the advances of pasture and urban areas are the highest pressures and threats, as perceived by stakeholders. In our case study, we provide evidence of actions that must be performed by the PEC management team. These actions must consider the weaknesses and threats presented by the SWOT analysis. Finally, we recommend some political and management measures: 1) Financial resources for the land regularization of areas overlapping with PEC, 2) Guidelines about PEC areas must be included in the Master Plans of municipalities that cover PEC limits, 3) Technical assistance to improve land management, and 4) Strengthen environmental education initiatives at all school levels.

Phytoliths as indicators of pedogenesis and paleoenvironmental changes in Spodosols of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This study aims to contribute toward a better understanding of the current biodiversity patterns existing in the Atlantic Forest of the state of Rio de Janeiro from a paleo-ecological approach. Three soil profiles, each formed from distinct source materials under varied climate and vegetation conditions were selected from the coastal regions of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Soil horizon samples for chemical and physical characterization were collected from 10 cm-interval depths, and the total organic carbon was determined in addition to performing isotype and phytolithic analyses. The phytolithic analysis associated with the isotopic techniques (δ13C) permitted the characterization of three stages of paleo-environmental evolution for the studied soils, presenting valid trends that indicate small variations within the phytosociological structure of the vegetation along a Spodosols line in the studied areas. These stages indicated that the phytolithic assemblage was formed from a vegetation profile containing more trees, adapted to conditions colder than the existing vegetation, although no environmental changes were detected using the isotopic data. The milder temperature conditions may have favored the pedogenetic processes of the spodic B horizon formation as well as the maintenance of the organic matter contained in the soil. This study serves as the first draft for the paleo-environmental association among the regions where the analyzed profiles are found.