Logging impact on Amazonian white-sand forests: perspectives from a sustainable development reserve

Abstract

Overexploitation is one of the main causes of biodiversity loss and local extinction. In the Brazilian Amazon, the intensive use of high-value timber species is leading to a decline in their populations. When in decline, these species can be replaced by less valuable and more common ones that are more feasible to exploit. We conducted interviews with residents of two communities in a sustainable development reserve in central Amazonia, and used free lists and the cognitive salience index (S) to assess the perceptions of residents regarding the occurrence and purpose of timber exploitation, and to identify possible endangered species in white-sand and terra-firme forests. In addition, to infer possible consequences of logging, we assessed the current population status of timber species cited by residents in forest-plot inventories carried out within the reserve. S-index values and interviewee reports suggested an intensive use of terra-firme timber species and an apparently recent increase in the exploitation of white-sand species, which did not use to be exploited because of their relatively low commercial value. The inventories showed that the white-sand timber species have high relative densities and low S values in contrast to the terra-firme species, which mostly have low relative densities and high S values. Our results highlight the need to identify and monitor relevant timber species in both terra-firme and white-sand forests, and to increase the involvement of the local community in the development of logging management practices.O impacto madeireiro sobre as campinaranas da Amazônia: perspectivas de uma reserva de desenvolvimento sustentável RESUMO A super-exploração madeireira é uma das principais causas de perda da biodiversidade e extinções locais. Na Amazônia brasileira o uso intensivo focado em poucas espécies tem levado à redução de suas populações e à substituição destas espécies, consideradas "nobres" pelo mercado madeireiro, por espécies "menos nobres" com populações ainda viáveis para exploração. Nós realizamos entrevistas com moradores de duas comunidades em uma reserva de desenvolvimento sustentável na Amazônia Central, e usamos listas livres e o Índice de Saliência Cognitiva (S) para elucidar percepções dos moradores sobre a exploração madeireira local e identificar possíveis espécies em risco em florestas de campinarana e terra-firme. Além disso, para inferir possíveis consequências da atividade madeireira, avaliamos o atual status populacional das espécies madeireiras citadas pelos moradores em inventários florestais realizados dentro da reserva. Os resultados do S e os relatos dos moradores sugerem o uso intensivo de espécies madeireiras de terra-firme e um aumento aparentemente recente da exploração de espécies de campinarana, antes desprezadas pelo baixo valor comercial. Os inventários mostram que espécies madeireiras de campinarana têm altas densidades relativas e baixos valores de S, em contraste com espécies de terra-firme, que, em sua maioria, apresentam baixas densidades relativas ...

The vascular epiphyte flora in a white-sand ecosystem of the Uatumã Sustainable Development Reserve, Central Amazon

“…In recent years, the environments of campinarana have been undergoing increasing processes of fragmentation and suppression of vegetation (Ferreira et al 2013;Adeney et al 2016;Demarchi et al 2019), which is extremely worrying considering the low resilience of these environments and the fact that they are poorly represented in conservation units (Capurucho et al 2020). A continuous effort by researchers to catalog the diversity of the plants in these ecosystems is necessary, especially for the epiphytic flora, which is sensitive to minor environmental changes.…”

“…described for Amazonian campinaranas have an epiphytic habit, and if we consider the other epiphytic families, this number will certainly double. Considering the low representativeness of published studies on vascular epiphytes in these environments and the constant anthropic disturbance of campinaranas (Ferreira et al 2013;Adeney et al 2016;Demarchi et al 2019), there is an urgent need to expand on floristic and ecological knowledge of epiphytic commu nities. Increased knowledge will help develop strategies for the conservation of the biodiversity of these ecosystems.…”

Gongylolepis martiana, an Asteraceae pollinated by bats in the Amazon

“…2016; Demarchi et al . 2019). Gongylolepis martiana is a 1.5–6.0‐m tall shrub or treelet endemic to northern South America, known to be a dominant species in savanna physiognomies of the Guyana Highland – a biogeographically insulated region with high endemism (Pruski 1989; Tellería 2008).…”

Tovomita cornuta (Clusiaceae): a new and threatened species from the Amazonian campinaranas revealed by ecological field research

“…The Ponta Negra district in the municipality of Manaus (Schultes & Rodrigues 26191A) has been strongly impacted by unplanned urban expansion associated with deforestation and habitat loss (B2bi, ii, iii); Balbina, a district in the municipality of Presidente Figueiredo (Thomas et al 5330), was affected in the 1980s by the construction of the Balbina dam, which resulted in large areas being flooded in order to form a reservoir for power generation (Fearnside 1989) and has probably affected populations of this species (A1a + B2cii). The other two locations are in protected areas under the category of Sustainable Development Reserves (SDR), and some minor threats may also occur such as selective logging (Demarchi et al 2019) and suppression of forest areas for small-scale agriculture and cattle ranching (IDESAM 2009) (B2biii). The species appears to be naturally rare, since, despite occurring in the surrounding areas of Manaus, one of the most sampled areas in the Amazon, only a few specimens could be found.…”