Reflexiones sobre el impacto y manejo de la caza de mamíferos silvestres en los bosques tropicales

Abstract

Fa, J.E., Farfán, M.A., Márquez, A.L., Duarte, J., Vargas, J.M. (2013). Reflections on the impact and management of hunting of wild mammals in tropical forests. Ecosistemas 22(2):76-83. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.2013.22-2.12 Globally, tropical forests provide renewable products (timber and other non-timber goods) to its many inhabitants. For many indigenous communities in the forests of South America, Africa and Asia, wildlife and more particularly the meat from mammals, is an important source of animal protein, but also a source of income derived from the sale of the hunted animals. Commercial hunting of jungle fauna, together with the demands imposed by the high population increase in these ecosystems, threatens the viability of many populations of wild mammals. This impact puts at risk many mammalian communities and reduces the availability of protein for rural populations. This paper presents an analysis of bushmeat species extracted in tropical forests globally, and discusses their importance in diets and economies of rural and urban communities in these regions. We review the state of conservation of those species affected by hunting, and of the processes that have contributed to the current situation. We conclude with an analysis of solutions that could minimize the conflict between the protection of biodiversity and the needs of human populations dependent on it in the tropical jungles.