Throughout the participatory scenario development stakeholders had chosen four desirable landscape scenarios: Agroforestry, Agri Husbandry, Restoring degraded lands & Conservation and Tourism development (Fig. 3). These scenarios were selected because they were believed to contribute to generating economic returns to the local community and also delivering conservation. Those were placed within two major axes: income generation and conservation. Agroforestry and tourism development were placed into the first quadrant, as likely to deliver both income generation and conservation. Agri husbandry in the second quadrant with lower associations with conservation but with associated higher land use rents. The conservation scenario was ranked high on the conservation axis but associated with lower rents (fourth quadrant). Stakeholders made well explicit that rents from conservation scenarios are to be linked with the tourism development scenario.
Above all, the stakeholder engagement process revealed that the municipalities surrounding PERD lack basic infrastructure, mainly health care, education and transport. Stakeholders do have difficulties in acknowledging the positive benefits that PERD might bring to their livelihoods. They often report the restrictions on access and use of natural resources, and that there is a noted lack of identity between communities involved and park management. In the four municipalities where scenarios developed there were different preferences for the different scenarios. While in some areas agri husbandry was the most preferred scenario other municipalities selected agroforestry, yet others preferred to reconcile conservation and tourism. A description of the preferences coming from the four different municipalities is presented in detail in SM. Putting those scenarios together will deliver a lively ‘working landscape’ where biodiversity conservation, low intensity agriculture and sustainable tourism are complementary to each other and rural out migration consequently relatively low.
In the discussions of the workshops we understood that the agroforestry scenario was selected because stakeholders associate it with local income generation, as well as to environmental conservation and notably its positive associations with water related ecosystem services. Agroforestry is above all associated with the creation of new sources of employment and income that can add value to local traditional livelihoods. Stakeholders acknowledge that, for centuries, the soil in the Rio Doce basin has been used for economic purposes, promoting several productive chains. However, currently, there are numerous environmental impacts that concern the communities linked to this region. The Vale do Rio Doce is one of the regions with the highest occurrence of degraded areas in Minas Gerais and has long lived with a problem of depletion of water sources. In the region agroforestry can be associated with integrated cultivation of perennial woody species with other agricultural and livestock crops, in shared spaces and in multifunctional land use. These different types of Agroforestry systems can vary in their arrangements (spatial and temporal), physiognomy, floristic composition, functional role of components and ecological aspects, system management, production objectives and predominant socioeconomic characteristics. With regard to the contribution that agroforestry can make to the conservation of biodiversity, agroforestry systems are believed to likely increase local biodiversity; increase economic resilience; favouring connections between forest fragments. It also reduces economic pressure on native forests and encourages the reforestation of deforested areas. Therefore, assuming that they are implemented in a way to enhance natural regeneration and the succession of species, agroforestry are instruments of recognized interest for the recovery of degraded areas, since they cause improvements in soil conditions and ecological enhancement to stimulate tourism. The agroforestry land use model shows that there are more than five and a half thousand hectares suitable for agroforestry in the region surrounding the Rio Doce State Park. These areas are human-altered rural areas, close to highways, within Permanent Preservation Areas (PPA) and with low vegetation index. It is a significant area of land, when it comes to implementing agroforestry. For this type of information to be useful in the decision making of a possible program for revegetation of degraded areas, other filters will probably still be necessary, using different variables (SM). The model presented here, however, is a promising start to assist in these possible future works.
