Em Minas Gerais, o Quadrilátero Ferrífero abriga jazidas minerais e remanescentes naturais que garantem os serviços ecossistêmicos para a porção mais populosa do Estado: a Região Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte. Quando mal planejados, os diversos usos da terra podem causar a fragmentação de habitats e desencadear conflitos territoriais. O presente estudo visou analisar o padrão estrutural da paisagem na porção oeste do Quadrilátero Ferrífero como subsídio ao planejamento ambiental do território. Para atingir o objetivo, foram utilizadas técnicas de Sistema de Informação Geográfica (SIG) e de Ecologia de Paisagem que permitiram avaliar o cenário ambiental da região entre os anos de 1984 e 2013. Os resultados evidenciaram forte efeito das atividades antrópicas sobre os fragmentos de vegetação nativa; uma conflituosa representatividade espacial das áreas legalmente protegidas; e os principais fragmentos de habitat que podem contribuir para a manutenção da paisagem natural.Abstract:In Minas Gerais, the Quadrilátero Ferrífero host a mineral deposits and natural remnants that insure ecosystem services for the most populous portion of the State: the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Region. When poorly planned, the diverse uses of land can cause the habitat’s fragmentation and territorial conflicts. The present study aimed to analyze the structural pattern of the landscape in the western portion of the Quadrilátero Ferrífero as a subsidy to the territory environmental planning. For reach the objective, Geographic Information System (GIS) and Landscape Ecology techniques were used to analyze the environmental scenario between 1984 and 2013. The results showed a strong effect of the anthropic activities on the remaining natural; a conflicted spatial representativeness of the legally protected areas; and the principal habitat patches that can contribute to the maintenance of the natural landscape.Keywords: fragmentation; territorial conflict; environmental planning.

Textile industries have been increasingly adopting cleaner production strategies, particularly in developed countries. In Brazil and globally, there are arguably few publications addressing this phenomenon. This study aimed at understanding the extent to which industries from textile sector implement cleaner production strategies, based on an empirical analysis of a particular medium-sized industry in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A checklist of cleaner production opportunities, drawn from the literature, was analyzed in the context of the selected industry. Data were collected through interviews and field surveys. This study identified cleaner production opportunities for textiles industries, and pointed out a number most feasible actions. The study also identified that cleaner production can work as an effective environmental management framework for medium-sized industries. However, depending on the particular aspects of each industry, cleaner production actions may be perceived as technically and economically unviable. In the particular case study analyzed here, the most implemented actions were those that required low investments and that were not technically demanding. Findings from this study suggest that cleaner production can drive proactive environmental efforts, resulting in technological and economic benefits. However, findings also suggest that such benefits may not be easily obtained, particularly in the context of industries that still work with out-of-date technology.