IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Chiarello, A.G. | |
| Conservation value of a native forest fragment in a region of extensive agriculture | |
| 2000 Revista Brasileira de Biologia (60): 237-247 | |
A survey of mammals and birds was carried out in a semi-deciduous forest fragment of 150 ha located in a zone of intensive agriculture in RibeirÆo Preto, State of SÆo Paulo, south-eastern Brazil. Line transect sampling was used to census mammals and birds during six days, totalling 27.8 km of trails and 27.8 hours of observation. Twenty mammal species were confirmed in the area (except bats and small mammals), including rare or endangered species, such as the mountain lion (_Puma concolor_), the maned wolf (_Chrysocyon brachyurus_), and the ocelot (_Leopardus pardalis_). The brown capuchin monkey (_Cebus apella_) and the black-tufted-ear marmoset (_Callithrix penicillata_) were found frequently, suggesting high population density in the fragment. Regarding the avifauna, 49 bird species were recorded, most of them typical of open areas or forest edges. Some confirmed species, however, are becoming increasingly rare in the region, as for example the muscovy duck (_Cairina moschata_) and the toco toucan (_Ramphastos toco_). The results demonstrate that forest fragment of this size are refuges for native fauna in a region dominated almost exclusively by sugar-cane plantations. Besides faunal aspects, the conservation of these fragments is of great importance for the establishment of studies related to species preservation in the long term, including reintroduction and translocation projects, as well as studies related to genetic health of isolated populations. |
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