Environmental Projects

All work executed by Aperam BioEnergia is supported by researches and assessments, aiming to guarantee sustainable forest management. Committed to maintaining the natural richness of important cerrado areas under its responsibility, the company monitors and maintains its 126 thousand hectares in partnerships with Brazil’s main educational institutions. Within this total, 30 thousand hectares are Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs, Áreas de Preservação Permanente) and Legal Reservations.

These actions represent another example of the importance of planted forests for biodiversity conservation. Currently, each hectare containing planted eucalypt forests in Brazil preserves about ten hectares of native forests.

Here are the main Environmental Projects developed by Aperam BioEnergia:

Environmental and Scientific Research Planning and Development

Aperam BioEnergia has collaboration agreements with Brazil’s main institutes and universities, supporting and fomenting environmental researches in its areas of expertise.

Monitoring Program for Insects which are Harmful to Reforestation

Aperam BioEnergia develops monitoring and control methodologies for harmful insects such as ants, caterpillars, beetles and termites. Techniques range from manual removal to using specific software to assess insect cohabitation to a point in which they won’t cause economic damage.Concerning control measures, all used products are registered at the Ministry of Agriculture and cleared for forest implementation, given that none are included in the FSC list of prohibited products. Aperam BioEnergia disposes of an entomology collection with more than 6,000 catalogued insects, used for fast harmful insect identification and environmental education.

Special Areas and Riparian Forest Recovery Program

Each year, areas in need of recovery are identified during microplanning, given that the recommendations for each situation are presented in the standard operational procedure for area management. Permanent preservation areas stand out, mainly river banks and headsprings, in which Aperam BioEnergia has been adjusting to and complying with the legislation in effect.

Fauna and Flora Assessment

Fauna and flora assessments are being developed in order to build biological knowledge and improve management approaches.

Fauna and Flora Watercourse Protection

Fragmented forest areas and riparian forests are safe at Aperam BioEnergia, given that all reservations have been registered and are protected and monitored along their growth and ecological succession dynamics.

The fire prevention and control system focuses its priority on reservation areas. Collaboration agreements and partnership programs concerning fire prevention and control have been made with other private and public companies.

Hydric Monitoring

This program’s objectives are assessing the sustainability of management practices adopted by Aperam BioEnergia in its hydric sources through physical, chemical and biological characterization, as well as identifying and hierarchizing current and potential impacts by forest management practices on superficial waters, comparing them to agricultural activities.

S Annual water samplings and analyses are performed and the observed results are compared to reference values required by law and by management practices adopted in the drainage area of the analyzed watercourse.

Based on these analyses, corrective, preventive or emergency measures are proposed in order to mitigate any potential non-compliance.

Forest species improvements
Soil mapping and management
Forest fire prevention and control program