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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: jean@uricer.edu.br 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.
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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
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Soc. Bras. de Arborização Urbana REVSBAU, Piracicaba – SP, v.8, n.2, p 93‐109, 2013 96
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
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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
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Soc. Bras. de Arborização Urbana REVSBAU, Piracicaba – SP, v.8, n.2, p 93‐109, 2013 98
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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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Soc. Bras. de Arborização Urbana REVSBAU, Piracicaba – SP, v.8, n.2, p 93‐109, 2013 105
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.
Michele de Oliveira et al.
Soc. Bras. de Arborização Urbana REVSBAU, Piracicaba – SP, v.8, n.2, p 93‐109, 2013 106
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
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Soc. Bras. de Arborização Urbana REVSBAU, Piracicaba – SP, v.8, n.2, p 93‐109, 2013 107
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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