Environmental vulnerability refers to the susceptibility of a region to damage when it is subjected to natural or anthropogenic actions. The assessment of environmental vulnerability in lakes is an important tool to assist managers in planning and intervening for sustainable production and environmental preservation. The combination of geotechnologies, fuzzy logic and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been applied by professionals and researchers to improve the work and research conducted in various areas and environments. In this context, the objective of this work was to map the environmental vulnerability of a lake and its surroundings through fuzzy logic and the AHP method. The study area comprises the Juparanã Lagoon Drainage Surface (JLDS), Espírito Santo state, Brazil. A survey of the physical characteristics of the watershed (drainage surface) that feeds the Juparanã Lagoon was carried out and also of the land use of this surface. To achieve the proposed objectives, the following methodological steps were implemented: (a) delimitation of watersheds, (b) spatialization of Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) based on the Brazilian Forestry Code (Law nº 12,651/2012), (c) application of logic fuzzy and AHP to spatialize the environmental vulnerability and (d) application of an evaluation of environmental vulnerability to the Preservation Areas (APP). Environmental vulnerability was modeled using Euclidean distance analysis, fuzzy logic and the AHP method, as proposed by Saaty (1977). For the development of this work, geotechnologies were used, with special emphasis on the use of the free software QGIS. The analysis revealed that 31.20%, 32.86% and 20.93% of the JLDS have very high, high and medium vulnerability, respectively. The evaluation of the environmental vulnerability of the APP showed that there is protection in the APP of the JLDS at rates of 47.35%, 34.05% and 14.5% for very high, high and medium vulnerability classes, respectively. The difficulties encountered were related to the lack of studies in the area of environmental vulnerability with a particular focus on lagoons. Here, for the first time, we perform a photointerpretation of the surroundings of Juparanã Lagoon. An important improvement measure would be the application of a temporal analysis to assess the dynamics of environmental vulnerability over time, considering socioeconomic, climatic and environmental changes. This would provide a more complete understanding of the distribution of environmental vulnerability in the study area. The methodology can be adapted to consider different scales of analysis, from local to regional, national and global scales, to assess environmental vulnerability at various scopes and levels of complexity. It can also be adapted to include local communities and governments.

Ecological corridors are effective strategies to address the environmental consequences of forest fragmentation by connecting fragmented areas through various techniques. This study aims to propose the implementation of an ecological corridor in the Itapemirim River basin in Espírito Santo, Brazil. The specific objectives of this study are as follows: delimiting the Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs) in the Itapemirim River watershed and comparing land use and land cover within these areas. The MapBiomas platform and Landsat 8 satellite images were utilized to map land use and land cover, while the criteria set by Law No. 12.651 were followed to define the APP boundaries. The calculation of the landscape ecology indices and the identification of the forest fragments with the highest potential for ecological corridor implementation were conducted using the Fuzzy logic. The QGIS 3.26 application, along with the LecoS 3.0.1 plugin and Fragstats 4.2, were employed to characterize and quantify landscape ecology indices. The costs assessment and determination of the optimal route for implementing the ecological corridor were performed, considering bothdistance and physical impediments. The least cost path algorithm was utilized, taking into account land use and land cover, APP, fragment potential, slope, and subnormal clusters. Evaluating land costs and expropriation expenses required to define the ecological corridor in the study area. The identified forest fragments for inclusion in the ecological corridor were the Caparaó National Park, the Serra das Torres State Natural Monument, and other selected fragments based on the application of Fuzzy logic to landscape ecology indices. The corridor route was determined using the least cost path algorithm, considering various factors. This study revealed that the predominant land use and land cover class in the area is pasture, and a significant portion (68.58%) of the designated Permanent Preservation Areas were in conflict with legal regulations. The bare land value per hectare for pasture was the second highest among the land use and land cover categories, accounting for 64.28% of the total. The priority area analysis indicated that 31.86% of the region had high or very high importance for forest restoration, while 42.97% had low or very low priority. The findings demonstrate that the least cost path algorithm, coupled with a multi-criteria decision-making approach using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), is a valuable tool for planning and implementing ecological networks. These methods effectively consider critical factors in decision-making processes related to the optimal location of the ecological corridor. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the implementation of an ecological corridor in the Itapemirim River basin, emphasizing the importance of considering multiple factors and utilizing appropriate methodologies for effective decision-making in ecological planning.

The objectives were to analyze the dynamics of land use and land cover of the Amazon biome over time through spatial modeling, and project its future scenario with the Land Change Modeler (LCM) module. This analysis was based on 1985, 2014 and 2017 land cover data from the MapBiomas project, which was associated with socioeconomic explanatory variables based on the Cramer-V test. Results showed that the Forest Formation class occupied 3,844,800.75 km² (91.20%) in 1985, and in 2014, there was a reduction to 3,452,129.25 km² (81.89%). The pasture class had an initial area of 71,046.50 km² (1.69%), and in 2014, there was an expressive increase to 437,670.00 km² (10.38%). The analysis made it possible to verify that Forest Formation and Pastures were the classes that suffered the most changes, followed by the Annual and Perennial Culture and Mosaic of Agriculture and Pasture. The projected land use and coverage for 2044 suggests that there will be a reduction in Forest Formation due to a significant increase in the Pasture class. The simulations foreseen in this work are an important tool that can provide subsidies for supporting territorial planning in the region, public policies, and encouragement of best practices with a reduced impact in pasture areas.

Ecological corridors function as a viable way to mitigate the environmental impact arising from forest fragmentation by interconnecting forest fragments through various techniques. In this context, the objective of this study is to propose a route for the implementation of an ecological corridor in the Itapemirim river watershed. The specific objectives were: (i) to delimit the permanent preservation areas (APP) of the Itapemirim river watershed and compare land use and land cover in the delimited areas; (ii) to calculate landscape ecology indices and select the forest fragments with the highest potential for ecological corridor implementation using Fuzzy logic; (iii) to assess costs and trace the best route for ecological corridor implementation, considering distance and physical impediments; (iv) to assess land costs and expropriation costs to delimit the ecological corridor in the study area. To map land use and land cover, the MapBiomas platform was used, based on Landsat 8 satellite images. The permanent preservation areas were delimited according to criteria established by Law No. 12.651 of May 25, 2012, which establishes parameters, definitions, and limits for APP. The characterization and structural quantification of some landscape ecology indices were performed using the QGIS 3.26 computational application, through the LecoS 3.0.1 plugin and Fragstats 4.2. The connected forest fragments were the Caparaó National Park, the Serra das Torres State Natural Monument, and the fragments selected through the application of Fuzzy logic to the landscape ecology indices. The corridor was delimited according to the lowest cost route, considering land use and land cover, APP, fragment potential, slope, and subnormal clusters. For each cost raster image, its respective statistical weights were calculated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) hierarchical method, as well as for the analysis of priority areas for forest restoration, considering land use and land cover, APP, pedology, lithology, and biological importance. The interconnection between protected areas and fragments with the ecological corridor followed the orientation described by CONAMA nº 09/96. Based on the development of the work, the following results were identified: the highest land use and land cover class is pasture. Of the area designated for permanent preservation, 68.58% is in conflicting use with the legislation. The bare land value per hectare of the pasture class is the second highest among the bare land value per LULC values, representing 64.28% of the total. The priority area map showed that 31.86% of the area was classified as of very high or high importance and 42.97% as low or very low priority for forest restoration. Thus, it is concluded that the least cost path algorithm associated with the result generated by the multi-criteria decision method (AHP) constitutes an important tool for planning and implementing an ecological network by taking into account the primary factors for decision-making regarding the location of the best route.