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Abstract

Although the importance of gallery forests has been broadly recognized, especially for the maintenance of hydrologic regime regulation and the richness of animal species, there is little knowledge about the damage caused by its destruction to aesthetic perception. Fifteen individuals from the university community assessed the scenic beauty of different sites at the São Bartolomeu and Turvo stream basins, in Viçosa-MG. Sites with riparian vegetation and/or vegetation fragments near streams received the highest scores. The present/absence of riparin vegetarion was the most important element when judging scenic beauty. The second element mentioned was the presence/absence of garbage on the margins of the streams. The results of this work also show the importance of using community judgement in the elaboration of conservation management plants for riparian vegetation, as well as for planning ecoturism and environmental education activities.