Diversidade de mamíferos e aves cinegéticas na terra do meio

Abstract

Studies on species abundance are critical to understand the patterns and responses of communities to everlasting effects, like climate change, or transient disturbances, like hunting and deforestation. Millions of people in tropical forests depend on wildlife to ensure their protein intake and their food security. Terra do Meio is located in Pará state, Brazilian Amazon, in the watershed of the middle Xingu river, composing a group of protected areas that receive great deforestation pressure, where traditional indigenous and riverside populations live. In order to describe the diversity of medium and large mammals and game bird species of three Conservation Units, 835 km were covered in nine transects. Comparisons were also made between the areas, ascertaining the impacts of hunting, and proposed recommendations for the monitoring of the biodiversity. Population estimates of the species were obtained by the Distance Sampling method. Indirect data were also collected and camera traps also installed. 47 species were recorded. The results suggest that hunting does not drastically affect wild populations in the area and may indicate that local hunting currently tends to be sustainable. This study reinforces the importance of extensive areas for the maintenance of viable populations and the sustainability of hunting in these regions. This study presents estimates of species density in these areas, and it provides the first information on the diversity of mammals and game birds of Riozinho do Anfrísio Extractive Reserve.