Portal de Pesquisa da BVS Veterinária

Acta sci. vet. (Impr.); 38(supl.2): s373-s377, 2010.

Artigo em Inglês | VETINDEX | ID: biblio-1411508

Resumo

Background: The degradation of caatinga requires the development of strategies for its conservation and for the animals that inhabit in it. The need for studies on the conservation of germplasm from those animals led to the creation of the Center of Multiplication of Wild Animals of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (CEMAS/ UFERSA). This work presents data regarding the status of the conservation of the caatinga, and the main results related to the acquirement and conservation of germplasm from the animals that live in CEMAS. Review: The Caatinga biome is one of the most inhospitable landscapes of Brazil, and is considered the unique biome that is exclusively Brazilian due to a series of physical factors. This biome is the most altered by human action, with approximately 45.3% of the areas modified and only 1% protected by conservation units. Despite this, little attention has been given to its conservation and negligence is evident when investments in research on biodiversity and conservation of this biome are examined. The conservation of Caatinga biome is important for the maintenance of regional and global climate, the availability of drinking water, adequate soil for agriculture, and as an important part of the biodiversity of the planet. However, the caatinga remains as one of the lesser-known ecosystems in South America from a scientific point of view, which favors the process of its extinction. In order topreserve the wild species of the Brazilian northeast semi-arid, the Centre of Multiplication of Wild Animals ­ CEMAS/UFERSA not only promotes research, preservation, and conservation of wild species, but also develops technologies capable of producing animal protein, at low-cost for low-income familiar populations and meets producers interested in the creation of wild animals, using the criterion of sustainability. Nowadays, research projects aiming the obtaining of information regarding reproductive physiology and conservation of male and female germplasm from several species have been conducted. In collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu), it was standardized that semen could be collected by electroejaculation under anesthesia using Propofol, followed by the cryopreservation in Tris supplemented by fructose or glucose and added by egg yolk and glycerol. In the female peccaries, studies on reproductive cycle and protocols for the conservation of ovarian preantral follicles are now being conducted. For the agouti (Dasyprocta aguti), a protocol for the obtaining and cryopreservation of epididymal sperm was established and now, we are trying to develop methodologies for their oocyte conservation. For the six-banded armadillos (Euphractus sexsinctus) and the coatis (Nasua nasua), several studies on semen technology, including protocols for collection and evaluation of sperm physiology, were conducted. Conclusions: In spite of our efforts to develop strategies for the conservation of animal germplasm, a genuine program of conservation for the Caatinga Biome will only be achieved when the knowledge and reproductive technologies be integrated into multidisciplinary programs for the preservation of the integrity of species ex situ and, preferably, in situ.

Biblioteca responsável: BR68.1