Protecting forests at the expense of native grasslands: Land-use policy encourages open-habitat loss in the Brazilian cerrado biome

The agricultural conversion of natural habitats is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. In the ∼2 million km2 Brazilian cerrado biome, a global biodiversity hotspot, vast areas have been converted into croplands and cattle pastures. Because the cerrado biome is overwhelmingly contained within private lands, Brazil's environmental legislation should serve as a decisive instrument in protecting these natural ecosystems. We assessed the role of Legal Reserves (LRs), legally defined as the minimum proportion of private landholdings set aside to protect natural vegetation, in the conservation of the cerrado biome. We assume that the property-scale allocation of LRs is primarily based on economic decision-making, creating a bias against cerrado protection. We therefore assessed the area ratio between forest vegetation (FV) and grassland vegetation (GV) areas across LRs within 48,762 landholdings, 9 formal protected areas (PAs) and 34 Indigenous Lands (ILs) within the cerrado (sensu lato) of the 903,357-km2 state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. We show that there are 7.26 ha of forest lands for each hectare of native grasslands within private RLs of the cerrado biome within Mato Grosso, a ratio almost three-fold larger than that found in formal PAs and ILs. ILs protect in absolute values (hectares) six-fold more native grassland vegetation than PAs. We discuss the policy relevance of this severe land-use bias in maintaining the heterogeneity of cerrado habitats for biodiversity conservation within private properties, which account for 90% of the entire cerrado biome

Estruturação da vigilância epidemiológica e manejo populacional de suídeos asselvajados (Sus scrofa) para área livre de peste suína clássica do Brasil.

Suplemento 2, ref. 30. Edição dos Resumos do 3 Encontro Nacional de Defesa Sanitária Animal, Foz de Iguaçu, dez. 2013

An investigation of hydro-geochemical processes in coupled thermal, hydraulic, chemical and mechanical behaviours of unsaturated soils

The new model ahs then been applied to investigate relevant hydraulic and hydrogeochemical processes in a swelling clay.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Reconciling biome-wide conservation of an apex carnivore with land-use economics in the increasingly threatened Pantanal wetlands

Conservation of carnivores involves finding solutions to minimize habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict. Understanding the nature of land-use economics can allow us to mitigate both threats. In the Pantanal, the two main economic activities are cattle ranching and ecotourism, each of which directly and indirectly affect the persistence of jaguars (Panthera onca). To understand how the geography of these economic activities is related to jaguar populations, we developed a jaguar distribution model (JDM), livestock density model, and ecotourism lodge density model for the Pantanal. Due to the recent wildfires within the Pantanal, we also assess the impact of burnt areas that are suitable for jaguars, cattle ranching, and tourism. Our JDM indicate that 64% of the Pantanal holds suitable habitat for jaguars. However, jaguar habitat suitability was positively correlated with ecotourism, but negatively correlated with areas most suitable for intensive cattle-ranching. This demonstrates a biome-wide scenario compatible with jaguar conservation. Of particular concern, recent wildfires overlap most suitable areas for jaguars. If wildfires become increasingly frequent, this would represent a serious threat to jaguars and many other wildlife populations. We emphasize the global importance of the Pantanal wetland ecoregion as a key stronghold for long-term jaguar conservation

Eight basic principles for the elaboration of public policies and development projects for the Pantanal.

Abstract: The Pantanal is considered the largest continuous freshwater wetland in the world, and its sustainable use requires a unified conceptual framework. The lengthy process to establish public policies has contributed to the increasing vulnerability of the Pantanal. Given the need for a conceptual basis to help this process, we elaborate a list of eight basic principles based on the accumulated scientific evidence: (i) Consider the Paraguay River Basin a management unity; (ii) Establish rules that follow the concept of restricted use approach; (iii) Ensure the ecologically sustainable use of the Pantanal; (iv) Maintain the environmental heterogeneity and functionality in the Pantanal landscapes; (v) Maintain the hydrological integrity and connectivity; (vi) Ensure the environmental representativeness of the protected areas network; (vii) Provide economic incentives for conservationist use of the land; and (viii) Recognize and protect traditional people, their values, resources, and way of living. However, the elaboration of public policies should be a participatory and inclusive decision‐making process towards a more just and sustainable future.Online first