Collective property rights lead to secondary forest growth in the Brazilian Amazon.

Forests serve a crucial role in our fight against climate change. Secondary forests provide important potential for conservation of biodiversity and climate change mitigation. In this paper, we explore whether collective property rights in the form of indigenous territories (ITs) lead to higher rates of secondary forest growth in previously deforested areas. We exploit the timing of granting of property rights, the geographic boundaries of ITs and two different methods, regression discontinuity design and difference-in-difference, to recover causal estimates. We find strong evidence that indigenous territories with secure tenure not only reduce deforestation inside their lands but also lead to higher secondary forest growth on previously deforested areas. After receiving full property rights, land inside ITs displayed higher secondary forest growth than land outside ITs, with an estimated effect of 5% using our main RDD specification, and 2.21% using our difference-in-difference research design. Furthermore, we estimate that the average age of secondary forests was 2.2 y older inside ITs with secure tenure using our main RDD specification, and 2.8 y older when using our difference-in-difference research design. Together, these findings provide evidence for the role that collective property rights can play in the push to restore forest ecosystems.

Mercury and methyl mercury in fishes from Bacajá River (Brazilian Amazon): evidence for bioaccumulation and biomagnification.

This study assessed total mercury (THg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations, bioaccumulation and biomagnification of THg through the food web in fishes consumed by indigenous communities of Bacajá River, the largest tributary of the right bank of Xingu River. In total, 496 fish (22 species) were sampled. Nine species had THg concentrations above the limit recommended by the World Health Organisation (0·5 µg g(-1) wet mass), and one exceeded the recommended level for Hg in predatory fishes by Brazilian law (1·0 µg g(-1) ). The average concentration of THg increased significantly with trophic guild (herbivorous to piscivorous) and trophic level, with higher accumulation in fishes with greater total length. Ninety-six per cent of all mercury was methylated. These results suggest that feeding habits determine THg concentrations in fishes and that Hg elimination rate is slow during growth, which allows greater accumulation. These findings show that fishes in the Bacajá River contain high concentrations of THg and MeHg.

Conservation units alone are insufficient to protect Brazilian Amazonian chelonians.

The creation of protected areas (PAs) is not always based on science; consequently, some aquatic species may not receive the same level of protection as terrestrial ones. The objective of this study was to identify priority areas for the conservation of chelonians in the Brazilian Amazon basin and assess the contribution of PAs, distinguishing between Full Protection Areas, Sustainable Use Areas, and Indigenous Lands for group protection. The entire species modeling procedure was carried out using Species Distribution Models. Location records were obtained from platforms such as SpeciesLink, GBIF, the Hydroatlas database, and WorldClim for bioclimatic variables adjusted with algorithms like Maximum Entropy, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Gaussian-Bayesian. Indigenous lands cover more than 50% of the distribution areas of chelonian species in the Brazilian Amazon. Protected areas with higher conservation importance (Full Protection Areas and Sustainable Use Areas) hold less than 15% of the combined species distribution. Researchers face significant challenges when making decisions with models, especially in conservation efforts involving diverse taxa that differ significantly from one another within a group of individuals.

Water and sediment pesticide contamination on indigenous lands surrounded by oil palm plantations in the Brazilian Amazon.

Large-scale oil palm cultivation with intensive pesticide use has been growing worldwide and reached the Brazilian Amazon. The rapid expansion of this crop over the last decade has reached vast areas, including the boundaries of different indigenous lands. This study aimed at assessing the occurrence of pesticide residues in surface and ground waters as well as drainage sediments in the Turé-Mariquita Indigenous Territory, in addition to other nearby indigenous villages in the northeastern state of Pará. Thirty-three (33) water samples were collected from streams, springs and from active and abandoned wells at 19 sampling points, as well as 16 sediment samples at 9 sampling sites both during dry and rainy seasons. In total, 49 environmental samples were taken during fieldworks and subsequently analyzed by means of liquid chromatography and mass-mass spectrometry. The analytical determination of pesticide residues showed the occurrence of three pesticides in the water both from streams and from wells, two of them knowingly used by the oil palm company: glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) and endosulfan insecticides. Although the highest glyphosate and endosulfan levels as well as the maximum concentration of glyphosate found in ground water are within the Brazilian environmental regulatory guidelines, all the values for human consumption found in the glyphosate-containing samples are well above the European Union regulatory standards. Our results draw the attention to the risks of biota contamination and human exposure to multiple-pesticide residues.

Indigenous lands in protected areas have high forest integrity across the tropics.

Intact tropical forests have a high conservation value.1 Although perceived as wild,2 they have been under long-term human influence.3 As global area-based conservation targets increase, the ecological contributions of Indigenous peoples through their governance institutions and practices4 are gaining mainstream interest. Indigenous lands-covering a quarter of Earth's surface5 and overlapping with a third of intact forests6-often have reduced deforestation, degradation, and carbon emissions, compared with non-protected areas and protected areas.7,8 A key question with implications for the design of more equitable and effective conservation policies is to understand the impacts of Indigenous lands on forest integrity and long-term use, as critical measures of ecosystem health included within the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.9 Using the forest landscape integrity index10 and Anthromes11 datasets, we find that high-integrity forests tend to be located within the overlap of protected areas and Indigenous lands (protected-Indigenous areas). After accounting for location biases through statistical matching and regression, protected-Indigenous areas had the highest protective effect on forest integrity and the lowest land-use intensity relative to Indigenous lands, protected areas, and non-protected controls pan-tropically. The protective effect of Indigenous lands on forest integrity was lower in Indigenous lands than in protected areas and non-protected areas in the Americas and Asia. The combined positive effects of state legislation and Indigenous presence in protected-Indigenous areas may contribute to maintaining tropical forest integrity. Understanding management and governance in protected-Indigenous areas can help states to appropriately support community-governed lands.

