Abstract
We examined the effects of selective timber logging carried out by local indigenous people in remote areas within indigenous territories on the mammal populations of the Yavari-Mirin River basin on the Peru-Brazil border. Recent findings show that habitat change in the study area is minimal, and any effect of logging activities on large mammal populations is highly likely to be the result of hunting associated with logging operations. We used hunting registers to estimate the monthly and yearly biomass extracted during timber operations and to calculate the catch per unit effort (CPUE) in subsistence hunting in the community of Esperanza 2 to 5 years before logging activities started and 4 to 7 years after logging began. We also used line transects and the distance method to estimate animal densities before and after logging. We found that 1389 hunted animals and 27,459 kg of mammal biomass were extracted per year from logging concessions. CPUE for ungulates declined; however, it increased for other mammal orders, such as rodents and primates, indicating a shift to alternative prey items. Although collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu) and tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) may also have declined in numbers, this shift may have been caused by a possibly natural population crash in white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) that coincided with the logging periods. We found no evidence that populations of primates were reduced by the logging activities. Because primates are sensitive to hunting, and their populations were of principal concern as logging commenced, this indicates that these forests remain of high conservation value. The unusual socioeconomic situation of these remote territories may mean that they are compatible with wildlife conservation in the Yavari-Mirin basin.
Highlights
Timber extraction is widespread in humid tropical forests
We examined the effects of selective timber logging carried out by local indigenous people in remote areas within indigenous territories on the mammal populations of the Yavari-Mirin River basin on the Peru-Brazil border
In a spatial analysis of the same study area, Mercado (2012) reported a low deforestation rate of 0.10% and 0.60% for the periods 2000-2005 and 2005-2010, respectively. These results suggests that selective logging activities conducted by the local indigenous people are not causing a great effect on the forests of the Yavari-Mirin basin, and there are no signs of forest fragmentation that could affect the large mammal populations through wildlife isolation by reducing the available habitat and limiting connectivity
Summary
In Peru, timber concessions are granted by the government to facilitate the selective extraction of the most commercial species. It has been repeatedly shown that timber operations cause widespread negative effects on wildlife populations, including population declines and local extinctions, as well as other effects such as infant malnutrition, abandonment, and mortality (Thiollay 1992, Marsden 1998, Meijaard et al 2006). This is thought to be, in part, an indirect result of deforestation and habitat destruction. To our knowledge there is no information on the ecological effect of logging activities carried out by local indigenous people in remote areas within the framework of timber concessions or within indigenous territories
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
