The Environmental Perception of Rural Communities in the Surroundings of the Sete Cidades National Park, Piauí

Abstract

This work presents data on the environmental perception of residents in the surroundings of the Sete Cidades National Park, obtained through interviews with 60 residents of 9 communities from the rural area in the municipalities of Brasileira and Piracuruca. In the State of Piauí, the Sete Cidades National Park is an integral protection conservation unit and its objective is to preserve the biodiversity of the cerrado biome. The Park has 6,303.64 hectares and occupies a perimeter of 36km, presenting in its surroundings different ways of use and occupation of the soil in different types of rural properties (house with backyard, farm, country house, etc). A useful tool for the conservation of biodiversity is the survey of environmental perception, as it allows knowing the relationship between environment and society. 50% of men and 50% of women were interviewed. Most residents are over 50 years old and have incomplete basic education. All interviewees have considered nature conservation very important, however most did not participate or very rarely participated in any activity that addressed the environmental theme promoted by the Park. The main problems identified in the Park were the hunting of wild animals and the invasion of people and domestic animals. Knowing how the residents of the Park’s surroundings perceive the environment around them is very important for understanding environmental impacts and for planning conservation strategies.