‘People lie’: overcoming obstacles to incorporate social science research to biodiversity conservation

Mesmo com o reconhecimento da importância da interdisciplinaridade na conservação da biodiversidade, ainda há resistência em incorporar a pesquisa em ciências sociais (PCS) ao pensamento e à prática conservacionista. As razões para tal resistência podem ser resumidas em três afirmações gerais ainda comumente atribuídas à PCS: 'tem pouca utilidade' e 'menos rigor metodológico' quando comparada à pesquisa em ciências naturais e, sobretudo, é pouco confiável porque 'as pessoas mentem'. Neste ensaio, desenvolvido a partir da experiência dos participantes de uma comunidade de prática, formada por profissionais de diversas áreas e setores relacionados à conservação, e das discussões geradas nesse espaço de aprendizado coletivo, abordamos as limitações e os equívocos por trás das afirmações acima. A PCS não é menos útil na conservação e nem tem menos rigor metodológico do que a pesquisa em ciências naturais, e quando as pessoas mentem para o pesquisador o problema não está na pesquisa em si, mas na relação entre sujeito e pesquisador. Argumentamos que à medida que os conservacionistas se familiarizam com a PCS e que os princípios de equidade e justiça são incorporados aos valores e objetivos da conservação, a importância e necessidade da PCS na conservação tornam-se óbvias, e a falta de confiança entre pesquisador e sujeitos deixa de ser uma preocupação significativa. Capacitar, integrar e apoiar são nossas recomendações básicas para pesquisadores, educadores, gestores e tomadores de decisão nas áreas de conservação, ensino, publicação e financiamento, para que a PCS cumpra plenamente seu papel na conservação.Despite the acknowledged importance of interdisciplinarity in biodiversity conservation, there is still resistance to incorporate social science research (SSR) to both conservationist thinking and practice. The reasons for such a resistance can be summarized in three general statements still commonly attributed to SSR, namely: it is of 'little use' and it has 'less methodological rigor' than research in the natural sciences and, above all, it is unreliable because 'people lie'. The current essay was developed based on the experience of participants of a community of practice (formed by professionals from different fields and sectors  associated with conservation), as well as on discussions held in this space of collective learning. It addresses the limitations and misconceptions behind the aforementioned statements. SSR is not less useful in conservation and not less methodologically rigorous than research conducted in the natural sciences. When researchers are lied to, the problem does not lie on the research itself, but on the subject-researcher relationship. We herein argue that as conservationists become more familiar with SSR, and as principles like equity and justice are incorporated to conservation values and goals, both the importance and need of SSR in conservation become obvious, making the lack of trust between researcher and subjects no longer a significant concern. Increasing capacity, integrating and supporting are our basic recommendations for researchers, educators, managers and decision-makers in the conservation, teaching, publishing and funding fields, so that SSR can fully fulfill its role in conservation

From interference to conviviality: effect of human factors on animals and human-wildlife interactions in protected areas of the Atlantic Forest

