Agricultural activities and threat to fauna in Brazil: an analysis of the Red Book of Endangered Brazilian Fauna

Abstract The recent edition of the Red Book of Endangered Brazilian Fauna brings 1,173 threatened species, 86% of them in terrestrial or freshwater environments. For these species, the main threat vector is agricultural activities that affect 519 species (51%). This information brought by the Red Book is examined in-depth and its consistency is discussed in search of an objective view on the impacts of agriculture, its importance, how they affect the different groups of animals, the different biomes of the country, and the different types of habitats continental. Birds, fish, and invertebrates are the groups with the highest number of species threatened by agricultural activity, accounting for more than 70% of the species. Habitat loss is by far the biggest impact caused by the activity, affecting almost 90% of the species. However, there is a difference between the impact of agriculture and livestock. The work seeks to understand why livestock threatens a smaller number of species, although pastures occupy more than twice the area occupied by crops and forestry. The work brings an objective debate on the relationship between agricultural activities and the conservation of wild fauna in Brazil, without falling into the trap of the useless demonization of human activities, highlighting, instead, the need to define and implement strategies for the conservation of biodiversity in the midst the land use matrix itself, complementary to the conservation units, based on the best available information on the vulnerability of fauna to the impacts of this vector.

Agricultural activities and threat to fauna in Brazil: an analysis of the Red Book of Endangered Brazilian Fauna

Abstract The recent edition of the Red Book of Endangered Brazilian Fauna brings 1,173 threatened species, 86% of them in terrestrial or freshwater environments. For these species, the main threat vector is agricultural activities that affect 519 species (51%). This information brought by the Red Book is examined in-depth and its consistency is discussed in search of an objective view on the impacts of agriculture, its importance, how they affect the different groups of animals, the different biomes of the country, and the different types of habitats continental. Birds, fish, and invertebrates are the groups with the highest number of species threatened by agricultural activity, accounting for more than 70% of the species. Habitat loss is by far the biggest impact caused by the activity, affecting almost 90% of the species. However, there is a difference between the impact of agriculture and livestock. The work seeks to understand why livestock threatens a smaller number of species, although pastures occupy more than twice the area occupied by crops and forestry. The work brings an objective debate on the relationship between agricultural activities and the conservation of wild fauna in Brazil, without falling into the trap of the useless demonization of human activities, highlighting, instead, the need to define and implement strategies for the conservation of biodiversity in the midst the land use matrix itself, complementary to the conservation units, based on the best available information on the vulnerability of fauna to the impacts of this vector.

Agricultural activities and threat to fauna in Brazil: an analysis of the Red Book of Endangered Brazilian Fauna

The recent edition of the Red Book of Endangered Brazilian Fauna brings 1,173 threatened species, 86% of them in terrestrial or freshwater environments. For these species, the main threat vector is agricultural activities that affect 519 species (51%). This information brought by the Red Book is examined in-depth and its consistency is discussed in search of an objective view on the impacts of agriculture, its importance, how they affect the different groups of animals, the different biomes of the country, and the different types of habitats continental. Birds, fish, and invertebrates are the groups with the highest number of species threatened by agricultural activity, accounting for more than 70% of the species. Habitat loss is by far the biggest impact caused by the activity, affecting almost 90% of the species. However, there is a difference between the impact of agriculture and livestock. The work seeks to understand why livestock threatens a smaller number of species, although pastures occupy more than twice the area occupied by crops and forestry. The work brings an objective debate on the relationship between agricultural activities and the conservation of wild fauna in Brazil, without falling into the trap of the useless demonization of human activities, highlighting, instead, the need to define and implement strategies for the conservation of biodiversity in the midst the land use matrix itself, complementary to the conservation units, based on the best available information on the vulnerability of fauna to the impacts of this vector.(AU)

Caracterização do estado sanitário dos carnívoros selvagens da RPPN SESC Pantanal e de animais domésticos da região / Characterization of the health status of wild carnivores of the RPPN SESC Pantanal and of domestic animals of the region

