Agricultural activities and threat to fauna in Brazil: an analysis of the Red Book of Endangered Brazilian Fauna

Abstract

The recent edition of the Red Book of Endangered Brazilian Fauna brings 1,173 threatened species, 86% of them in terrestrial or freshwater environments. For these species, the main threat vector is agricultural activities that affect 519 species (51%). This information brought by the Red Book is examined in-depth and its consistency is discussed in search of an objective view on the impacts of agriculture, its importance, how they affect the different groups of animals, the different biomes of the country, and the different types of habitats continental. Birds, fish, and invertebrates are the groups with the highest number of species threatened by agricultural activity, accounting for more than 70% of the species. Habitat loss is by far the biggest impact caused by the activity, affecting almost 90% of the species. However, there is a difference between the impact of agriculture and livestock. The work seeks to understand why livestock threatens a smaller number of species, although pastures occupy more than twice the area occupied by crops and forestry. The work brings an objective debate on the relationship between agricultural activities and the conservation of wild fauna in Brazil, without falling into the trap of the useless demonization of human activities, highlighting, instead, the need to define and implement strategies for the conservation of biodiversity in the midst the land use matrix itself, complementary to the conservation units, based on the best available information on the vulnerability of fauna to the impacts of this vector.

Agriculture cover and local vegetation structure shape Squamata’s diversity in agricultural landscapes in Brazilian Cerrado

“…Reptiles are one of the groups most affected by the use of pesticides (Todd et al 2010). High loads of pesticides are common practice in agricultural lands in Brazil, especially in soybean elds (Oliveira et al 2021) which is the main crop in the studied landscape. The pesticides can be spread by spray drift or run-off to adjacent natural areas surrounding production elds and to water bodies compromising habitats and consequently reducing the body condition of the reptiles, that have severe effects on tness of lizards (Mingo et al 2017;Ramírez et al 2023).…”

“…However, croplands tend to increase habitat exposure to wind and water ux reducing the capacity of these areas to act as thermoregulators for reptiles (Ramírez et al 2023). Also, the lizards that have preference for open habitats (Oliveira et al 2021) can be severely affected by livestock activities due to replacement of native grasslands to exotic grasses, cattle overgrazing (Oliveira et al 2021;Băncilă et al 2023), as well as, with the use of re as a management practice (Oliveira et al 2021;Mulhall et al 2022). Terrestrial reptiles are particularly negatively affected in this scenario, especially those that depend on complex terrestrial structures that create thermal conditions for these species (Dorrough et al 2012;Neilly et al 2018).…”

Completely caught off guard: a new record of Jaguar, Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia, Felidae), from an urban park

“…Thus, because top predators such as large felids are vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation, Jaguars in Cerrado seek extensive areas with an abundance of large prey within their range (Ripple et al 2014). Factors such as high mortality and isolation of the populations threaten the long-term survival of the species (McManus et al 2015;Oliveira et al 2021), as Jaguars use as refuges small natural fragments surrounded by a human landscape (Roques et al 2015;Finnegan et al 2020). Thus, the federally protected areas play a crucial role in conserving the species by supplying suitable conditions for its maintenance, such as food resources, protection, and shelter (Woodroffe 2001;Sanderson et al 2002;Carranza et al 2014;Portugal et al 2020).…”