Os padrões de diversidade e ocorrência das espécies, bem como a dinâmica das populações, são determinados pelas características do ambiente. Porém, tais fatores ambientais vêm sendo drasticamente alterados pela ação antrópica, a qual, consequentemente, influencia diretamente os processos que levam à riqueza, composição, distribuição, colonização e extinção das espécies. Assim como a presença ou proximidade humanas interferem nas espécies da fauna, os animais também interferem na vida das pessoas, sendo que essas interações podem ser tanto positivas quanto negativas. Dessa forma, compreender o efeito antrópico sobre a fauna e o efeito dos animais sobre as pessoas é fundamental tanto para a conservação da biodiversidade, quanto para a promoção do bem-estar humano. Nesse contexto, o presente estudo buscou testar a hipótese de que fatores antrópicos possuem maior efeito sobre a diversidade, ocorrência e dinâmica populacional de mamíferos e aves cinegéticas terrícolas do que fatores ambientais não antrópicos, além de compreender os aspectos da coexistência humano-fauna em duas unidades de conservação (UCs) da Mata Atlântica: Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho (área menos antropizada) e Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, Núcleo Santa Virgínia (área mais antropizada). Para isso, realizou-se um armadilhamento fotográfico em 60 pontos em cada parque, durante dois anos consecutivos, totalizando um esforço amostral de 30.200 armadilhas-dia. Além disso, foram entrevistadas 47 pessoas, moradores(as) locais do interior e entorno das áreas de estudo, por meio de questionários semi-estruturados, os quais foram analisados por meio de análise quantitativa exploratória e análises qualitativas de categorização e conexão. Possíveis diferenças na riqueza de mamíferos de médio e grande porte entre os parques foram investigadas pelas curvas de riqueza observada e estimada (Jacknife de 1a ordem) e por GLM. Já a existência de dissimilaridades na composição das assembleias foi testada por meio de PCoA e PERMANOVA, tendo sido feito um modelo linear baseado em distância para investigar quais variáveis são responsáveis por essas dissimilaridades. Apesar de não terem apresentado diferenças na riqueza, os parques foram significativamente diferentes na composição, sendo que essas diferenças foram causadas em parte pela altitude, mas, principalmente, por variáveis antrópicas: distância de edificações urbanas e porcentagem de campo antrópico na paisagem. O efeito das variáveis ambientais antrópicas e não antrópicas sobre a ocorrência e a dinâmica populacional, por sua vez, foi analisado por meio de modelos de ocupação espécie-única/estação única e espécie-única/múltiplas-estações para mamíferos de médio e grande porte e aves cinegéticas terrícolas. Os resultados indicaram que variáveis antrópicas foram tão importantes, em alguns casos até mais importantes, do que variáveis ambientais não antrópicas como preditoras do uso-de-habitat, da colonização e da extinção locais das espécies. Enquanto os campos antrópicos apresentaram efeitos negativos sobre as espécies estudadas, a proximidade a edificações humanas mostrou-se prejudicial para espécies sensíveis e raras, porém, beneficiou algumas espécies menos sensíveis, possivelmente pela oferta de recursos alimentares de origem antrópica. Tal disponibilidade de recursos esteve ligada ao principal conflito humano-fauna identificado: a depredação de culturas e criações por espécies silvestres. A retaliação a esses animais que causam prejuízo foi a segunda maior motivação ao abate de animais silvestres nas áreas de estudo e a ocorrência de depredação esteve significativamente associada a atitudes mais negativas em relação à onça-parda. Apesar da existência de conflitos, as atitudes dos(as) moradores(as) locais em relação à fauna e aos parques foram em geral positivas. Porém, a existência de pessoas com atitudes negativas, o baixo uso dos parques e o desconhecimento de suas ações pelos(as) moradores(as) locais foram alarmantes. Foi identificada a ocorrência de caça em ambas as áreas de estudo, sendo a alimentação, por necessidade ou não, a principal motivação para essa atividade. Há evidências, contudo, de que essa prática ocorre em intensidade bem menor do que ocorria no passado, em função do aumento da fiscalização. Considerando os resultados deste estudo, ficou evidente a importância dos fatores antrópicos para a diversidade, a ocorrência e a dinâmica populacional