Abstract
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.
Highlights
In a world increasingly modified by human action, the establishment of governmental protected areas (PAs) is one of the most efficient strategies for biodiversity conservation (Bruner et al 2001)
The study area harbors a rich community of mammals, with 20 species effectively detected, representing 47% of all medium and large-sized terrestrial mammal species known for the entire Cerrado (Marinho-Filho et al 2002)
Species richness comparisons between our study area and the JES landscape, interior and buffer, and Cajuru State Forest (CSF) and Dois Córregos Farm (DCF) lead us to specific considerations, but all results reinforce the ecological relevance of our study area and demonstrate the importance of adequate management measures for the region
Summary
In a world increasingly modified by human action, the establishment of governmental protected areas (PAs) is one of the most efficient strategies for biodiversity conservation (Bruner et al 2001). PAs are part of the territory where land use is restricted, aiming to conserve species, populations, ecosystems, and natural processes. Only 14.8% of the Earth’s surface is covered by PAs (UNEPWCMC & IUCN 2016), a value below the goal of 17% proposed by the Aichi Biodiversity Targets for 2020 (CBO 2013). This level of protection is often lower in areas considered hotspots for biodiversity conservation (i.e., with high endemism and high number of threatened species), such as the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado biomes (Myers et al 2000, Strassburg et al 2017, Rezende et al 2018). The conservation afforded by the current network of protected areas has proven to be not sufficient to stop the global biodiversity decline, especially in the highly biodiverse tropical areas (Laurance et al 2012, Geldmann et al 2013)
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