THE INFLUENCE OF URBAN EVOLUTION ON THE URBAN FORESTION …

Soc. Bras. de Arborização Urbana REVSBAU, Piracicaba – SP, v.8, n.2, p 93‐109, 2013

THE INFLUENCE OF URBAN EVOLUTION ON THE URBAN FORESTION OF ERECHIM,

SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Michele de Oliveira1, Camila Peretti1, Jean Carlos Budke1, Suzana Cyrino dos Santos1, Thiely Corazza1, Solange

Gomes1, Franciele Rosset de Quadros2, Vanderlei Secretti Decian2, Elisabete Maria Zanin2 3

ABSTRACT

The knowledge of how urban afforestation is planned contributes to understanding the way the community interacts with the environment. This understanding is a useful tool to organize and manage urban afforestation. In this sense, this study aimed to address two main issues: how urban afforestation has been conducted in Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, and how these factors influenced tree planning. To answer these questions, we analyzed records of the history of Erechim and compared photographs obtained in different locations and times. The first records of photographs related to the urban afforestation at Erechim are from the 1920s. We verified that exotic species predominated from 1920 to 1970. These species had a symmetric and linear design, which reflected the high influence of the afforestation style of European tendencies. After the 1980s, we observe a predominance of local species, currently native species receive a higher value in tree planting projects on the streets Erechim. Key-words: public roads; urban landscape; urban planning.

REFLEXOS DA EVOLUÇÃO URBANA SOBRE A ARBORIZAÇÃO EM ERECHIM, SUL DO BRASIL

RESUMO

O conhecimento da maneira pela qual a arborização urbana é planejada contribui para a compreensão da sociedade e de sua relação com o ambiente, sendo fundamental para a organização e manejo eficiente da arborização contemporânea. Em vista disso, o presente trabalho buscou responder a duas questões principais: como a arborização urbana foi conduzida em Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul, ao longo de sua história e quais fatores influenciaram nesta condução. Para responder a estas questões, realizou-se uma revisão bibliográfica da história do município e uma análise de fotografias de diversos pontos da cidade desde a época da colonização até os dias atuais. Os primeiros registros fotográficos relacionados à arborização urbana de Erechim datam da década de 1920. Verificou-se que nas décadas de 1920 a 1970 predominaram o uso de espécies exóticas e de formas simétricas e lineares, com estilo paisagístico fortemente associado à colonização europeia. A partir da década de 1980, verificou-se maior uso de espécies da flora regional, culminando com a maior valorização de espécies nativas no final do período. Palavras-chave: paisagem urbana; planejamento urbano; vias públicas.

1 Laboratório de Sistemática e Ecologia vegetal – ECOSSIS, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, URI – Campus de Erechim. Av. Sete de Setembro 1621, Erechim, RS, Brasil CEP 99700‐000. E‐mail: [email protected] 2 Laboratório de Geoprocessamento e Planejamento Ambiental – LAGEPLAM, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, URI – Campus de Erechim. Av. Sete de Setembro 1621, Erechim, RS, Brasil CEP 99700‐000. 3 recebido em 19.06.2012 e aceito para publicação em 15.06.2013

ISSN 1980-7694 ON-LINE

Michele de Oliveira et al.

Soc. Bras. de Arborização Urbana REVSBAU, Piracicaba – SP, v.8, n.2, p 93‐109, 2013 94

INTRODUCTION

In Brazil, urban afforestation started to be part of

urban planning at the end of the 20th century

(MENEGHETTI, 2003), as the republic system was

installed in the country and administrations started

to be concerned with progress and the rational

organization of the society and the use of urban

spaces. For many years, the pattern for urban

landscaping in Brazil followed the trends adopted

in Europe and North America, using exotic species

in tree planting programs. Many species used were

ligustro (Ligustrum lucidum W. T. Aiton),

cinamomo (Melia azedarach L.), plátano (Platanus

occidentalis L.) and extremosa (Lagerstroemia

indica L.). Several studies show the predominance

of exotic species over native ones in urban

afforestation in Brazilian cities (ANDRETTA et al.,

2011; RUSCHEL and LEITE, 2002; MELO and

SEVERO, 2010).

