Viabilidade da prática de observação de aves em unidades de conservação na Amazônia: um estudo de caso na Área de Relevante Interesse Ecológico (ARIE) Japiim-Pentecoste, município de Mâncio Lima, Acre.

The birdwatching is one of the activities of ecotourism that grows the most in the world and at Brazil, country which shows to have great bird species diversity. Protected area‟s (PA) are privileged areas for this modality of ecotourism since they protect habitats and species of interest for the bird watchers. In this work, we developed a methodological protocol to evaluate the viability of bird observation in the protected areas of the Amazon forest. The protocol is based on evaluating the attractiveness levels of bird species recorded at the protected area‟s, the infrastructure conditions and services offered by the management, and, also, the main conditions of the municipalities near the units to host the birdwatchers. The protocol was applied in the Area of Relevant Ecological Interest (AREI) Japiim-Pentecoste located at the State of Acre. A total of 266 bird species were recorded in this a PA, of which 65 and 24 species were evaluated in having a attractiveness index, for birding, ranging from medium to high levels. There is a set of available trails that cross through the PA main areas opened by residents for their agroextractivist labours. The managing body of the protected area however, does not offer any infrastructure or facility to support visitation. The municipalities close to the PA are Mâncio Lima and Cruzeiro do Sul, and the latter offers a wide range of hotels and rental possibilities to support the bird watching activity. Few accommodation and transportation services were available in Mâncio Lima, although the municipality was located closer to the PA easing access to it. The protocol was efficient for a quick and simple analysis of the potential to the practice of bird observation in PA‟s. However, some aspects such as the diminution of subjectivity in the evaluation of the attractiveness of each species can be improved. We believe that the protocol developed in this study can be applied in other Amazon forest's PA‟s to evaluate the potential of these protected areas for the promotion of ecotourism based on birdwatching.A prática da observação de aves é um dos ramos do ecoturismo que mais cresce no mundo e no Brasil, país com grande diversidade de espécies de aves. Unidades de conservação (UC‟s) são espaços privilegiados para esta atividade de ecoturismo já que protegem hábitats e espécies de interesse dos observadores de aves. Neste trabalho desenvolvemos um protocolo metodológico para avaliar a viabilidade da prática de observação de aves em unidades de conservação na Amazônia. O protocolo se baseia em avaliar os níveis de atratividade das espécies de aves registradas na unidade de conservação, as condições de infraestrutura e serviços oferecidos pela gestão e as condições básicas dos municípios próximos às unidades para recepcionar observadores de aves. O protocolo foi aplicado na Área de Relevante Interesse Ecológico (ARIE) Japiim-Pentecoste localizada no Estado do Acre. Foram registradas 266 espécies de aves nesta unidade de conservação, das quais 65 e 24 espécies foram avaliadas como de médio e alto índice de atratividade para observadores de aves. Existe um conjunto de trilhas disponíveis que cruzam pelos principais ambientes da unidade que foram abertas por moradores para as suas atividades agroextrativistas. O órgão gestor da unidade, no entanto, não oferece nenhuma infraestrutura ou facilidade de apoio à visitação. Os municípios próximos à unidade são Mâncio Lima e Cruzeiro do Sul, sendo que este último oferece uma ampla gama de hotéis e possibilidades de aluguel de veículos para suporte à atividade de observação de aves. Poucos serviços de acomodação e transporte estavam disponíveis em Mâncio Lima, apesar do município se localizar mais próximo da UC facilitando o acesso à mesma. O protocolo se mostrou eficiente para uma análise rápida e simples do potencial da prática de observação de aves em unidades de conservação. Entretanto, alguns aspectos como a diminuição da subjetividade na avaliação dos atrativos de cada espécie podem ser aperfeiçoados. Acreditamos que o protocolo desenvolvido neste estudo pode ser aplicado em outras unidades de conservação da Amazônia para avaliar o potencial destas áreas protegidas na promoção do ecoturismo baseado na observação de aves

Avifauna of the upper Purus River: relevant records for an area lacking ornithological surveys

Birds are the best-known vertebrate group, although many localities in the world are considered to be knowledge gaps. This is the case of many little-known environments in the Amazon biome, the world’s largest tropical forest. Here, we present a survey of birds in the upper Purus basin, comprising the municipalities of Manoel Urbano and Feijó in the Brazilian state of Acre, and Boca do Acre and Pauini in the state of Amazonas. In this region, poorly-studied habitats, such as open rainforest dominated by palms or bamboo, still predominate. We recorded 452 bird species during 45 field trips between May and July in 2016, and June to August in 2017. Twenty-four of these species are associated with bamboo habitat, 28 are endemic to the southwestern Amazon basin, and seven are threatened with extinction. This high diversity is typical of the western Amazon basin, one of the richest regions in the world in the number of species, due to the heterogeneity of the local environments. The data presented here highlight the importance of the region for the conservation of birds, including species typical of the western Amazon, some of which are still poorly-known

First record of the Pyrrhura lucianii Deville, 1851 (Psittaciformes, Psittacidae) in Acre, Brazil, with notes on the consumption of salt

The Brazilian endemic species Pyrrhura lucianii Deville, 1851, was found on private property in the municipality of Senador Guiomard in Acre State, Brazil. This is the first record of this parakeet species in the state, expanding its distribution in 219 km to the south of Pauini, the nearest location. The species was observed consuming salt, used as a cattle feed supplement

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved