Mammals of Cajuru State Forest and surroundings: a neglected but important Protected Area for the Cerrado conservation in the São Paulo state, Brazil / Mamíferos da Floresta Estadual de Cajuru e arredores: uma Área Protegida negligenciada mas importante para a conservação do Cerrado no estado de São Paulo, Brasil

Abstract: The Cerrado has been severely impacted by anthropogenic disturbances, with a tiny proportion of its original extent remaining in its southern portions. In the state of São Paulo, only 7% of this vegetation remains and relatively little is known about the biodiversity of these fragments. To fill this knowledge gap, we inventoried medium and large-sized terrestrial mammals of a neglected region, including a sustainable use protected area, Cajuru State Forest (CSF), adjacent native vegetation remnants protected by the Native Vegetation Protection Law and owned by a paper and cellulose company (Dois Córregos Farm; DCF), and their surroundings. We recorded 20 native mammal species, five of which are endangered with extinction, including the giant anteater, puma, and maned wolf. We found no significant differences in species richness between CSF and DCF but we found higher estimated species richness for the surrounding areas. Besides encompassing a larger and more heterogeneous area, the surrounding area still has a relatively high proportion (>30%) of native vegetation, providing habitat and resources for many species. The estimated mammal species richness for the entire study area was similar to that found in the largest protected area of the Cerrado in São Paulo State, the Jataí Ecological Station and its surroundings. We conclude that our study area still harbors a relatively rich community of large mammals and is important for the conservation of endangered species. This finding is particularly timing since the current State administration is considering to transfer the economic exploitation of CSF to the private sector. We therefore endorse an existing proposal to uplist this protected area, which still lacks a management plan, to a more restricted management category. Besides actions regarding this governmental PA, we argue that it is also important to involve the private sector in a conservation plan for the region.

Resumo: O Cerrado tem sido severamente impactado por distúrbios antrópicos e, especialmente na sua porção sul, poucos são os fragmentos remanescentes desse bioma. No estado de São Paulo, resta aproximadamente 7% da cobertura original de Cerrado e relativamente pouco se sabe sobre a biodiversidade desses remanescentes. Para preencher essa lacuna, inventariamos mamíferos terrestres de médio e grande porte de uma região pouco estudada que inclui uma Unidade de Conservação (UC) de uso sustentável (Floresta Estadual de Cajuru; CSF), áreas de vegetação nativa protegidos pela Lei de Proteção da Vegetação Nativa e pertencentes a uma empresa de papel e celulose (Fazenda Dois Córregos; DCF), e seus entornos. Registramos 20 espécies de mamíferos nativos, cinco dos quais ameaçados de extinção, incluindo o tamanduá-bandeira, a onça parda e o lobo-guará. Não encontramos diferenças significativas na riqueza de espécies entre CSF e DCF, mas encontramos maior riqueza estimada de espécies para o entorno. Além de abranger uma área maior e mais heterogênea, essa área ainda apresenta uma proporção relativamente grande (> 30%) de vegetação nativa, fornecendo habitat e recursos para muitas espécies. A estimativa da riqueza de espécies para toda a nossa área de estudo foi semelhante à encontrada na maior UC de Cerrado no Estado de São Paulo, a Estação Ecológica de Jataí e entorno. Concluímos que a área de estudo abriga uma comunidade rica de grandes mamíferos, sendo importante para a conservação de várias espécies ameaçadas de extinção. Essa descoberta é particularmente oportuna, uma vez que o governo estadual está considerando transferir a exploração econômica da CSF para o setor privado. Endossamos, desta forma, uma proposta existente para elevar esta UC, que ainda carece de um plano de manejo, para uma categoria de manejo mais restritiva. Além disso, argumentamos que também é importante envolver a iniciativa privada em um plano de conservação para a região.

Crop proximity index for monitoring of peri-urban land use in agro-industrial crop regions.

The agro-industrial production of genetically modified organisms uses great amounts of pesticides, close to cities, which generates growing concern due to the numerous evidence of their negative effects on health and the environment. In a context of the lack, or inaccessibility, of official data on crop dynamics and pesticide use, environmental indicators using satellite data are needed for the proper monitoring of peri-urban areas. The objective of this research is to make a crop proximity index using satellite information to assess and monitor peri-urban agro-industrial activity. Twenty cities in Argentina and ten in the United States were selected. The CPI index is designed to evaluate a city and its peri-urban areas as a whole by taking account of the land uses and factors that can potentially influence the proximity to agro-industrial activity to the population living in those cities. Agriculture factor was weighted by proximity or remoteness using perimeter rings from the urban edge. All the necessary data for the calculation of the CPI index were obtained through the classification and processing of Sentinel 2 satellite images with software and the Google Earth Engine platform. The results show a worrying situation, 90% of cities in Argentina and 80% in the United States have a negative CPI. Most of the cities examined are extremely close to extensive areas of crops, that use a high amount of pesticides and which do not have the protection of trees or buffer zones.