Other desirable scenario relate to land use such as agri husbandry. This scenario associates agricultural production with livestock grazing in order to promote food production associated with the generation of jobs and income, in addition to favoring gastronomic and ecological tourism in the region. The Rio Doce area is traditionally a milk production basin where small scale farmers are predominant. The problem so far is that there are not yet strategies for adding values to agri husbandry products and therefore income generated by this activity is very low. It was also stated that there needs to be new markets and arrangements for agrifood products. The engagement with stakeholders raises the awareness that for better results, both in terms of income generation and for enhancing environmental conservation, there are trade offs to be made. One of the needs is to restrict the areas for agri husbandry production to the places where there is medium to high biophysical potential (SM). The land use model for agri husbandry shows that 20% of the municipality of Bom Jesus do Galho (where this scenario was the most preferred- see SM) holds biophysical potential from high to very high. Such areas identified with these classes have, in general, plain relief. It is worth mentioning that the National System of Nature Conservation Units (SNUC) provides that the Comprehensive Conservation Units Management Plan should include ways of integrating conservation with the economic and social activities of communities, including services for the installation or improvement of local infrastructure, and therefore native forests cannot be converted into intensive agriculture or urban areas. The results from the agri husbandry model show that from northwest to northeast of the urban sector of the District of Revés do Belém, there are areas destined for silviculture, with agricultural potential ranging from medium to high. Such areas could be destined to consortium use for planting food or strips of land could be assigned for the installation of these crops. If this is negotiated amongst the pulp industry CENIBRA, cooperative work could be encouraged in these locations between business and communities. In addition, areas that have agricultural potential classified as Very High have been urbanizing or allocated to silvicultural activities, mainly with eucalyptus plantations.
The land use intensification deriving from these trends in land use change have been impacting on the lacustrine system. The lacustrine system which includes dozens of natural lagoons has been suffering from anthropogenic land use pressures. Whether public or private areas, it is suggested that the lagoons, as well as their immediate surroundings, receive special attention regarding conservation, and potential areas for ecotourism can be considered. Another alternative, given the respective demand, could be developing product chains of native species. In this way, economic and environmental functions could be promoted in these regions, encompassing the other social and cultural landscape functions by involving both local communities and visitors.
More problematic is to define priority areas for conservation and restoration around the PERD. Two multicriteria models, one with consultation with the local stakeholders, and the other based on the literature review were developed. Results show a low overlap of the priority areas for restoration emerging from the preferences of local stakeholders and from the literature review. This happened because the weights attributed according to the literature were directed towards the conservation of biodiversity, while the weights attributed according to the wishes of the local communities were directed towards the maintenance of ecosystem services (SM). Thus, the overlap was restricted to areas surrounding water features and potential areas for ecological corridors. Within these areas, we identified as priority actions the increase of the Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) already existing through the implementation of Legal Reserve areas in their surroundings and the creation of mechanisms for the Payment of Environmental Services. In the latter case, the definition of priority areas on a local scale can act as an important subsidy for the monetary valuation of the area to be conserved, which is not currently the case.
Putting all together and attending to the biophysical potential of each location, the landscape functions can be reconciled in different types of landscapes that work for people and nature (Kremen and Merenlender, 2018). Pasture and agriculture areas with low to moderate levels of degradation can be reforested using agroforestry. Both trade in agricultural products and guided tours encouraging gastronomic tourism can be developed in these places. In the Silviculture areas, intercropping is feasible, as well as activities such as beekeeping, which is already present around the Park.
In view of the meetings held with local actors and research partners, it is believed that this work may influence the application of public policies, project design and improvements for the region. Specifically, the company in the cellulose branch CENIBRA, which showed interest in contributing to the development of the region, either through the provision of areas or a consortium for the cultivation of food. Indeed the scenario development process created cooperation and partnerships across communities, public and private institutions. The same pulp industry company also made itself available to train workers in the production of asphalt pavement with the use of steel aggregate, currently donated to some municipalities in the Vale do Aço region. In this way, it would contribute to the improvement of access routes to these locations. The time involved in mobilizing, establishing and maintaining bonds of trust with the community, and skepticism on the part of some local actors in relation to the research were difficulties that existed throughout this process.
Some gaps could have been filled to improve mobilization and bonds of trust with the community: a longer stay in the study site, including activities suggested by the community to strengthen the bond with our team and the project. For example: meetings, mini-courses, periodic presentations of the progress of the project, among others. Meanwhile the CNPq cut funding for this project. As it is a participatory research, the continuity of the project is essential. The challenges are, therefore, the strengthening of ties with the community; effective contact with the project partners, envisioning the development of the Action Plan; elaboration of more detailed studies on the areas selected for the implementation of projects, etc. In order to move forward with the implementation plan established in the governance workshop held at the park headquarters there is the need to reconcile the activities that have been conducted from the individual sectors separately altogether and make a landscape scenario implementation taskforce. The research team has been still keeping the contacts in the area and participating in the governance forums.
