From waste spaces to experimental beds:

studies on the ruderal flora in the vicinity of the Água do Sobrado stream, in Bauru (SP)

Abstract

Commonly referred to disparagingly as “weeds” or “bushes,” ruderal plants exhibit aspects of resilience and persistence that are still little recognized in the field of landscaping. In certain cases, the groups they form can resemble refuges for diversity (CLÉMENT, 2005) in underutilized spaces in urban centers, establishing consortia among themselves and with other species, favoring regeneration processes. Representing an extensive list of pioneering species with a short cycle, these plants are precursors of ecological succession, allowing the occurrence of more demanding species and contributing to ecosystem relations. In view of the above, this study aims to recognize the occurrences of ruderal flora and the dynamics they establish in residual spaces of the Água do Sobrado Stream (a tributary of the Bauru River), studying the processes of regeneration and landscape diversification to be assimilated in the contemporary urban environment. Furthermore, it reports on the experiments carried out and the results obtained from the experimental bed of ruderal flora created on the UNESP campus in Bauru. Through field trips, botanical collections made in the areas bordering the stream, herborization of the species and experiments carried out in the experimental bed, the aim is to understand the natural dynamics of ruderals, proposing a reinvigoration of the existing botanical repertoire and a new perspective on the exercise of designing in contemporary landscaping.