HISTÓRIA, MEIO AMBIENTE E DESENVOLVIMENTO REGIONAL DO TERRITÓRIO DO PARQUE NACIONAL DA SERRA DO ITAJAÍ NO MUNICÍPIO DE BLUMENAU (VALE DO ITAJAÍ, SANTA CATARINA).

The research deals with the theme of the interactions between society and nature, having as territorial delimitation the community of Nova Rússia, municipality of Blumenau, located in the buffer zone of the Serra do Itajaí National Park (PNSI). The objective is to describe the environmental history and the regional development of this community. The main activities that contributed to regional development between 1860-1940 were mining, forest exploration (wood and firewood), and subsistence farming activities. Between 1950-1990 there was an expansion of the occupation of space by exploratory activities already developed, and reduction of the native forest by pine and eucalyptus plantations. Beginning in the 1990s, there are initiatives for the commercial use of the region for leisure and recreation, as well as initiatives for the conservation of nature. These activities have been extended with the creation of the PNSI in 2004 and have become important elements of regional development with practices focused on sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]