In the 1940s, the first signals of changes in the

concept for the use of free spaces in Brazilian cities

start to show. Burle Marx, one the greatest urbanists

of the 20th century, broke away from the traditional

schools and started a movement to value native

vegetation, which was hitherto disregarded in

landscaping projects (BORTOLETO, 2004; SILVA

et al., 2007; MEDEIROS, 2009). After the 1990s,

awareness of issues related to environmental

aspects started arose, in part due to the approval of

Agenda 21 by the United Nations Conference for

Environment and Development in 1992, which

highlighted the sustainable construction of cities

and biodiversity preservation (MARCONDES,

1999). The focus was to search for an urban

landscaping model that prioritized the use of native

species in urban afforestation.

In addition to the benefits inherent to afforestation,

the use of native species results in important

environmental, aesthetic and cultural gains for

cities (MACHADO et al., 2006). Silva & Perelló

(2010) and Kabashima et al. (2011) emphasize the

contribution of native species to maintain regional

biodiversity. Native species are better adapted to

the climatic and soil local conditions and provide

food and shelter to the fauna, contributing to the

preservation of the urban environment

(BORTOLETO, 2004; DANTAS e SOUZA, 2004).

Urbanization can affect ecological processes of an

area as it modifies the physical and biotic structure

of the environment, changing the availability of

resources offered (BRUN et al., 2007). The use of

native species also contributes to mitigate the

impact of urbanization processes, promoting the

regional flora and ensuring the availability of

resources to the fauna. Urban afforestation,

therefore, plays a very important role in urban

ecosystems (PIVETTA and SILVA FILHO, 2002).

It provides dynamics to the built-up landscape of

cities, allowing improvements of aesthetic and

environmental features and, consequently, quality

of life resulting in environmental comfort and

welfare for the urban population (SILVA, 2008;

PAIVA, 2009).

In each moment in history, the occupation and

evolution processes of societies contribute to the

formation of the landscape characteristic. As the

cultural, social, economic and political processes

change, the perception of the environment also

changes. Therefore, urban landscaping, which is a

result of the interaction between natural elements

and anthropogenic activities, does not organize

itself at random and is constantly transforming.

THE INFLUENCE OF URBAN EVOLUTION ON…


Afforestation, as part of the urban landscapes,

follows this evolution (BERTRAND, 2004;

FÜNFGELT, 2004; SCHMIDT, 2005). Thus,

understanding the process through which

afforestation develops contributes to learning about

the society and its relation with the elements that

compose the urban environment. In this sense, this

study addressed two issues: how urban afforestation

evolved in the city of Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul

State, Brazil, and the factors that influenced its

evolution.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Study site

The municipality of Erechim is located in the North

of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, in the region

known as Alto Uruguai, between 27°29’06” to

27°47’09” S and 52°08’43” to 52°21’03” W. Its

average altitude is 768 m and total area 42,585.3 ha,

with 5.8% of this total in the urban area

(ERECHIM, 2011).

Data from the Meteorological Station of Erechim

for the period between 1976 and 2005,

characterizes the region as transition between Cfa

and Cfb in the Köppen classification. The average

annual temperature is 17.6 ºC, with the lowest

temperature observed in June (12.7 ºC) and

maximum in January (25.5 ºC). Rains are well

distributed along the year and the average

precipitation is 1,912.3 mm.year-1 (BERNARDI

and BUDKE, 2010).

Geologically, the Alto Uruguai region is on basalt-

zone capping sandstone of Paraná, formed by

igneous effusion. The clayey Oxisol predominates,

which is deep and well drained, allowing the

development of large forest formations interspersed

with grasslands. The region is in the Atlantic forest

biome, in a transition zone between a

Semideciduous Forest and an Araucaria Forest

(JARENKOW e BUDKE, 2009).

Method

We carried out a review of historical data of

Erechim, focusing on the aspects related to urban,

architectonic and landscaping aspects of each

period. Although the historical events are well

documented, there are few reports for afforestation

or landscaping projects for the city. Thus, we used

the analysis of photographs as the main

investigation method, given that the image is visual

and does not require mental imagination like the

written reports (Possamai, 2005).

The criteria used in the analysis of photographs

were: i) architectonic and landscaping elements and

their position; ii) the relationship between the

elements and the urban context; iii) changes that

occurred along the time. Whenever possible, we

also identified the tree species used in the urban

afforestation. We analyzed nearly 400 photographs

from different parts of Erechim since the

colonization times to present date. The Arquivo

Histórico Municipal Juarez Miguel Illa Font



provided the photographs, which were analyzed

according to their historical context.

