ABSTRACT Biological diversity is directly affected by alien species, even though the diagnosed impacts vary with scale. Early identification of the invasion of natural patches is essential for effective conservation actions. We aimed to determine the exotic plant species present inside Fontes do Ipiranga State Park (PEFI), an urban protected area located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and their relative proportions of occurrence in the native forest. Our goal was to use these data to assess their invasion status according to specific literature and to define management priorities for them. Therefore, we surveyed the presence of exotic plants within the canopy layer and understory of three native forest areas with different levels of disturbance. We found ten exotic plant species. The species found in both strata (60 %) were considered non-dominant ruderal. We assessed the density:coverage ratio to try to distinguish groups of priority, and found Livistona chinensis, Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, and Syzygium jambos to be classified as high priority for management. The early stage of the invasion process at PEFI indicates it is an area of high conservation value, and so we provide recommendations for management priorities prior to severe changes in the composition of the natural plant community.

Este estudo objetivou analisar a importância das Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APP) para a manutenção dos remanescentes florestais no município de Sorocaba, SP. O mapa desses remanescentes foi elaborado com base em fotografias aéreas de 2006, e mapas de hidrografia e de declividade foram usados para determinação das APP. Compararam-se dois cenários: real (mata atual) e ideal (mata atual acrescida da restauração das APP), com base em métricas da paisagem. Os resultados indicaram que 19% do município se enquadra como APP e, dessa área, apenas 45% possui cobertura florestal. As APP preservadas representam 50% do total de cobertura florestal da paisagem. A restauração das APP representaria aumento de 16,68% para 28% de cobertura florestal da paisagem e possibilitaria o surgimento de fragmentos maiores que 3.000 ha, enquanto no cenário real os maiores fragmentos atingem 300 ha. Os remanescentes florestais se apresentaram intimamente ligados às APP: margens de rios, áreas alagáveis e encostas, onde a ocupação urbana foi dificultada e existe o instrumento legal de proteção. Esse quadro evidencia que as APP possuem papel fundamental na conservação florestal em um município bastante urbanizado, onde as áreas naturais sofrem muita pressão. A avaliação dos cenários mostrou que a incorporação dos dispositivos legais no planejamento e ordenamento territorial subsidia as estratégias voltadas para a manutenção de hábitats naturais e, consequentemente, a diminuição dos efeitos negativos sobre a biodiversidade. Entretanto, as mudanças recentes no Código Florestal podem representar um retrocesso no cenário ambiental nacional diante da crescente urbanização.

The present study aimed to analyze the importance of the Permanent Preservation Areas (PPA) for the forest remnants maintenance in the city of Sorocaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil. A forest remnants map was made using aerial photographs from 2006, and hydrographic and slope maps were used to PPA determination. Two scenarios were compared with landscape metrics: real (with current forest) and ideal (current forest adding the PPA restoration). The results showed that 19% of the city territory were classified as PPA, and from this area, only 45% have forest cover. The preserved PPA represents 50% of all forest cover in the landscape. Restoring the PPA would increase from 16.68% to 28% of forest cover landscape and enable the emergence of fragments larger than 3,000 ha. In the real scenario, the bigger fragments have 300 ha. The presence of forest remnants is closely related to PPA areas: riverbanks, floodplains and hillside, where urban occupation was hampered and there is legal protection. The situation shows that the PPA play a fundamental role in forest patches conservation in a largely urbanized city, where natural areas support pressure. The evaluation of the scenarios showed that the incorporation of the legal provisions in planning and territorial ordering subsides the strategies for the maintenance of natural habitats and, consequently the reduction of the negative effects on biodiversity. However, the recent changes in Forest Code may represent a retrocession in the environmental scenario against to the increasing urbanization.

O urubu-rei Sarcoramphus papa (Linnaeus, 1758) está em declínio globalmente e é listado como ameaçado de extinção no estado de São Paulo. Apesar do aumento recente de observações da espécie, os registros de nidificação nesse estado são escassos. Relatamos uma tentativa de nidificação do urubu-rei em torre de observação na Estação Ecológica de Angatuba, sudoeste do estado de São Paulo.

The King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa (Linnaeus, 1758) is declining globally and it is listed as threatened with extinction in state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. Despite a recent increase in observations of this species, nesting records are scarce in the state. We report a nesting attempt on an observation tower at Estação Ecológica de Angatuba, southwestern state of São Paulo.