Abstract:
As ecosystem services (ES) provided by urban trees gain increasing attention, along with the socioeconomic and recreational benefits of tree cover, the perception of vegetation’s importance has been gradually strengthened. However, in many contexts, the advantages of urban trees tend to be minimized, especially to justify projects whose main argument is urban development. This study aims to analyze the environmental impact of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) implementation in Salvador, focusing on tree cover suppression. The analysis considered the period before construction began (2017) and after the system was implemented (2025). The tool applied to assess the BRT polygon area was i-Tree Canopy (version 7.1), which provided results regarding air pollution, carbon storage, and carbon sequestration. Findings indicate that, in both years analyzed, impervious structures predominate, and vegetation cover has decreased throughout the BRT area, compromising the provision of ecosystem services in the region. Therefore, this study seeks, through the obtained results, to understand the impacts of BRT implementation on vegetation cover in Salvador, contributing to discussions that link sustainability and urban development.
