Environment (Brazil), v.3, n.1. 0112-136 (2021) OPEN JOURNAL Environment (Brazil) SYSTEMS ISSN: 2675-3065 Silva & Victório Green areas in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro: the environmental heritage of Atlantic Forest Luciano Tadeu de Mendonça da Silva 1, Cristiane Pimentel Victório 2* 1Master of Science and Environmental Technology, West Zone State University Center Foundation (UEZO), Brazil. 2PhD in Biological Sciences, Professor at Fundação Centro Universitário Estadual da Zona Oeste (UEZO), Brazil. (* Corresponding author:
[email protected]) Article History: Submitted on: 12/15/2020 - Revised on: 01/19/2021 - Accepted on: 01/21/2021. A B S T R A C T This article gathers information, characteristics, photos, and data from scientific research on the green areas of the West Zone's environmental heritage. The city of Rio de Janeiro is divided into Planning Areas (PA). PA-5 (West Zone) in the region with the highest population concentration in the State of Rio de Janeiro, containing about 50% of vegetation cover of the Atlantic Forest biome, with forest, sandbank, and mangrove ecosystems; presents remarkable scenic beauty in a set of factors such as massifs, beaches, waterfalls, and rivers. West Zone was a backdrop for pre-colonial historical events, from colonial to urbanization and industrialization that caused green areas changes. The areas protected by environmental law in PA-5 are the Pedra Branca State Park, the Gericinó-Mendanha State Park, and the Mendanha Municipal Natural Park, and areas of sandbanks and mangroves that surround Sepetiba Bay and Marambaia, within the Guaratiba Biological Reserve and the Private Reserve of Natural Heritage Ana Gonzaga, in addition to the areas mentioned above.