Protected areas are considered the main instrument for the biodiversity conservation. In 2000,
the Brazilian National Conservation Unit System (SNUC) was established laying down
criteria and standards for the creation, deployment and management of Federal, State and
Municipal conservation units (UCs). This work determined the number of UCs established by
municipalities of Rio de Janeiro State analyzing its regional scope and representativeness to
the categories established by the SNUC. To identify the existing Municipal UCs was carried
out a survey through municipalities internet portals research and queries (email, phone
contact or visits to management institutions, especially Municipal Environment ones). The
information search were: existence of UCs under Municipal management and its name,
extension, instrument of creation and date. A database was obtained to analyze the number,
extent and absolute and relative frequency of Municipal UCs considering their category
(Parks, Environment Protection Areas (APAs), Reserves, among others), land use (Full
Protection and Sustainable Use), and location (administrative regions). Information was
retrieved from 87 of the 92 municipalities of Rio de Janeiro State, the five remaining
municipalities did not submit any information requested even after multiple contacts. Thus,
129 Municipal UCs have been identified and distributed among 40 municipalities. However,
47 municipalities informed that there was no UC under their custody. Of 129 Municipal UCs,
68 are included in Sustainable Use group, as the largest number represented by the APA
category; 50 belong to the Full Protection group, as the largest number of units belonging to
represented by Municipal Natural Parks. Eleven UCs were included in categories not
provided by SNUC, specially the Urban Recovery and Environment Protection Areas
(APARU). The analyses of Administrative Regions showed that the metropolitan region has
the highest number and extension of Municipal UCs, and the vast majority are situated in the
municipality of Rio de Janeiro. However, the North-West and South Coast regions offer the
lowest values of UCS mayoral in its territories. These results showed an irregular distribution
of Municipal UCs in Rio de Janeiro State and also its small extension if compared to Federal
and State UCs. Possibly, by the recent establishment of the vast majority of them, having a
precarious management routine. In this context, the Municipal UCs are extremely important
to extend the scope of SNUC because they cover small and medium sized areas that can
increase connectivity between the large forest fragments. Moreover, they are important
instruments of environmental education and are relevant socially to provide an area of
recreation and education easily accessed by local population.