Urban afforestation comprises vegetation cover of

tree species related to three inter-correlated factors:

public green areas, private green areas and street

afforestation (MELLO FILHO, 1985; KIRCHNER

et al., 1990; LORUSSO, 1992). Although squares,

gardens, parks and medians of larger size are also

considered green areas (LIMA, 1994) and not part

of the urban afforestation per se, in this study, they

were considered as such.

Based on the analysis of photographs and criteria

adopted, we divided the study period into three

times, following the architectonic changes reflected

on the urban afforestation for each period.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Before colonization

The Alto Uruguai region was originally covered by

large Araucaria Forests (Araucaria angustifolia

(Bertol.) Kuntze) interspersed by grasslands. For

many centuries, the Caingangs Indians, who

practiced agriculture and hunting and collected

natural elements, like the jatropha fruit, inhabited

these forests. The grasslands in the southern part of

the region were dwelled by the Charruas Indians,

who lived on the hunting and fruits, but they did not

practice agriculture (CESE, 1979; SOUZA, 2000).

During the 17th century, pioneer expeditions

penetrated the forests that stretched from the region

of Mato Português and Castelhano to the borderline

with what is known today as the Paraná State,

through the Passo do Goyo-En, in the Uruguai

River (PAIVA, 1951). Some pioneers were left

behind and established themselves as landowners in

the region. Later, fugitives from justice and the

Farroupilha (1853-1845) and Federalista (1893-

1895) revolutions joined the pioneer descendents

and Indian communities (CESE, 1979). These first

inhabitants lived on subsistence agriculture, mate

extraction (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.) cattle

raising. Occasionally, groups in search for mate

leaves went to the Alto Uruguai region to explore

mate trees in the region.

The northern region of Rio Grande do Sul State was

difficult to be inhabited due to the scarps of the

Serra Geral in the South and the Uruguai River in

the North. The official occupation of the region,

encouraged by the state government, started only in

the 19th century and intensified after the

Proclamation of the Republic on November 15,

1889.

The delineation of the lands in the Alto Uruguai

region started in 1904, together with the works to

implement the railroad São Paulo – Rio Grande. In

this period, an expedition led by Marcelino Ramos

found the first house in the region, as he was

delineating the railroad path. He noted down in his

notepad the area and designated it as Paiol Grande

(ILLA FONT, 1983).

Paiol Grande as described by the engineers and land

surveyors in the early 1900s did not even compose

a village. A few houses were randomly distributed

in the middle of the forest and there was no distinct

borderline for the lands. The roads were precarious

and scarce and the most common means of

transportation was cattle cars that moved along the



tracks opened in the forest. The only vegetation

cover was the native forest that covered practically

the entire region.

1910s: railroads and colonization

The Erechim colony was created on October 6,

1908, following the suggestion of the Carlos Torres

Gonçalves, which was his first project as the head

of Directory for Lands and Colonization. Paiol

Grande was to become the first planned city in Rio

Grande do Sul State (Figure 1). Influenced by the

prevailing urbanistic trends of the 19th and 20th

centuries and by positivist ideas, Torres Gonçalves

planned a rationally organized city, inspired by

characteristics of cities like Washington D.C.

(USA), Paris (France) and London (England), with

large, long and afforested avenues and linear

symmetric streets surrounded by squares. This

planning prioritized geometry and uniformity of

streets and construction and landscape

beautification of the city.

Figure 1. Railroad Station of Paiol Grande in 1912, built in the middle of forest remnants.

However, Torres Gonçalves’s plan was concluded

only in 1914, when a prosperous village had

already been formed around the railroad station,

opened in 1910. The first house preserved the

architectonic style of facades and low

constructions, typically European. They were made

of wood, simple and modest, with a typical

vegetable garden and an orchard. The streets made

by the first immigrants were irregular, did not

follow a defined path and showed no concern with

afforestation. Trees had to be removed for the

development of the population; therefore, the forest

that covered the region was being cut down to give

way to the new constructions.

The implementation of Torres Gonçalves’s road

plan caused a change in the landscape. Several

constructions were displaced, once they had been

built in spaces allocated for streets and avenues

(PAIVA, 1951; WEBER, 1951). The irregular

topography made it difficult to implement the

streets in a symmetric design; therefore, earthworks

and embankment works were carried out in several

places in the following decades.