de mamíferos e aves. Conclui-se, também, que a resolução de conflitos, a fiscalização, o diálogo entre pessoas e UCs e a solução de problemas socioeconômicos mostram-se fundamentais para que seja alcançada a desejada convivência humano-fauna, conciliando conservação à justiça social.Species diversity and occurrence patterns, and population dynamics are determined by environmental characteristics. However, the environment is being drastically changed by human actions which, therefore, influence the processes that result in species richness, composition, distribution, colonization and extinction. As well as human presence or proximity interfere in animals\' lives, animals also interfere in people lives, and these interactions may be both positive and negative. Thus, to comprehend human effects on animals and the effect of animals on people is fundamental not only to biodiversity conservation, but also to human wellbeing. In such context, this study aimed to test the hypothesis that human factors have a higher effect on mammals diversity, and on mammals and terrestrial birds occurrence and populational dynamics, than non-human environmental factors. Moreover, it had the objective of comprehend the aspects of human-wildlife coexistence in two protected areas of the Atlantic Forest: Carlos Botelho State Park (less anthropized area) and Serra do Mar State Park, Santa Virgínia Nucleus (more anthropized area). We sampled 60 points in each park with camera-traps for two consecutive years, totaling 30,200 camera-days. We also interviewed 47 people, locals from the interior and surroundings of the study areas, with semi-structured questionnaires, which were analyzed with exploratory quantitative analysis and with categorizing and connecting qualitative analysis. Possible differences in richness of medium and large-sized mammals among the parks were assessed through curves of observed and estimated (first order Jacknife) richness and trough a GLM. Dissimilarities in assemblages composition were assessed through PCoA and PERMANOVA, and we performed a distance based linear model to investigate which variables are responsible for these dissimilarities. Despite not having differences in richness, parks were significantly different in composition. These differences were partially due to elevation, but mainly caused by human variables: distance from urban buildings and percentage of pastures and crops in the landscape. The effect of human and non-human variables on medium and large-sized mammals and on terrestrial game birds occurrence and population dynamics was assessed through single-species/single season and single-species/multi-season occupancy models. Modelling results showed that human variables were as important as and, in some cases, even more important than non-human environmental variables to predict species habitat-use, local colonization and local extinction. While pastures and crops fields had negative effects on the studied species, proximity to human settlements was detrimental to rare and sensitive species, however, was beneficial to less sensitive species, probably due to the availability of food resources from humans. This resources availability is linked to the main human-wildlife conflict identified: crops, cattle and poultry depredation by wild species. Retaliation against these species that cause damage was the second main motivation for wildlife killing in the study areas. Additionally, depredation occurrence was significantly associated to more negative attitudes towards the puma. Despite the existence of conflicts, local people attitude towards animals and parks were in general positives. Nevertheless, the occurrence of people with negative attitude, the low use of parks by local people and their lack of knowledge regarding parks actions were alarming. Occurrence of poaching was identified in both study areas and food supply by necessity or pleasure was the main motivation for this illegal activity. There is evidence, however, that this practice occurs less than it used to occur in the past, due to surveillance improvement. Regarding this study results, importance of human factors to diversity, occurrence and population dynamics of mammals and birds was highlighted. In addition, we conclude that conflict resolution, surveillance, dialog between parks and people, and the solution of socioeconomic problems are key to reach the desired human-wildlife conviviality, combining conservation to social justice

