Valoração dos serviços ecossistêmicos providos pelo Parque Municipal da Usina Velha situado no município de Arcos- MG

Environmental valuation is a valuable management and decision-making tool, which enables the sustainable use of natural resources. The objective of this study was to monetise the ecosystem services of the Municipal Park of Usina Velha (PMUV). It is an area formed by an exuberant waterfall and beautiful landscapes, being a place of rest, leisure, sports and ecotourism for the local population, in addition to being part of the history and development of the city of Arcos, MG. In the past, in this location, the city's first hydroelectric plant was installed, through which the city and the surrounding region had the first access to electricity. The categories of land use and occupation present in the PMUV are: Natural Forest (Atlantic Forest / Cerrado), pastures, lakes and rivers. The PMUV is inserted in the Atlantic Forest biome, still containing pasture, lakes and rivers. This study is classified as an applied research as to the ends; qualitative and quantitative by the way of approach; exploratory and descriptive regarding the objectives. With regard to technical procedures, first, a narrative and systematic review on the topic was carried out; then a documentary analysis of the dossiers, inventories, plans, decrees, and other documents was carried out. As for the valuation method employed, the research was divided into two stages: in the first, the monetary value of the seventeen ecosystem services was measured according to the work carried out by Costanza et al. (2014). In the second stage, the contingency assessment method (MVC) was applied. From the first method, the value was estimated at R $ 12,917,086.84 between the period from 1967 to 2019, considering, therefore, 53 years of provision for environmental benefits, which represents R $ 243,718.62 / year, and R $ 39,133.35 / ha / year. Using the MVC, based on the willingness to pay the monthly average based on the interviewee's salary, the park's value was estimated at R $ 9,357,737.14 / year. The factor analysis showed six factors that influence the availability to contribute to the preservation of the park, namely: Stabilization, Provision, Security, Water, Social and Contribution, while the cluster analysis identified four behavioral profiles of residents of Arcos in what regarding the environmental importance of the PMUV called: Non DaP of Non- Responsibility, Non DaP of Lack of Money, Non DaP Contradictory, and DaP of Value. The two environmental valuation methodologies employed are extremely relevant, and although they are distinct, they are not competing or excluding, but complementary, providing together a broader view of the importance of the ecosystem services provided by the PMUV and the need for its environmental preservation, a since, while Costanza et al. (2014) allowed the unitary valuation of each SE, by area and category, based on the biomes present in the place, the MVC provided specific values for the area, identifying the value attributed by the residents of Arcos to the place. It is concluded that the present research can be used as a tool to support decision making in the management of PMUV, as well as the creation and public policies and action plans that benefit the place and the community in which it is located; to stimulate the environmental preservation of it by the population, companies and public authorities; in addition to serving as a source of information and supporting future work in the area of environmental valuation.