Use of Native Plant Species for Ecological Restoration and Rehabilitation Measures in Southeast Brazil

Southeast Brazil is the economic backbone of the country where about 70% of the national GDP is generated. The continuously growing pressure from rural and industrial land use is causing progressive land degradation, especially within the unique Atlantic Forest dominion of this region. Restoration and rehabilitation of degraded areas or of impact caused by building activities are still scarce and carried out using mainly technical engineering methods. Natural engineering or soil bioengineering measures using living plant material are very rare, and if applied, they mostly use non-native plants already proven to work in other tropical regions. As the demand for bioengineered rehabilitation and ecological restoration is expected to increase, suitable plant material is urgently needed. The use of non-native plants for engineering carries several ecological risks, in particular the invasive spread of these plants. This chapter provides a brief overview of the actual state of the art regarding the use of native and non-native plant species in rehabilitation and restoration measures applied in the Atlantic Forest dominion. Furthermore, first results are presented from a case study on bioengineered rehabilitation of a degraded pasture where plants native to Southeast Brazil were successfully used.