Importance of the riverine Permanent Preserved Areas for mammals in the northeast of the state of São Paulo.

Dada a crescente ameaça à biodiversidade pela destruição e fragmentação dos habitats naturais, sobre-exploração, poluição e introdução de espécies exóticas invasoras, alguns veículos legais buscam preservá-la, como a instituição das Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APP) no Brasil. Elas têm sido alvo de grande discussão quanto à sua configuração com a aprovação da Lei Nº 12.651/2012, a qual alterou o Código Florestal Brasileiro. Assim, este trabalho visa avaliar se as APPs estão sendo capazes de manter a diversidade de mamíferos de médio e grande porte em uma região de agricultura e silvicultura intensivas no nordeste do estado de São Paulo. Além da perspectiva da comunidade, a importância das APPs foi também avaliada através da análise de sua influência na abundância média relativa de Leopardus pardalis (jaguatirica). Foram instaladas armadilhas fotográficas digitais em três paisagens: a primeira compreendendo a Estação Ecológica de Jataí, a Estação Experimental de Luiz Antônio e seu entorno, em Luiz Antônio; a segunda na Fazenda Cara Preta, que possui APP e Reservas Legais (RL) da International Paper (IP), e seu entorno, em São Simão; e a terceira abrangendo a Floresta Estadual de Cajuru, a Fazenda Dois Córregos, com APP e RLs da IP, e seu entorno, em Cajuru e Altinópolis. Foram amostrados 208 pontos aleatoriamente, 169 fora e 39 dentro de APP. As câmeras funcionaram durante 30 dias em cada ponto, 24 horas por dia, de abril a setembro de 2013 na primeira paisagem e de 2014 nas segunda e terceira. A comparação entre a diversidade dentro e fora de APP foi feita através da riqueza observada por curvas de rarefação e do Wildlife Picture Index (WPI), índice de biodiversidade que considera variações na detecção por ser uma média geométrica dos valores de ocupação das espécies observadas. As probabilidades de detecção e ocupação foram estimadas através do modelo de ocupação multiespécies por análise bayesiana, nos programas R 3.1.1 e JAGS 3.4 pelo pacote jagsUI. Na modelagem, foram utilizadas as covariáveis de distância mínima de estrada de terra, chuva, temperatura (linear e quadrática) para detecção, e de quantidade de floresta nativa, silvicultura e cana-de-açúcar em um buffer de 200 ha de cada ponto para ocupação. Os valores de ocupação foram utilizados para calcular o WPI para pontos dentro e fora de APP e para APP de Unidades de Conservação (UC), consideradas detentoras da diversidade esperada para a região. Já a abundância média relativa da jaguatirica (lambda) foi estimada por modelos de Royle & Nichols com as covariáveis distância mínima de estrada de terra, chuva e temperatura para detecção, e APP, grau de proteção e quantidade de floresta nativa, silvicultura e cana-de-açúcar em um buffer de 200 ha de cada ponto para o lambda. Nos dois anos de amostragem, foram registradas 34 espécies de mamíferos, 28 nativas e seis exóticas, nas três paisagens. As curvas de rarefação não apresentaram diferença estatística entre pontos dentro e fora de APP, dentro e fora de UC. Porém, foi necessário mais do que o quádruplo do esforço amostral para que fosse registrada em pontos fora de APP fora de UC uma riqueza semelhante à encontrada nas APPs fora de UC, o que pode ser resultado das populações terem menor densidade na matriz e estarem concentradas nas APPs, indicando a função das mesmas como corredores. A distribuição de valores de WPI para pontos em APP também não apresentou diferença em relação aos pontos fora de APP. Além disso, as APPs de UC apresentaram maior diversidade do que as APPs fora de UC, indicando que as APPs não estão sendo capazes de manter a diversidade de mamíferos de médio e grande porte esperada para a região. Isso pode estar ocorrendo em função da configuração das APPs, as quais são estreitas, tendo, em sua maioria, 30 m. Dessa forma, elas possuem menor heterogeneidade de micro-habitats e são fortemente afetadas pelo efeito de borda, favorecendo espécies generalistas e não permitindo ambiente propício às espécies florestais. Estudos mostram que corredores devem ter no mínimo de 140 a 400 m para apresentarem a mesma comunidade de áreas contínuas. Além disso, a paisagem influencia na função das APPs, pois, nas áreas de estudo, o entorno dos pontos fora de APP possui quase a mesma quantidade de vegetação nativa do que o entorno dos pontos em APP, o que também pode justificar a ausência de diferença entre eles, dado que a floresta nativa teve efeito positivo na ocupação. Por outro lado, as APPs apresentaram efeito positivo na abundância média relativa da jaguatirica e mostraram-se fundamentais para a conservação dessa espécie, principalmente por sua função como habitat e corredores, dado que a jaguatirica mostrou-se extremamente dependente da quantidade de floresta nativa, covariável que melhor explicou a abundância média relativa. Assim, as APPs são importantes para a