Title
Vulnerability of turtles to deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Indicating priority areas for conservation
Author(s)
Camila K. Fagundes, Richard C. Vogt, Rodrigo A. de Souza, Paulo De Marco Jr.
Published
2018
Publisher
Biological Conservation
Abstract
Loss of forest cover has been considered an important factor in the decline of turtle populations. We used Species Distribution Models (SDM) to identify the potential distribution areas of various turtle species in the Brazilian Amazon and to calculate the amount of area possibly lost to deforestation (vulnerability). Next, we use Zonation software to prioritize areas for turtle conservation. We attach greater conservation weight to terrestrial, semi-aquatic and threatened turtles and force the exclusion of deforested areas. Different scenarios have been implemented to assess the effectiveness of PAs in protecting turtles. Priority areas for turtle conservation are located in the central north of the Amazon. These regions generally do not cover areas of high deforestation. Most areas where turtles are most vulnerable to deforestation are located in the central-northeast portion of the Amazon, but only three species lost more potential distribution areas for current and expected deforestation than the percentage of total deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon . Phrynops geoffroanus, Podocnemis unifilis, Giboc Mesoclemmys and Kinosternon scorpioides had a larger proportion of their potential range lost due to deforestation.Muitos locais prioritários para a conservação de tartarugas estão localizados fora dos Áreas Protegidas, mesmo considerando apenas 17% dos principais locais prioritários.
Embora não tenhamos explicitamente levado em consideração a importância social das tartarugas como recurso alimentar em nossa análise, nossos resultados destacam as regiões mais importantes para investir na conservação de tartarugas na Amazônia brasileira. Esses resultados têm implicações práticas significativas para a conservação.
Keywords
Amazon, Deforestation vulnerability, Species distribution modeling, Reserve network efficiency, Turtle conservation.
Full Citation
Fagundes, Camila K.; Vogtb, Richard C.; De Souzac, Rodrigo A.; De Marco Jr., Paulo. Vulnerability of turtles to deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: Indicating priority areas for conservation. Biological Conservation 226 (2018) 300–310
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