The ecological responses of tropical forest wildlife to selective timber extraction have received considerable attention in the last few decades, yet there is little consensus among the large number of studies about the most appropriate sampling design. Here, we reviewed 26 years of tropical forest logging literature to evaluate the relationship between sampling design and the quality of information reported, which varied greatly among 75 studies. Most studies (88%) failed to include a pre-logging baseline condition in the sampling design, and the temporal scale of post-logging studies was generally inadequate. Studies also usually failed to report key information on study areas; only half of the articles reported some information on the spatial scale of the study, and only one-third presented some quantitative metric to describe forest habitat structure. Additionally, most studies (64%) failed to report the type of forest management and almost half (45%) did not describe the intensity of timber harvest in the logged areas. These sampling and reporting biases in logging studies hugely undermine the comparability among studies. We conclude with some general guidelines to maximize comparability among studies, and to enhance the potential usefulness of future logging studies for wildlife conservation strategies in tropical forest regions.Key words: Selective logging, forest management, sampling design, fauna, wildlife ResumoAs respostas ecológicas da fauna de florestas tropicais para extração seletiva de madeira tem recebido atenção considerável nas últimas décadas, no entanto há pouco consenso entre os estudos quanto ao desenho amostral mais apropriado. Neste estudo, analisamos 26 anos de literatura sobre extração de madeira em florestas tropicais para avaliar a relação entre o desenho amostral e a qualidade das informações fornecidas, o que variou bastante entre os 75 estudos. A maioria dos estudos (88%) não incluiu condições pré-extração, e a escala temporal pós-extração dos estudos foi geralmente inadequada. Os estudos também falharam em relatar as principais informações sobre as áreas de estudo; apenas metade dos artigos relatou algumas informações sobre a escala espacial do estudo, e apenas um terço apresentou alguma métrica quantitativa para descrever a estrutura florestal. Além disso, a maioria dos estudos (64%) não informou o tipo de manejo florestal e quase metade (45%) não descreveu a intensidade de extração de madeira nas áreas exploradas. Esse viés de amostragem e falhas nas informações fornecidas nos estudos reduzem a comparabilidade entre os mesmos. Concluímos com algumas diretrizes gerais para maximizar a comparabilidade entre os estudos, e melhorar a utilidade potencial de futuros estudos de extração de madeira para as estratégias de conservação de fauna em regiões de florestas tropicais. Palavras-chave:Corte seletivo, manejo florestal, desenho amostral, fauna, vida silvestre Mongabay
Hunting is one of the principal causes of wildlife declines throughout the tropics. Even with an increase in the number of reserves, protecting wildlife has proven difficult and many reserves remain little different from unprotected areas. In Brazil, private landowners are being encouraged by federal and state governments and non-governmental organizations to participate in a national conservation strategy by setting aside land for preservation. However, due to chronic hunting pressure, the role that private reserves might play remains to be determined. In this study we analyze the potential of private reserves through a case study of the Reserva Ecológica Michelin in Bahia, Brazil. We measured the relative abundances of medium and large mammals before and after the implementation of guard patrols, to determine the efficacy of this management strategy for protecting wildlife. The relative abundance of the fauna increased by 72.6 % after the initiation of guard patrols, from 5.07 to 8.68 encounters/10 km, with preferred game species (Dasypus novemcinctus, Cuniculus paca, Pecari tajacu, and Mazama americana)increasing by 146.7-300%. Similarities between the relative abundances of preferred game species at our site after the initiation of the guard patrols and those of other protected Neotropical reserves indicate that the Michelin reserve is now being effectively protected. Although the cost of $9.4/ha to protect the reserve is high, this study shows that the private reserve initiative can be an effective component of the national conservation strategy.
1. Tropical river fisheries support food security for millions of people but are increasingly threatened by hydropower development. How dams affect these fisheries remains poorly known in most regions. Here, we used a functional traits approach to evaluate the extent to which compositions of fishery yields in the Madeira River Basin, the largest sub-basin in the Amazon, respond to dam construction. We also explored how dams affected the monetary value of yields and fishing-based income of the communities.2. We collected fishing data in 17 locations distributed over 300 km across upstream, reservoir and downstream zones during pre-and post-dam construction periods.We interviewed 711 fishers from 13 communities to assess fishing income during pre-and post-dam periods.3. Catch-per-unit effort (CPUE) declined significantly, that is, by 37%, after dam construction. Multivariate analysis yielded six species clusters according to trait syndromes related to life history, migration, swimming performance/habitat-use and economic value that were associated with the environmental data characteristic of pre-and post-dam periods. Comparison of CPUE of each cluster indicated that large species with periodic life-history strategy and regional or long-distance migratory behaviour were most affected by dam construction, with CPUE declining by, on average, 31%. Declines in yields and shifts in functional composition of the fishery yields resulted in average decline of 21% in the monetary value of functional clusters and 30% in fishing income. Synthesis and applications.Our study indicates that the implementation of the dams affected the functional composition of yields and reduced catches, negatively affecting the fishing-based income of communities in the Madeira River.These results imply that hydropower expansion will cause detrimental effects for fisheries and the livelihoods they sustain. Our results underscore the urgent need for considering alternative sources of renewable energy (e.g. solar power and in-stream turbines) to avoid irreversible socio-environmental damages of large dam projects. In river reaches where dams are already in operation or under | 681
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.