| Popis: |
Hunting is one of the principal causes of wildlife declines throughout the tropics. Even with an increase in the number of reserves, protecting wildlife has proven difficult and many reserves remain little different from unprotected areas. In Brazil, private landowners are being encouraged by federal and state governments and non-governmental organizations to participate in a national conservation strategy by setting aside land for preservation. However, due to chronic hunting pressure, the role that private reserves might play remains to be determined. In this study we analyze the potential of private reserves through a case study of the Reserva Ecologica Michelin in Bahia, Brazil. We measured the relative abundances of medium and large mammals before and after the implementation of guard patrols, to determine the efficacy of this management strategy for protecting wildlife. The relative abundance of the fauna increased by 72.6 % after the initiation of guard patrols, from 5.07 to 8.68 encounters/10 km, ... |