The analysis of the photographs allowed to observe

the abundance of araucarias (A. angustifolia) in the

forests in the region. In the early years of

colonization, some of these trees were left behind

whenever the forest was cut, even near the urban



areas, because families used the jatropha fruit as

food source until their crops started to produce. The

cedar tree (Cedrela fissilis Vell.) was also abundant

and its exploration became of the main economic

activities in the region, once its wood was highly

appreciated and had high commercial value.

In the mid 1910s, the first settlers were relatively

well settled. Lumber exploration and high

agricultural productivity due to the high soil

fertility resulted in an intense economic dynamics.

This condition was reflected in a constant concern

for the beautification of the city. The wooden

houses became more elaborated with gardens. The

first initiatives for urban afforestation started at the

end of the 1910s with several road paths afforested

with plátano (P. occidentalis).

1920s: political emancipation

In 1918, the Colony of Erechim obtained political

emancipation. The lumber industry and mate

exports and agricultural products led Paiol Grande

to become one of the most prosperous villages in

northern Rio Grande do Sul State, and it was

chosen as center of the new municipality. With the

emancipation, the village was named “Boa Vista”,

and the municipality was given the name Boa Vista

do Erechim in 1922.

In the 1920s (Figure 2), wooden constructions rich

in decoration elements sprung up. On the main

avenue, there was a tendency for a better use of

spaces and constructions were closer to each other

and near the sidewalks. The trees were planted

about two meters away from the curb, at equal

distances in a straight line. The photographs show

that the seedlings were selected because they

showed similar heights and were mostly of exotic

species.

The preferred species were plátano (P. occidentalis)

and ligustro (L. lucidum). Cinamomo (M.

azedarach) started to be identified in the

photographs at this time; however, it was not used

in the afforestation of the central region of the city.

Native species, such as ipê (Tabebuia spp.) and

jerivá (Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman)

were also identified; however, they were more

common in backyards of houses than in street

afforestation.

Figure 2. Bandeira Square in 1920 showing several glossy privet trees and surrounded by simple unpaved streets

with plane trees in an asymmetrical design.



The native vegetation continued present in the

surroundings of the city; however, more permeated

in clearings. The photographs show the

development of the several populations of timbó

(Ateleia glazioveana Baill.) in many parts of the

city. This species is considered pioneer, aggressive

and characteristics of secondary vegetation (REITZ

et al., 1983), which justifies its large occurrence in

the region.

At the end of the 1920s, some medians were

afforested with ligustro (L. lucidum). The

photographs of this period show a practice that later

became a tradition: drastic pruning of tree species at

the winter beginning. Several hypotheses can be

raised; however, none of them explained the reason

for this practice.

1930s: great fires and Belle Époque

The 1930s were marked by great changes in the

urban landscape of the central area of the city. In

the early years of the decade, the state government

determined a change to Torres Gonçalves’s original

plan. The project was signed by Diumier Schneider

and Longines Malinowski and presented the idea

for a city-garden of Ebenezer Howard, with the

street design considering the level curves, as the

most adapted to the local topography. The

symmetric design was maintained in the central

area (FÜNFGELT, 2004), where we can observe

afforestation with ligustros (L. lucidum), and the

square received flowerbeds and a hedge of Buxus

sempervirens L. (Figure 3).

In December 1930, Amintas Maciel was elected

mayor of Erechim and was determined to give the

city a new design, more appropriate for its

development. The Bandeira square was remodeled

with a double line of cemented paths shaped like

ellipsis and large sidewalk to delineate its areas,

which received light poles with underground wires

and new afforestation (ILLA FONT, 1983).

Figure 3: Bandeira Square after the renovations implemented during the administration of Mayor Amintas

Maciel (1930s).

The landscaping and architectonic renovations were

not limited to the square. Between 1931 and 1933,

three great fires occurred and destroyed part of the

city center. Mayor Amintas Maciel had forbidden



the construction and renovation of wooden

buildings in the city center; therefore, the buildings

were demolished and built in bricks (Figure 4).

The new buildings displayed two architectonic

styles, both French, however very distinct: Art

Nouveau and Art Decó. Art Nouveau was part of the

movement known as Belle Époque, started in

France at the end of the 19th century as a reaction to

the degradation to the urban environment and living

conditions caused by the industrial revolution. This

style highlights the aesthetic beauty, the harmony

with nature and perceived the urban environment as

a cultural and intellectual center for the society.

This emphasis on nature was reflected a constant

concern with the beautification of the streets and

squares through afforestation. The medians of some

streets of Erechim were afforested with ligustros (L.

lucidum). This species was largely used in urban

afforestation because of their pleasant scent and fast

growth. In the late 1930s, the individuals of

plátanos (P. occidentalis) that had been planted in

the 1920s no longer appeared in the photographs,

showing that they had been removed.

Figure 4. Maurício Cardoso Avenue (1930) with plátanos (P. occidentalis) in urban afforestation resembling the

French boulevards.

Still at the end of the 1930s, the Art Decó style, or

decoration art, started to be used. It started in

Europe, post World War I, and was marked by

simplicity and strong presence of geometry, with

the predominance of vertical lines (SEGAWA,

1999). The buildings of Art Decó became popular

and were built side by side near streets with no

afforestation.

The photographs show the reduction of the forests

that surrounded the city. The lumber industry

intensified in this period and was marked by the

exports of large logs, mainly from pine and cedar

trees, to Argentina, through riverboats down the

Uruguai River (TEDESCO and WENTZ, 2007;

WENTZ, 2004). This commercial exploration of

the forests in the region was known as the “lumber

cycle”. Erechim had become an important

economic center in the region.

1940s: Art Decó



In the 1940s, the main avenue had its buildings

replaced again. The owners of the buildings did not

hesitate to demolish and rebuild the buildings

following their constant desire for modernity

(SOUZA, 2000). The new buildings were built in

the Art Decó, the style that predominated until the

end of the decade (Figure 5). Modern architecture

had two objectives: quickness and facility to build.

The Art Decó style with its symmetric and regular

lines and simple designs inspired by geometric

shapes satisfied both objectives (SEGAWA, 1999).

The geometry and simplicity of Art Decó reflected

on the urban afforestation. Similar to the buildings

at the end of the 1930s, the buildings were built

near the sidewalks, which had no afforestation. The

“green curtains” formed by trees lined up along the

sidewalks, highly appreciated in the 1920s,

disappeared almost completely from the

photographs. The flowerbed of Maurício Cardoso

Avenue are delineated by round-edged sidewalks,

which had grass, ligustros (L. lucidum) and

extremosas (L. indica) in the central part. The trees

were planted symmetrically: one individual of

ligustro (L. lucidum) on each edge and two

individuals of extremosas (L. indica) in between,

separated by the light pole.

Figure 5: Absence of forestation on sidewalks and occurrence of glossy privet and crape myrtle trees on beds on

the main avenue.

In 1939, the administration of urban centers was

transferred from the state to the municipalities. In

Erechim, since then, the interest and participation

of the private sector in the organization of housing

projects, street planning and infrastructure of urban

services increased (CESE, 1979). This was to mark

the start of a drastic change in the organization of

urban environments (Figure 6). The appreciation of

land properties led to a fragmentation of lands and

the vertical growth of the city. Although the

urbanization and landscaping plans remained the

same, the economic prosperity due to the lumber

industry continued to change the urban landscape.

Despite the predominance of ligustros and

extremosas, photographs from 1947 show the use

other species in urban afforestation (Figure 7). The

Maurício Cardoso Avenue received jacarandás

(Jacaranda mimosifolia D. Don) and seedlings of

ipê (Tabebuia spp.) were planted in several other

areas of the city. The palmtree jerivá (S.

romanzoffiana) was also observed in the medians of

lateral streets. The use of native species in urban



afforestation was a consequence of diffusion of the

ideas of Burle Marx, who became widely known

for the use of colors and harmonious lines in his

landscape projects, started in the 1930s, which

always included Brazilian tree species, promoting

the national flora (MEDEIROS, 2009; SILVA et

al., 2007; SEGAWA, 1999).

Figure 6. The beginning of the 1940s with adjacencies showing the planting of Araucaria angustifolia trees. The

sidewalks on the main avenue were still not afforested.

Figure 7. The end of the 1940s with removal of most native forest from the surroundings of the downtown area.

The concern with green spaces led to the creation of

a municipal park in 1948 in a forest remnant near

the city center. In 1970, the park was denominated

Parque Municipal Longines Malinowski, to honor

a, designer and land surveyor that collaborated for

its planning and maintenance (SOUZA, 2000).