Nas últimas décadas, pesquisadores vêm atribuindo crescente importância à ocorrência de agentes patogênicos para a conservação de animais selvagens. Epizootias em carnívoros selvagens na África e América do Norte levaram a declínios significativos nas populações afetadas. Por outro lado, animais selvagens podem agir como reservatórios para agentes que afetam o homem e animais domésticos. O objetivo deste estudo foi pesquisar a exposição de carnívoros selvagens e de animais domésticos da região da RPPN SESC Pantanal a patógenos importantes para a conservação dos carnívoros selvagens e para o homem. Para isto, entre 2002 e 2006, 76 carnívoros selvagens (43 cachorros-do-mato, Cerdocyon thous, 13 guaxinins, Procyon cancrivorous, oito lobos-guarás, Chrysocyon brachyurus, quatro jaguatiricas, Leopardus pardalis, sete suçuaranas, Puma concolor e um cachorro-vinagre, Speothos venaticus) foram capturados e tiveram amostras sangüíneas coletadas. Também foram amostrados 103 cães domésticos em comunidades humanas localizadas ao norte da RPPN e 27 cavalos utilizados no interior da reserva. Para os carnívoros (selvagens e domésticos) foi realizado sorodiagnóstico para o vírus da cinomose (soroneutralização), parvovírus (HI), raiva (SFIMT) e Leptospira spp. (MAT), além do diagnóstico direto para Leishmania spp., através da PCR. A sorologia para Leptospira spp. também foi realizada nos eqüinos. Dentre os carnívoros selvagens, 21 de 75 animais testados apresentaram título >= 8 de anticorpos para o vírus da cinomose, 70 de 76 apresentaram título >= 80 de anticorpos para o parvovírus, 4 de 76 apresentaram título >= 10 UI/ml de anticorpos para o vírus da raiva, 32 de 75 apresentaram título >= 100 de anticorpos para Leptospira spp. e 7 de 21 foram positivos para Leishmania spp. Dentre os cães domésticos, foram diagnosticados 65 positivos à sorologia para o vírus da cinomose dos 79 indivíduos testados, 98 de 102 para o parvovírus, 27 de 102 para o vírus da raiva e 18 de 103 para Leptospira spp. Para Leishmania spp., 20 de 70 foram positivos. As amostras dos animais positivos para Leishmania foram identificadas como pertencentes ao sub-gênero Viannia, sendo duas delas identificadas especificamente como Leishmania (V.) braziliensis. Vinte de 27 cavalos foram positivos sorologicamente para Leptospira spp. Os resultados obtidos indicam que os carnívoros selvagens e cães domésticos foram expostos aos cinco agentes pesquisados, demonstrando a presença destes na região. Isto indica que os carnívoros selvagens da região podem ser ameaçados pela presença dos patógenos que comumente circulam nas populações de cães domésticos. Também demonstram que agentes zoonóticos circulam nestes animais na região. No entanto, nem a mortalidade de carnívoros selvagens em decorrência de doenças nem o papel dos animais selvagens como reservatórios de agentes zoonóticos puderam ser claramente demonstrados. Apesar disto, é evidente a necessidade de implementação de medidas preventivas visando evitar a transmissão de patógenos aos carnívoros selvagens, como vacinação e controle populacional dos cães domésticos, e de um sistema de vigilância para as leishmanioses, para a raiva e para a leptospirose, aliado a um programa de educação em saúde na comunidade de São Pedro de Joselândia e adjacências

In the last decades, researchers have been giving growing importance to the occurrence of pathogens for the conservation of wild animals. Epizootics in wild carnivores in Africa and North America have led to declines in the affected populations. On the other hand, wild animals may act as reservoirs to pathogens that affect humans and domestic animals. The purpose of this study was to assess the exposure of wild carnivores and domestic animals from the Northern Pantanal region to pathogens that are important for the conservation of wild carnivores and for men. From 2002 to 2006, 76 wild carnivores (43 crab eating foxes, Cerdocyon thous, 13 raccoons, Procyon cancrivorous, eight maned wolves, Chrysocyon brachyurus, four ocelots, Leopardus pardalis, seven pumas, Puma concolor, and one bush dog, Speothos venaticus) were captured and blood samples were collected. Additionally, 103 domestic dogs and 27 horses from the same area were also sampled. Serological tests were performed for wild carnivores and domestic dogs for CDV (SN), CPV (HI), rabies virus (SFIMT) and Leptospira spp. (MAT), along with PCR for Leishmania spp. MAT was also performed for horses. Among wild carnivores, 21 of 75 tested animals had titers >= 8 for CDV antibodies, 70 of 76 had titers >= 80 for CPV antibodies, 4 of 76 had titers >= 10 UI/ml for rabies virus antibodies, 32 of 75 had >= 100 for Leptospira spp. antibodies, and 7 of 21 were positive for Leishmania spp. Among domestic dogs, 65 of 79 animals tested positive for serology for CDV, 98 of 102 for CPV, 27 of 102 for rabies virus and 18 of 103 for Leptospira spp. For Leishmania spp., 20 of 70 were positive. Positive samples for Leishmania spp. were identified as belonging to the sub-genus Viannia. Two of these were identified to the species level as Leishmania (V.) braziliensis. Twenty of 27 horses were serologically positive for Leptospira spp. These results indicate that wild carnivores and domestic dogs were exposed to all five tested pathogens, showing their presence in the region. This indicates that wild carnivores in the region may be threatened by pathogens that commonly circulate among domestic dog populations. It also demonstrates that zoonotic agents circulate among the wild carnivore population in the region. However, neither a greater mortality of wild carnivores due to infectious diseases nor their role as reservoirs of zoonosis have been clearly demonstrated. Nevertheless, the need to act to prevent the transmission of pathogens to wild carnivores, through vaccination of domestic dogs and population control, is evident. The implementation of a surveillance system for rabies, leishmaniasis and leptospirosis, together with a health education program in the human community, would also be very important