Effects of Land Use Change on Vertebrate Populations in a Dynamic Frontier in Amazonia
Claudia
Azevedo-Ramos, Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazonia, cramos@amazon.com.br
(Presenting)
Lisa
M.
Curran, Yale University, lisa.curran@yale.edu
Alice
MacDonald, Yale University, alice.macdonald@yale.edu
Ana Cristina
M.
Oliveira, Universidade Federal do Pará, acmo@amazon.com.br
Oswaldo
de
Carvalho Jr, Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazonia, oswaldo@ipam.org.br
Composition, abundance, ranging and dynamics of vertebrate populations are influenced not only by the area and distribution of primary forest, but by the spatial configuration and use of modified matrix habitat found throughout their geographic range. However, consequences of such land use change on vertebrate taxa remain challenging to quantify empirically over meaningful spatio-temporal scales. Yet, projecting potential biodiversity changes under different land use scenarios may be employed as powerful management tool. The Brazilian Government wants to associate the pavement of main road in Central Amazonia (BR-163 or Cuiabá-Santarém highway) with an integrated model of sustainable regional development incorporating socio-environmental concerns. Therefore, as a first approach, we assess how land-cover change along the BR 163 would potentially affect mammalian and avian distributions across their geographic range. Available data were compiled on species’ use of specific forest habitats and human land use (e.g., logging, burned, pasture, small-holder and industrial agriculture), coupled with potential mortality threats (i.e., hunting pressure). Land use change from 1996 to 2001 was generated from Landsat ETM+ and projected for 30 years under “business-as-usual” and “governance” scenarios of deforestation in Amazonia. Various weightings of species-specific habitat use and relative abundance were employed in Markov models superimposed on these land use scenarios to simulate spatially-explicit effects of this habitat alteration on vertebrate taxa. From these combined simulations, we identify vulnerable species as well as critical areas/habitats or thresholds of land conversion for management and conservation strategies.
Submetido por Claudia de Barros e Azevedo-Ramos em 19-MAR-2004
Tema Científico do LBA: LC (Mudanças dos Usos da Terra e da Vegetação)