1950s: landscape revitalization of the city center



As the city grew, several areas were built with

buildings and subdivisions. The lots were highly

appreciated; therefore, they became more expensive

and smaller. The urban afforestation assumed a new

configuration due to the need to maximize the

rational use of the spaces. Architecture in the 1950s

was based on the compact, geometric and simple

solutions. The buildings should express themselves

in their own structure, not by secondary elements.

Gardens and leisure areas started to be more

appreciated due to works of Burle Marx and other

urbanists from the period (SEGAWA, 1999). These

trends arrived to Erechim with the first

professionals graduated in the engineering course at

university, among which Francisco Riopardense de

Macedo was responsible for extending the

modernization process to the urban landscaping.

In the early 1950s, the City Hall of Erechim started

the paving of the main streets and implemented

improvements to street lighting. Meanwhile, a

gardening and revitalization project of the city was

elaborated by Riopardense de Macedo. The

sidewalks on streets, medians and Bandeira Square

were covered with Portuguese mosaic, a technique

that consisted of forming drawings and patterns

using contrast of stones of different colors.

The project designed by Riopardense de Macedo

conciliated the more recent European trends with

the dominant concepts in the large Brazilian cities.

The photographs show that the landscaping was

predominantly done with widely used exotic

species. Jacarandás (J. mimosifolia), chuvas-de-

ouro (Senna multijuga (Rich.) H.S. Irwin &

Barneby) and extremosas (L. indica) were planted

along the sidewalks. The central medians received

the hedgerows (B. sempervirens), and in the central

part of the medians, ornamental flowers and cypress

(Cupressus spp.) grew on a grass cover. On the

median sidewalk, ligustros (L. lucidum) were

planted in a straight line.

The landscaping concepts of the time showed that

squares had a role to play given that they were

green spaces; therefore, they should be planned

carefully (MACEDO, 1951). The Bandeira Square

in the political, economic and religious center of the

city received a more solemn feature. It received a

water fountain with colorful lights, a symbol of

modernization and economic prosperity of the city,

its flowerbeds were redesigned adopting

harmonious curve lines. The afforestation of the

square comprised ligustros (L. lucidum),

extremosas (L. indica) and cypress (Cupressus

spp.). The four gardens around the square were

afforested with American pines (Pinus patula

Schltdl. & Cham.), ipês (Tabebuia spp.) and

cypress (Cupressus spp.), besides exotic ornamental

flowers.

In the late 1950s, the city already presented many

rationalist features promoted by modern

architecture (Figure 8). The urbanist Riopardense

de Macedo standardized the afforestation of the

main streets and avenues in the city center,

revitalized squares and flowerbeds and greatly

contributed to the beautification of the city, which

has been preserved as such until the present time.

Figure 8. Maurício Cardoso Avenue (1957) showing a geometrical design according to the ideal order and

rationality designed by Riopardense de Macedo.



In 1957, the construction of the Edifício

Condomínio, the first building taller than four

stories in the city, changed the horizontal

configuration of space, initiating the process of

vertical growth, which was intensified in the

following decade, this process displayed a different

concept of architecture and, therefore, a new

interpretation of the urban environment.

1960s: functional architecture

The 1960s were marked by constant search for

modernity and progress. The landscape, a concept

had assumed a harmonious feature characterized by

buildings of similar styles and uniform

afforestation, started to show distinct elements:

buildings designed from the functional architecture.

The vertical growth of the city intensified along the

decade, with the replacement of many constructions

for concrete buildings designed with predominant

cubic lines and with no decoration elements. The

photographs from this period show the contrast of

these new buildings with old buildings from the

1930s and 1940s. It is observed, however, that the

urban afforestation did not undergo great changes.

On the main avenue, which concentrated the

business center of the city, the trees were removed

from sidewalks (Figure 9). Photographs show that

on adjacent streets and residential areas, canela-

doce (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume) and several

fruit trees were planted, probably, by residents.

Figure 9. Aerial view of the downtown area (1960s). Overview of trees planted by Riopardense de Macedo and

the removal of trees from sidewalks.

1970 – 2000: industrialization and search for similarity to large cities



From the 1970s to the 2000s, the industrialization

process intensified. The railroad transportation was

gradually abandoned and replaced by road

transportation. The logging firms succumbed due to

the depletion of forests and to the advance of

agriculture, and although they represented an

important income source, they became a second

plan. Industry and commerce became the major

economic activities in Erechim.