Demographic pressure in Serra do Mar State Park and its buffer zone, southeastern Brazil.

The Serra do Mar State Park forms a green corridor that connects significant remnants of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, a region that presents great biodiversity. However, the mounting pressure exerted on it by disorderly urban expansion around conservation unit areas is a cause for concern. Thereby, this paper aims to analyze a geographical and demographic characterization of Serra do Mar State Park and its buffer zone in order to identify regions under the greatest pressure and provide subsidies for developing public policies. The study is based on a cartographic representation using a geographic information system associated with the 2010 Census demographic data, which has been conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE in Portuguese acronym). The study area covers the territory of 32 municipalities and it was found that almost 25,000 inhabitants live inside the park while approximately 712,000 residents live inside its buffer zone.

Protected areas and agricultural expansion: Biodiversity conservation versus economic growth in the Southeast of Brazil.

The conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural land and urban areas plays a threat to the protected areas and the natural ecosystems conservation. The aim of this paper is to provide an analysis of the agricultural expansion and its impact on the landscape spatial and temporal patterns in a buffer zone of a protected area located in the transition zone between the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado, in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The land use and land cover were mapped between 1971 and 2008 and landscape metrics were calculated to provide a spatiotemporal analysis of the forest structure and the expansion of the croplands. The results showed that the landscape patterns were affected by the economic cycles. The predominant crop surrounding the protected area is sugar cane, which increased by 39% during this period, followed by citrus. This landscape change is connected to the Brazilian oil crisis in 1973. The rapid expansion of sugar cane was largely driven by Brazil's biofuel program, the "Proálcool" (pro-alcohol), a project in 1975 that mixed ethanol with gas for automotive fuel. The forest loss occurred mainly between 1971 and 1988, decreasing the forest cover from 17% in 1971 to 12.7% in 2008. Most of the forest patches are smaller than 50 ha and has low connectivity. Throughout the years, the fragments in the buffer zone have become smaller and with an elongated shape, and the park has become isolated. This forest fragmentation process and the predominance of monoculture lands in the buffer zone threaten the protected areas, and can represent a barrier for these areas to provide the effective biodiversity conservation. The measures proposed are necessary to ensure the capability of this ecosystem to sustain its original biodiversity.

Composition of bat assemblages (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in tropical riparian forests

Various studies have focused on the richness and abundance of bats in tropical forests and how the composition of these forests affects bat assemblages, but there are few studies on the relationship of bats with riparian forests. The aim of this study was to ascertain the differences among bat assemblages of three riparian forest areas of the Tinguá region, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These areas were: I) an agricultural area (Takume); II) a reforested area in primary succession (Canavarro); and III) an area with late secondary vegetation (Tinguá Biological Reserve). Assessments of bat species composition in these areas may shed light on how anthropogenic modifications in riparian forests can influence local bat assemblages. Bats were captured with mist nets during 72 sampling nights. Total bat abundance was 1,511 individuals in 26 species. The three areas differed in their species composition. The Tinguá Biological Reserve was the richest area, Canavarro presented the lowest diversity and the highest abundance of individuals, and the evenness index was highest in Takume. The differences found in the composition and ecological indices indicate that bat assemblages have distinct characteristics in the three areas studied, with varied degrees of transformation and anthropization.(AU)

Composition of bat assemblages (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in tropical riparian forests

Various studies have focused on the richness and abundance of bats in tropical forests and how the composition of these forests affects bat assemblages, but there are few studies on the relationship of bats with riparian forests. The aim of this study was to ascertain the differences among bat assemblages of three riparian forest areas of the Tinguá region, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These areas were: I) an agricultural area (Takume); II) a reforested area in primary succession (Canavarro); and III) an area with late secondary vegetation (Tinguá Biological Reserve). Assessments of bat species composition in these areas may shed light on how anthropogenic modifications in riparian forests can influence local bat assemblages. Bats were captured with mist nets during 72 sampling nights. Total bat abundance was 1,511 individuals in 26 species. The three areas differed in their species composition. The Tinguá Biological Reserve was the richest area, Canavarro presented the lowest diversity and the highest abundance of individuals, and the evenness index was highest in Takume. The differences found in the composition and ecological indices indicate that bat assemblages have distinct characteristics in the three areas studied, with varied degrees of transformation and anthropization.