Tree Shade Preferred by Recreational Users of a Brazilian Beach Sidewalk

Materials And Methods

A daily nonstimulated census covering all the groups that used the beachfront for barbecues (generally using a small, charcoal-energized, metal-framed device) was taken during January, February, and July 1994 and 1995. Weekdays were covered from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M., and weekend days from 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Information was collected informally and included the number of persons in the group, gender, age, school level, time spent on the beach, choice of place for barbecuing, and reason for the choice. In addition, the interviewer would ask about waste disposal and leftovers at the end of the barbecue. Responses were recorded on a notepad after-wards. The interview was undertaken within the initial 30 to 60 minutes upon a group’s arrival at the beach. If requested, the interviewer explained that the data were part of a family/group comportment study by university students without any political and/or government implications.

Results And Discussion

Barbecuing near the beach is a well-established leisure activity during weekends and holidays for many people in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Recent economic constraints have pressed entire families to use parks, beaches, or recreational areas near urban centers instead of traveling to distant places for recreation. Several family groups from as far as 60 km (37 mi) from the beach of Mangaratiba reported spending 1 day per weekend at the beach barbecuing and relaxing.

We conducted 457 interviews in 1994 and 498 in 1995. Ninety percent of the groups interviewed were summer users (January and February) in both years. This trend is explained by the fact that although mean winter temperatures in the state (average 21 °C [70°F]) are warm, most beach users avoid winter months. Groups consisted mainly of a single family with relatives and neighbors. On average, the number of members in a group was 3 adults and 2 children (up to 12 years old). Females comprised 40% to 65% of the group members.

Mangaratiba beach is 4.1 km (2.5 mi) long and 20 to 30 m (65 to 100 ft) wide. It is a well-protected bay with very calm sea water. Close to the cemented sidewalk, specimens of Hibiscus pernambucensis and Terminalia catappa were planted 10 to 15 years ago, spaced at regular intervals of 10 to 15 m (33 to 50 ft). Average tree height is 6.6 m (22 ft), with an irregular crown form that offers deep shade within a radius of 3.5 m (11 ft) from the trunk of most trees. Consequently, there are a large number of possible niches in which to set up barbecue equipment. Eighty-five percent of the groups interviewed preferred to set their equipment in the shaded spots rather than in the sunny spots. Reasons for those choices are listed in Table 1. Although shade was the most important reason for site selection, other factors considered important were privacy and isolation.

Expected time for barbecues varied from 3 to 7 hours, with an average of 6.1 hours. However, much of that time (40% to 50%) is used to set up and to start the charcoal fire (inferred by direct observation). In addition, 60% of the interviewed groups could not predict the length of their stay because of the frequent unfavorable weather during summer months (afternoon tropical showers).

Conclusions

The increased interest in urban environmental problems will probably mean a considerable increase in parks and green areas over the coming decades. Most of these will be laid out in the larger cities of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Over the coming years, the main challenge will be to ensure that the expansion of green infrastructure in the world’s urban areas is implemented within the framework of sustainable development, without the use of technology inimical to man and nature. As parks and green areas are developed, it is vital that we consider the needs of the people who visit them. Trees in green areas provide communitywide ecological benefits, but they also provide social benefits to those who visit these areas for recreation.