conservação da mastofauna, a exemplo de sua influência na população da jaguatirica. Contudo, é preciso revisar a configuração atual das APPs na legislação para que elas cumpram totalmente sua função de preservar a biodiversidade.The habitat loss and fragmentation, the overexploitation, the pollution and the introduction of alien species have threatened the biodiversity and increased extinction rates. Therefore, some legal resolutions aim to preserve it such as the Permanente Preservation Areas (PPA) in Brazil, which have been the focus of a great discussion regarding its configuration after the approval of the law Nº 12.651/2012 that changed the Brazilian Forest Code. Thus, the purpose of this study is to analyse if the PPA are maintaining the diversity of medium and large sized mammals in a region of intensive agriculture and sylviculture in the northeast of the state of São Paulo. Additionally to the community approach, the importance of PPA was assessed through the analysis of its effect on the relative mean abundance of Leopardus pardalis (ocelot). We used camera-traps in three study areas: Jataí Ecological Station, Luiz Antônio Experimental Station and its buffer, in the municipality of Luiz Antônio; the Cara Preta Farm, which has PPA and Legal Reserves (LR) of the International Paper company (IP), and its buffer in São Simão; and the State Forest of Cajuru and the Dois Córregos Farm, which has PPA and LR of the IP, and its buffer, in Cajuru and Altinópolis. A total of 208 points was sampled randomly, 169 outside and 39 inside PPA. Cameras worked during 30 days at each point, 24 hours a day, from April to September in 2013 at the first area and in 2014 at the second and third areas. We used rarefaction curves of observed richness and the Wildlife Picture Index (WPI) to compare the diversity inside and outside PPA. The WPI deals with imperfection detection because it is a geometric mean of the occupancy of observed species. We estimated the detection and occupancy probabilities by the multi-species occupancy model with bayesian analysis in R 3.1.1 and JAGS 3.4 with package jagsUI. We analysed the effect of the site covariates minimum distance of unpaved road, rain and temperature (linear and quadratic) on detection, and of quantities of native forest, sylviculture and sugarcane in a buffer of 200 ha of the sample points on occupancy. The values of occupancy were used to compute the WPI for points inside and outside PPA inside and outside protected areas (PA), which have the diversity expected in the region. Moreover, we estimated the relative mean abundance (lambda) of ocelot by Royle & Nichols models with the effect of site covariates: minimum distance of unpaved road, rain and temperature on detection, and of PPA, degree of protection and quantities of native forest, sylviculture and sugarcane in a buffer of 200 ha of the sample points on lambda. We recorded 34 species of mammals, 28 natives and six alien, in the three landscapes. The rarefaction curves did not showed statistic difference between the points inside and outside PPA, inside and outside PA. However, it was necessary four times the sample effort to record the same richness of points inside PPA outside PA in points outside PPA outside PA. It may have happened due to a low density of the populations in the matrix and a high density inside PPA, suggesting the role of PPA as corridors. The WPI distribution also did not show difference between the points inside and outside PPA. In addition, the PPA of PA had a high diversity when compared with PPA outside PA, suggesting that PPA are not maintaining the diversity of medium and large sized mammals expected in the region. This may be a result of PPAs configuration, because they are narrow, as most are just 30 m wide. Hence, they have less heterogeneity of micro-habitats and are highly affected by edge effect, what benefit generalist species over forest ones. Studies show that corridors must have a minimum of 140 to 400 m to possess the same community of continuous areas. Further, the landscape influences the role of PPA, because the surroundings of points outside PPA have almost the same quantity of native vegetation than the surroundings of points inside PPA in the study areas, what may also explain the lack of difference between them because native forest presented a positive effect on occupancy. On the other hand, PPA had a positive effect on the relative mean abundance of ocelot and were fundamental to the conservation of this species due to its role as habitat and corridors. The quantity of native forest was the covariate that best explained lambda, indicating that ocelots are dependent of dense vegetation. Overall, PPA were considered important to the conservation of mammals given its positive effect on ocelot population. Nevertheless, it is advisable to revise the current configuration of PPA, as is stated in the law, for these areas to really fulfill their role in biodiversity conservation

