Floristic Assessment of the Road Axis of Brasília

65 Years of Bucolic Urban Afforestation in the New Capital of Brazil

Abstract

Objective - This study aimed to assess the floristic composition and the historical trajectory of urban afforestation along the Road Axis of Brasília, conceived as a park city and designated a World Cultural Heritage site.

Methodology - A floristic survey of tree and palm species was conducted along the Road Axis. Subsequently, the Jaccard Index was applied to assess floristic similarity between the plant communities of the North Road Axis (ERN) and the South Road Axis (ERS). The functional traits of species were tabulated, and data were subjected to Principal Component Analysis.

Originality/Relevance - The Road Axis of Brasília stands out within the city’s urban design. It is framed by trees along its 13.8 km extension and recognized as an environmental connector in the Brasília’s Master Plan for Land Use and Occupation due to its potential role as an urban ecological corridor. However, the lack of floristic studies highlights a gap in knowledge regarding the capacity of such a green corridor to benefit the city.

Results - Since its inauguration, Brasília has experienced different conceptions of urban afforestation, and the distribution of the 111 tree and palm species identified in the study area indicate that the ERN and the ERS host functionally distinct plant communities and share low floristic similarity. More than half of the identified plant species are restricted to either the ERS or the ERN, the latter showing greater species richness and potential as an “ex situ” repository of biodiversity.

Theoretical/Methodological Contributions - The rich floristic composition along Road Axis of Brasília bears signatures that reflect the transition from modernist urbanism to a more recent ecological and identity-oriented urbanization. The historical trajectory of tree planting reveals a reconciliatory relationship between the park-city preservation and the conceptual development of a green city.

Social and Environmental Contributions - Over the past 65 years, the arboreal heritage along the Road Axis of Brasília has been consolidated as a multifunctional asset, encompassing urbanistic, cultural, ecological, pedagogical, and recreational dimensions. However, the green spaces have undergone unplanned interventions that depart from the principles of its original design.