In a complementary way and reporting events in the study area during the execution of the project, for example in the city of Bom Jesus do Galho and extensionist programs (EMATER) developed discussions on family farming, adding issues on the planting of vegetables and tubers, production of greengrocers and the creation of a Fair Free from the Rural Producer of the Municipality. There was a technical visit to the municipality of Piedade de Caratinga, which is a reference in growing vegetables and tubers in the region and the delivery of irrigation kits. Discussions about the program operation with local farmers also include technical assistance activities and rural extension of project adherence, diagnostic steps, participatory management plan elaboration, market prospecting, individual and collective services, until the evaluation of the results. Other actions of the city halls already progress were: corn silage, grass and sugar cane to ensure the feeding of herds in Bom Jesus do Galho; plowing land to assist rural producers, technical guidance from extension programmes governamental body (EMATER) and delivery of poultry at more affordable prices to producers in the region, supporting poultry farming to increase household income through the production of meat and eggs. The Social Assistance Reference Center - CRAS, was carrying out training activities on Modern Russian Stitch Embroidery, including an exhibition of embroidery produced during classes in Revés do Belém. EMATER, in cooperation between the Bank of Brazil foundation and the city hall, was disclosing the monitoring and fencing of springs in the rural area of the Municipality. The city hall's institutional website also linked the project to the Sustainable Development Goals that are part of the United Nations' Agenda with goals for the year 2030. In relation to social interaction, the public sector, together with the Renova Foundation and Instituto Elos carried out in the Revés do Belém District a joint effort that resulted in the construction of a square for the community next to the state school and the renovated court next to the football field.
All of these ongoing actions lead us to believe that this process is under development and its evaluation will have to be continuous over the next few years. All the initiatives that have been carried out so far have been previously discussed within the scope of this project and it can be said that, although in a modest way, this participatory process allowed to change the local reality. We understand that this result of a large number of initiatives occurring after the implementation of this participatory process can be considered a very positive gain given the social context of the area before the realization of this project.
Despite a positive experience, from the governance workshop it was also made clear that in order to implement those scenarios, leading actors had to be the municipality councils. Municipalities in the region, namely in their master Plan, can bring together their land use zones that are seen as more sustainable by local stakeholders. One of the problems is that some of the municipalities do have lack of human resources and lack technical capacities to develop their Master plans and land zones. Furthermore, it was also well acknowledged that in order to have scale for the development of markets for the different activities (tourism, agroforestry products, etc) those had to be implemented at the landscape (regional) scale. However there is not yet an institutional body that reconciles rural development activities across different municipalities with these agro, forestry and tourism drivers of development.
In the governance meetings held so far it was well acknowledged that there is the need for integrating sectors such as conservation (PERD), agriculture (Ministry of agriculture, EMATER), Tourism (secretary estadual Turismo) at the landscape scale. It was also well acknowledged that for landscape scenarios to be feasible and implemented there is the need to reconcile governance mechanisms at different scales of governance. Stakeholders called for cross scale governance in order to implement landscape scenarios such as agroforestry, agri husbandry, tourism and conservation. In all these scenarios relevant policies at the national scale need to be reconciled to regional and local efforts.
The experience emerging from the participation in governance forúns for over 6 years (2016–2021) highlighted that there is not yet a leader pushing by the enforcement of a whole landscape approach. While the goals of environmental governance have been incorporating for example concepts such as ecosystem services and notably payment for ecosystem services (PES) there is not yet a sort of new actors with background for implementing the theory of landscape approaches on the ground moving towards the implementation of landscape scenarios.
The participatory process was helpful for developing landscape scenarios which in turn can be assessed and evaluated by a range of interested parties. This brought in an innovative way the desires of local communities that live in protected areas and its surroundings to be acknowledged by local institutions, governmental and nongovernmental organizations. Participants worked closely and cooperatively through a sequence of workshops to reach more close consensus of land use options. These combined the views of different interests, agricultural, commercial, conservationist and touristic, to establish an agreed process for collective negotiation. Add to this the scope for more responsive governance and the changing role of university-based research for working towards sustainable landscape outcomes, and this research provides the basis for exciting future innovation in landscape ecology practices and management.