Buffer zone use by mammals in a Cerrado protected area

Habitat loss and degradation is threatening mammals worldwide. Therefore, Protected Areas (PA) are of utmost importance to preserve biodiversity. Their effectiveness, however, depends on some management strategies such as buffer zones, which prevent/mitigate the impact of external threats and might increase the amount of available habitat for wildlife existing within reserves. Nevertheless, how intensively terrestrial mammals use buffer zones remains little studied, particularly in the Neotropical region. Aiming to analyse the use of a buffer zone (5 km wide) by medium and large-sized mammals, we modelled the occupancy probabilities of five species of conservation concern including local (interior and buffer zone) as a site covariate, simultaneously controlling for imperfect detection. Data collection was made with camera traps from April to September 2013 in a 9000 ha Cerrado PA (“interior”) and in its surrounding area (39721.41 ha; “buffer zone”). This PA (Jataí Ecological Station) is immersed in a landscape where sugarcane plantations predominate in the northeastern of the state of São Paulo. We also conducted an inventory to compare the number and composition of species between interior and buffer zone. A total of 31 mammal species (26 natives) was recorded via camera traps and active search for sightings, vocalizations, tracks and signs. Occupancy estimates for Myrmecophaga tridactyla, Leopardus pardalis and Pecari tajacu were numerically higher in interior. On the other hand, Chrysocyon brachyurus had the highest occupancy in buffer zone, while the largest predator, Puma concolor, used both areas similarly. However, as the confidence intervals (95%) overlapped, the differences in occupancy probabilities between interior and buffer were weak for all these species. Additionally, regarding only the species recorded by cameras, the observed and estimated richness were similar between interior and buffer zone of the PA. Our data demonstrated that the buffer zone is indeed used by medium and large-sized mammals, including conservation-dependent ones. The lack of enforcement of current legislation regarding buffer zones is therefore a real threat for mammals, even when protection is guaranteed in the interior of protected areas

Pay or prevent? Human safety, costs to society and legal perspectives on animal-vehicle collisions in São Paulo state, Brazil.

Direct road mortality and the barrier effect of roads are typically identified as one of the greatest threats to wildlife. In addition, collisions with large mammals are also a threat to human safety and represent an economic cost to society. We documented and explored the effects of animal-vehicle crashes on human safety in São Paulo State, Brazil. We estimated the costs of these crashes to society, and we summarized the legal perspectives. On average, the Military Highway Police of São Paulo reported 2,611 animal-vehicle crashes per year (3.3% of total crashes), and 18.5% of these resulted in human injuries or fatalities. The total annual cost to society was estimated at R$56,550,642 (US$ 25,144,794). The average cost for an animal-vehicle crash, regardless of whether human injuries and fatalities occurred, was R$21,656 (US$ 9,629). The Brazilian legal system overwhelmingly (91.7% of the cases) holds the road administrator liable for animal-vehicle collisions, both with wild and domestic species. On average, road administrators spent R$2,463,380 (US$ 1,005,051) per year compensating victims. The logical conclusion is that the Brazilian legal system expects road administrators to keep animals, both wild and domestic species, off the road. We suggest an improved coordination between the laws that relate to animal-vehicle collisions and human safety, and the process for environmental licenses that focusses on reducing collisions with wildlife and providing habitat connectivity. In addition, we suggest better management practices, raising awareness and social change with regard to abandoned domesticated animals including horses, cattle, and dogs. This should ultimately result in a road system with improved human safety, reduced unnatural mortality for both domestic and wild animal species, safe crossing opportunities for wildlife, and reduced monetary costs to society

DataSheet_1_Poaching and hunting, conflicts and health: human dimensions of wildlife conservation in the Brazilian Cerrado.xlsx

