Community-Based Freswater Turtle Conservation In Middle Solimões River, AM, Brazil.

Abstract

In middle Solimoes River the longest-running initiative of turtle community-based protection ( Podocnemis sextuberculata, P. unifilis and P. expansa ) occurs in the Mamiraua Reserve. This study aimed to compile and analyze existing information on the community-based conservation of turtles in this region and discuss the effectiveness of this strategy for generation of scientific data and conservation purposes. We analyzed available information and compared it with data obtained through participant observation. In the last years turtle conservation expanded from beaches into lakes. Despite this improvement, data collected from 2009 to 2011 indicate a reduction in the number of P. sextuberculata nests, which could be related to overestimation of the number of nests in previous years; decrease in the nesting population; or natural phenomena. On the other hand, data show a gradual increase in the number of P. expansa nests. Our analysis suggest that data generated by a participatory monitoring system is limited to general reproductive data and more specific data collection must be accompanied by a technical team. Community-based conservation, despite its limitations, is a valid strategy for turtle conservation, as all nests would likely be preyed upon by humans, if nesting areas were not protected and guarded by local inhabitants.