RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY OF NOVA RÚSSIA AND THE ATLANTIC FOREST DURING THE 20TH CENTURY IN BLUMENAU-SC

Abstract

The Atlantic forest was extremely exploited in the 20th century at both the national and regional levels. By means of environmental description it was possible to understand the consequences of human actions and their relationship with the diverse forms of the use of natural resources, making clearer perceptions of the consequences of human influences in the Itajaí hydrographic basin. The objective of this work is to determine the occurrence of human influences in the Parque das Nascentes and its surrounding community known as Nova Rússia, as well as its consequences on the Atlantic Forest and the human population of the region during the 20th century. In order to do this, collection of verbal reports and written documents was made. It was possible to identify to the main human influences in the Parque das Nascentes region and its surroundings, such as mining, exploitation of the hydro potential by flour mills and sawmills, exploitation of native wood, agriculture, cattle, reforestation with exotic species, hunting and fishery, all of which helped cause the exhaustion and extinction of some of this exploited resources; mainly between 1960 the 1980, when exploitation was carried out through the introduction of machinery that provoked serious consequences to the Atlantic Forest and to the park’s surrounding communities. Key words: Atlantic forest. Itajaí Valley. History of Human Occupation. Soil use.