IntroductionUnderstanding human-wildlife interactions is critical to overcoming the socio-environmental crises we face worldwide. Among these interactions, poaching and hunting, human-wildlife conflict, and transmission of zoonotic diseases are major causes of biodiversity loss and detrimental to human well-being. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze wildlife poaching, feral pig hunting, human-wildlife conflict, and health issues in a region of the Brazilian Cerrado, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The study also focused on the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris), a poached species listed as vulnerable to extinction.MethodsFrom October 2016 to September 2017, we conducted face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 51 local people from nine stakeholder groups. Interview answers and additional information compiled during the study were evaluated using coding, narrative, and co-occurrence analyses.Results and discussionWe found that the main human-wildlife conflict in the region involves feral pigs, and hunting is practiced as a population control strategy. The lowland tapir is not considered a conflictual species, as it is beloved by most people. However, tapirs are still poached, although less so than in the past, mainly for cultural reasons. Culture was the main motivation behind wildlife poaching in general. We identified 28 species and five taxa currently poached in this Cerrado region, of which 11 are used for medical and aphrodisiac purposes. Historically, wildlife poaching was linked to poor livelihood conditions and lack of support from governmental institutions during the Agrarian Reform process, becoming a cultural habit over the years. Nevertheless, wildlife poaching is less frequent than in the past, and its main barriers are surveillance, poaching prohibition by landowners, and social norm. Therefore, promoting a change in the way people relate to nature, meeting socioeconomic needs, and increasing surveillance appear to be important conservation strategies. Although feral pig hunting may replace wildlife poaching, some hunters still poach wild species, especially peccaries. Hence, it is necessary to keep hunters under surveillance, raise awareness among them, and make them allies in conservation strategies. We found a worryingly low level of awareness about disease transmission risk through bushmeat manipulation and consumption, highlighting the importance of One Health approaches.</p

DataSheet_2_Poaching and hunting, conflicts and health: human dimensions of wildlife conservation in the Brazilian Cerrado.docx

IntroductionUnderstanding human-wildlife interactions is critical to overcoming the socio-environmental crises we face worldwide. Among these interactions, poaching and hunting, human-wildlife conflict, and transmission of zoonotic diseases are major causes of biodiversity loss and detrimental to human well-being. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze wildlife poaching, feral pig hunting, human-wildlife conflict, and health issues in a region of the Brazilian Cerrado, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The study also focused on the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris), a poached species listed as vulnerable to extinction.MethodsFrom October 2016 to September 2017, we conducted face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 51 local people from nine stakeholder groups. Interview answers and additional information compiled during the study were evaluated using coding, narrative, and co-occurrence analyses.Results and discussionWe found that the main human-wildlife conflict in the region involves feral pigs, and hunting is practiced as a population control strategy. The lowland tapir is not considered a conflictual species, as it is beloved by most people. However, tapirs are still poached, although less so than in the past, mainly for cultural reasons. Culture was the main motivation behind wildlife poaching in general. We identified 28 species and five taxa currently poached in this Cerrado region, of which 11 are used for medical and aphrodisiac purposes. Historically, wildlife poaching was linked to poor livelihood conditions and lack of support from governmental institutions during the Agrarian Reform process, becoming a cultural habit over the years. Nevertheless, wildlife poaching is less frequent than in the past, and its main barriers are surveillance, poaching prohibition by landowners, and social norm. Therefore, promoting a change in the way people relate to nature, meeting socioeconomic needs, and increasing surveillance appear to be important conservation strategies. Although feral pig hunting may replace wildlife poaching, some hunters still poach wild species, especially peccaries. Hence, it is necessary to keep hunters under surveillance, raise awareness among them, and make them allies in conservation strategies. We found a worryingly low level of awareness about disease transmission risk through bushmeat manipulation and consumption, highlighting the importance of One Health approaches.</p

Best of both worlds: Combining ecological and social research to inform conservation decisions in a Neotropical biodiversity hotspot