From 1970 onwards, the constant growth of the

urban perimeter and lack of effective regulation led

to the development of a Master Plan for the city.

Although it was presented in 1975, it was approved

only in 1981 (FÜNFGELT, 2004). The plan divided

the city in zoning regions of activities and

maintained the symmetric design of the streets.

The new regulations facilitated the constructions of

buildings taller than four stories and boosted real

estate speculation. The buildings started to be

designed based on the modern architecture adopted

in large urban centers in the country (Figure 10).

The gardens and afforested areas were highly

appreciated comprising a large part of the urban

projects (SEGAWA, 1999).

During the 1970s and 1980s, urban afforestation did

not change. The photographs show that there was

regular maintenance of the medians and Bandeira

Square, which were relatively well preserved. It is

possible to observe pruning practices of several tree

species periodically.

Figure 10. Erechim (1979) showing a few differences from the initial concept of Riopardense de Macedo.

In 1994, Erechim had a new Master Plan for Urban

Growth. The landscape of the city was again

completely transformed. The small buildings from

the mid 20th century were mostly replaced by taller

modern buildings. The afforestation, on the other

hand, underwent a few changes since the

implementation of the project designed by

Riopardense de Macedo (Figure 11).

The 1990s were marked by a change of the

perception of the human relation with the

environment. There was an awareness of

environmental issues reflected in the way the urban

afforestation is perceived (MARCONDES, 1999).

Therefore, the preference for native species is

currently widely used.



In Erechim, there is a clear conflict between

appreciation and preference for native species and

the aesthetic attractive of exotic ones. Although

about 50% of the species found in urban

afforestation today are native species, most

individuals are still exotic species (ERECHIM,

2011), due to the preferential use of exotic species

for urban afforestation in the past.

Figure 11. Aerial view from Erechim (2007) showing the historical road planning designed by Torres Gonçalves.

Between the 1980s and 1990s, ligustros (L.

lucidum) on the main avenue were gradually

replaced by jacarandás (J. mimosifolia), ipês

(Tabebuia spp.), canafístulas (Peltophorum dubium

(Spreng.) Taub.), ingás (Inga marginata Willd.) and

pitangueiras (Eugenia uniflora L.). This

replacement also occurred on central medians of

adjacent streets, where mostly native species were

planted.

In 1999, Decree No. 2,554 established detailed

rules for urban afforestation in the city. The

seedling planting, pruning and other services

related to afforestation, as well as its management

procedures were placed under the responsibility of

the municipal government. The Decree included a

suggested list of species, predominantly of native

species, for planting in urban public areas

(ERECHIM, 1999).

From 2009, the Municipal Secretary of

Environment initiated a project of landscape

renovation of the city's public spaces. The first step

was the renovation of the Sete de Setembro

Avenue, where the medians received ornamental

flowers, a new lawn and native trees.

The Maurício Cardoso Avenue, the Bandeira

Square and the Boleslau Skrupski Square also

underwent a revitalization process. The trends

followed the same lines adopted by large cities in

the country: exotic ornamental plants that require

little maintenance and always have an attractive

feature during different times of the year, as well as

the use of native tree species. Forms more similar to

those found in the natural environment are

replacing the linear lines of the previous periods,

which implied the human domain on nature.

CONCLUSIONS



The evolution of the urban afforestation followed

the urban evolution of Erechim. In the first half of

the 20th century, the predominance of exotic tree

species highlights not only the foreign influence of

the first dwellers, but also the trend to follow the

large cities in the world. Erechim was remodeled

several times; however, the city growth was not

uniform. Fragments of old times still resist and

there is pronounced difference between the central

areas of the city from its surroundings. At the end

of the 1990s, the use of native species is increased

in the urban afforestation and reflects the emphasis

on the use of native biodiversity.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study is a result of the partnership between the

Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e

das Missões – URI campus Erechim and the City

Hall of Erechim, which created the Master Plan for

the urban afforestation of the city. The authors

thank the City Hall of Erechim for the financial

support and the URI for the infrastructure and

financial support through scholarships to the

authors. The authors also thank the Arquivo

Histórico Municipal Juarez Miguel Illa Font that

provided the pictures used in the study and the

anonimous revisors for their suggestions and

recommendations.

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