CBA is carrying out study on planting native species to enhance biodiversity in Zona da Mata

Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA) and Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV) are carrying out another project under their forest restoration partnership. The study assesses the plantation of native trees with a range of distances between them in the municipality of Itamarati de Minas, in the Atlantic Forest belt of Minas Gerais known as Zona da Mata. The experiment consists of planting more trees in a smaller area, in order to fill out the site faster, analyzing the impact of the distance between trees on species development, earth quality, the potential for rewilding and biodiversity gains. The benefits for local fauna and flora include: evaluating sapling growth rates, canopy closure and soil property, to qualify and quantify the improvements resulting from increasing forest density. UFV forestry restoration lecturer and coordinator of the project with CBA, Sebastião Venâncio Martins, points out that the production of leaf litter and a healthy nutrient cycle is directly proportional to canopy closure efficiency. “This facilitates the reuse of nutrients and an improved physical, chemical and biological recovery of the soil quality. “Collections and measurements have begun and in year one of the study we will begin monitoring the local fauna, canopy coverage, leaf litter and other indicators, which will provide us with more information. We have high hopes for the experiment”, he adds. The manager of CBA’s facilities in Zona da Mata, Christian Fonseca de Andrade, points out that the study is aligned with the Company’s Sustainability strategy. “We have been carrying out considerable environmental technology research and development with UFV for 13 years. Our experiments always yield meaningful discoveries and results for the environment and consequently drive the ongoing enhancement of the Company’s environmental practices. This is a great legacy we are leaving for the mining operation, the university, scientists – who can carry out their studies in an industrial environment, and, above all, for society”, he emphasizes. The study site is located between valleys surrounding forest fragments and the planted trees will form an ecological corridor. These corridors are fundamental to guaranteeing, for example, an increase in canopy coverage, the movement of wildlife and the dispersal of seeds between the areas. Forest Restoration Project Since 2011, the Forest Restoration Project has been a part of the partnership between CBA and LARF (UFV’s Forest Restoration Laboratory) and aims to produce technical research and guidance on restoring native forests, in both mined areas and environmental offset areas in the cities of Miraí and Itamarati de Minas, located in the Zona da Mata region . A series of scientific dissertations, theses and research, based on the monitoring surveys conducted, are developed, which has led to dozens of scientific articles, book sections and papers in congresses. In 2019, the technological research and development in forest restoration earned important international recognition. The book Recent Advances in Ecological Restoration was published in the US by the publisher Nova Science Publishers, a leading publisher in this field. Two chapters of the book are dedicated to the work of Forest Restoration in areas mined by CBA, reflecting the sustainability of the company’s operation in the Zona da Mata region. Also in 2019, the scientific article “Natural regeneration, growth and survival of saplings in a restored bauxite mining site in , Miraí, MG”, by Forestry Engineering student Patrícia Aparecida Laviola Ricardo, under the supervision of lecturer Sebastião Venâncio Martins, was elected the Best Scientific Research of UFV’s Center for Agrarian Sciences, presented at the Academic Integration Symposium (SIA 2019). The dissertation “Indicating priority areas for forestry restoration to offset bauxite mining in the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais state”, was published in 2020 by the student Luiz Henrique Elias Cosimo. About CBA Founded in 1955, Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA) is a vertically integrated, sustainable producer of high-quality aluminum products. With hydroelectric generation capacity for 100% of our energy requirement, CBA’s operations span both bauxite mining and processing into primary aluminum (ingots, billets, rod and slabs) and semi-fabricated products (plate, sheet, foil and profiles). Working closely with customers, CBA also develops tailored solutions and services for the packaging and transportation markets, helping customers to produce more lightweight, durable and sustainable products. CBA is here for you. Visit: www.cba.com.br. CBA Press Office – Ideia Comunicação Ângelo Franco – [email protected] | (31) 9.8435-9237 Josiane Souza – [email protected] | (31) 9.8417-3130