Conservation decision is a challenging and risky task when it aims at prioritizing species or protected areas (PAs) to prevent extinction while ensuring fair treatment of all stakeholders. Better conservation decisions are those made upon a broader evidence base that includes both ecological and social considerations. However, in some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth — tropical forests, for instance — multicriteria decision-making has been constrained by the following (i) ecological and social datasets available have been obtained in an independent, non-integrated manner, with social data typically more scarce than ecological ones, and (ii) capacity in social and/or interdisciplinary data analysis among decision-maker is limited. We describe a conservation prioritization exercise that combined findings from independent ecological and social research conducted in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, and propose methods to integrate, analyze and visualize data. We found that the outcomes based on combined ecological and social research findings were, in some cases, different from those based on any of these lines of evidence alone. Indeed, the input from relatively basic social research significantly changed the outcomes of decision-making based on the results of ecological research. Results corroborate the importance and cost-effectiveness of broadening the interdisciplinary evidence base for conservation decision-making, even when social data is scarce and analytical capacity is limited

ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS: a data set of bird morphological traits from the Atlantic forests of South America

Scientists have long been trying to understand why the Neotropical region holds the highest diversity of birds on Earth. Recently, there has been increased interest in morphological variation between and within species, and in how climate, topography, and anthropogenic pressures may explain and affect phenotypic variation. Because morphological data are not always available for many species at the local or regional scale, we are limited in our understanding of intra- and interspecies spatial morphological variation. Here, we present the ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS, a data set that includes measurements of up to 44 morphological traits in 67,197 bird records from 2,790 populations distributed throughout the Atlantic forests of South America. This data set comprises information, compiled over two centuries (1820–2018), for 711 bird species, which represent 80% of all known bird diversity in the Atlantic Forest. Among the most commonly reported traits are sex (n = 65,717), age (n = 63,852), body mass (n = 58,768), flight molt presence (n = 44,941), molt presence (n = 44,847), body molt presence (n = 44,606), tail length (n = 43,005), reproductive stage (n = 42,588), bill length (n = 37,409), body length (n = 28,394), right wing length (n = 21,950), tarsus length (n = 20,342), and wing length (n = 18,071). The most frequently recorded species are Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 1,837), Turdus albicollis (n = 1,658), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 1,468), Turdus leucomelas (n = 1,436), and Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 1,384). The species recorded in the greatest number of sampling localities are Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 243), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 242), Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 210), Platyrinchus mystaceus (n = 208), and Turdus rufiventris (n = 191). ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS (ABT) is the most comprehensive data set on measurements of bird morphological traits found in a biodiversity hotspot; it provides data for basic and applied research at multiple scales, from individual to community, and from the local to the macroecological perspectives. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications or teaching and educational activities. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS

Scientists have long been trying to understand why the Neotropical region holds the highest diversity of birds on Earth. Recently, there has been increased interest in morphological variation between and within species, and in how climate, topography, and anthropogenic pressures may explain and affect phenotypic variation. Because morphological data are not always available for many species at the local or regional scale, we are limited in our understanding of intra- and interspecies spatial morphological variation. Here, we present the ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS, a data set that includes measurements of up to 44 morphological traits in 67,197 bird records from 2,790 populations distributed throughout the Atlantic forests of South America. This data set comprises information, compiled over two centuries (1820–2018), for 711 bird species, which represent 80% of all known bird diversity in the Atlantic Forest. Among the most commonly reported traits are sex (n = 65,717), age (n = 63,852), body mass (n = 58,768), flight molt presence (n = 44,941), molt presence (n = 44,847), body molt presence (n = 44,606), tail length (n = 43,005), reproductive stage (n = 42,588), bill length (n = 37,409), body length (n = 28,394), right wing length (n = 21,950), tarsus length (n = 20,342), and wing length (n = 18,071). The most frequently recorded species are Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 1,837), Turdus albicollis (n = 1,658), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 1,468), Turdus leucomelas (n = 1,436), and Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 1,384). The species recorded in the greatest number of sampling localities are Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 243), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 242), Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 210), Platyrinchus mystaceus (n = 208), and Turdus rufiventris (n = 191). ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS (ABT) is the most comprehensive data set on measurements of bird morphological traits found in a biodiversity hotspot; it provides data for basic and applied research at multiple scales, from individual to community, and from the local to the macroecological perspectives. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications or teaching and educational activities. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