Abstract
Protected areas are intended to achieve the long-term conservation of nature, but not all such areas are equal in their effectiveness because of their varying regulation of human activities. In Costa Rica, we assessed mammal and bird species presence and relative abundance in three protected areas in the northern Talamanca Mountains. In this humid tropical forest area, we placed camera traps in an adjacent national park, forest reserve, and indigenous territories, each with a different mix of human activities. In 10,120 trap nights, we obtained 6181 independent photos of mostly mammals (34 species other than humans) and birds (34 species). Species with greater abundance or only occurrence in the national park were mammals and birds commonly hunted outside of the park, large carnivores rarely documented in other areas, and poachers. Species found more often outside of the park were medium-sized mammals, some birds, and domestic mammals. We conclude that even in the same ecological area, varying regulations related to type of protected area have significant effects on some mammal and bird species abundances and occurrences, and thus need to be considered when assessing the overall effectiveness of protection as a conservation strategy.
Highlights
The International Union for Conservation of Nature [1] defines a protected area as a “clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.” protected areas are considered important for maintaining biodiversity and the integrity of the ecosystems [2,3]
Large natural areas such as national parks and reserves are essential for conserving wildlife populations [4,5]; large mammals, especially top predators and large herbivores, are often able to thrive in these protected areas because they are intended to provide shelter from human persecution and anthropogenic habitat changes [6]
In the Pacuare River Forest Reserve (PRFR) to the north of the Barbilla National Park, an area of virgin forest was logged in the mid 1970s by means of 15 km of new unpaved roads, which subsequently allowed for additional roads and settlements in the area [14]
Summary
The International Union for Conservation of Nature [1] defines a protected area as a “clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.” protected areas are considered important for maintaining biodiversity and the integrity of the ecosystems [2,3]. Protected areas are considered important for maintaining biodiversity and the integrity of the ecosystems [2,3] Large natural areas such as national parks and reserves are essential for conserving wildlife populations [4,5]; large mammals, especially top predators and large herbivores, are often able to thrive in these protected areas because they are intended to provide shelter from human persecution and anthropogenic habitat changes [6]. National parks are “areas [intended] to protect outstanding natural and scenic areas of national and international significance for scientific, educational, and recreational use. They are Diversity 2020, 12, 134; doi:10.3390/d12040134 www.mdpi.com/journal/diversity
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