Fatores explicativos da morosidade das demarcações de terras indígenas no Brasil / Factores explicativos del retraso en la demarcación de tierras indígenas en Brasil / Explanatory factors for the delay in the demarcation of indigenous lands in Brazil

Resumo Os processos administrativos de reconhecimento de terras indígenas (TIs) no Brasil podem levar décadas para chegar a termo. Povos indígenas que habitam em TIs não reconhecidas em caráter final são mais vulneráveis a uma série de violações de direitos, o que torna premente sua conclusão. O presente artigo pretende oferecer uma resposta à seguinte pergunta: por que alguns processos demarcatórios demoram mais que outros? Primeiramente, arrolamos cinco condições constantes da literatura sobre demarcação de terras indígenas que podem postergá-las. Na sequência, aplicamos o método qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), em sua modalidade crisp set, a um conjunto de quarenta casos de demarcações de TIs. Apresentamos duas conclusões: que a presença de interesses econômicos é uma condição importante para explicar o longo tempo de alguns processos demarcatórios, mas não é necessária nem suficiente, e que a conjunção desse fator com a judicialização do processo demarcatório explica a maioria dos casos de demarcações de longa duração.

Resumen Los procesos administrativos de reconocimiento de tierras indígenas (TI) en Brasil pueden tardar décadas en llegar a su fin. Los pueblos indígenas que viven en TI cuyo proceso de reconocimiento aún no se finalizó son más vulnerables a una serie de violaciones de derechos, lo que hace urgente su conclusión. Este artículo pretende dar respuesta a la siguiente pregunta: ¿por qué algunos procesos de demarcación demoran más que otros? En primer lugar, enumeramos cinco condiciones encontradas en la literatura sobre la demarcación de tierras indígenas que pueden atrasar dichos procesos. A continuación, aplicamos el método de análisis cualitativo comparativo (QCA), en su modo crisp set, a un conjunto de cuarenta casos de demarcaciones de TI. Presentamos dos conclusiones: que la presencia de intereses económicos es una condición importante para explicar el largo tiempo de algunos procesos de demarcación, pero no es necesaria ni suficiente, y que la conjunción de este factor con la judicialización del proceso de demarcación explica la mayoría de los casos de demarcaciones de larga duración.

Abstract The administrative processes of recognizing Indigenous Lands (ILs) in Brazil can take decades to complete. Indigenous peoples who live in unrecognized ILs are more vulnerable to a series of rights violations, which makes the completion of demarcation processes urgent. This article aims to answer the following question: why do some demarcation processes take longer than others? We listed five conditions found in the literature on the demarcation of indigenous lands that can delay them. Next, we applied the qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) method in its crisp set mode to 40 cases of IL demarcation. We present two conclusions: the presence of economic interests is an important condition to explain the long duration of some demarcation processes, but it is neither necessary nor sufficient, and the conjunction of this factor with the judicialization of the demarcation process explains most cases of long-term demarcations.

Mercúrio nos Garimpos da Terra Indígena Yanomami e Responsabilidades / Mercury-Based Mining in Yanomami Indigenous Lands and Accountabilities / Mercurio en la Minería de las Tierras Indígenas Yanomami y Responsabilidades

Mercury-based gold exploitation in Amazonian indigenous lands is illegal and leads to socio-environmental impacts. Yanomami people living near mining areas in Uraricoera River are exposed to contamination by mercury, which is a metal with bioaccumulation properties. The aims of the current study are to analyze the interdisciplinary nature of mercury-based placer mining carried out in Yanomami Indigenous Land, Roraima State, as well as to evaluate State agencies' responses to this phenomenon. Based on bibliographical and documentary survey of qualitative approach, which involved Yanomami's accounts, as well as police, administrative and judicial procedures implemented from 2013 to 2017, it was possible perceiving intense use of mercury in, and damages caused by, this illicit activity, as well as insufficient state action. There are divergences between protection and responsibilities described in the Brazilian legal system and the herein investigated illegal phenomenon, which violates indigenous rights, as well as scientific and ethical imperatives that can lead to the end of the world and of the Yanomami people.

La explotación de oro en tierras indígenas en la Amazonia utilizando mercurio, es clandestina y causa impactos socioambientales. Los yanomami cerca de las minas del río Uraricoera están expuestos a la contaminación por mercurio, un metal con propiedades de bioacumulación. Se objetiva análisis de carácter interdisciplinario del uso del mercurio en las garimpos de la Tierra Indígena Yanomami, en Roraima, así como evaluar las respuestas de los órganos de Estado al fenómeno. A partir del levantamiento bibliográfico y documental de un enfoque cualitativo, involucrando la voz Yanomami y procedimientos policiales, administrativos y procesos judiciales de 2013 a 2017, se percibió intenso uso de mercurio y daños de la actividad ilícita, con insuficiente acción estatal. Hay divergencias entre la protección y responsabilidades inscritas en el orden jurídico brasileño y el fenómeno clandestino estudiado, en violación a las voces indígenas, científicas y el imperativo ético, que pueden llevar al fin del mundo y del pueblo Yanomami.

A exploração de ouro em terras indígenas na Amazônia, com uso de mercúrio, é clandestina e causa impactos socioambientais. Os Yanomami próximos aos garimpos do rio Uraricoera estão expostos à contaminação pelo mercúrio, metal com propriedades de bioacumulação. Objetiva-se análise de caráter interdisciplinar do uso do mercúrio nos garimpos da Terra Indígena Yanomami, em Roraima, bem como avaliar as respostas dos órgãos de Estado ao fenômeno. A partir do levantamento bibliográfico e documental de abordagem qualitativa, envolvendo a voz indígena Yanomami e procedimentos policiais, administrativos e processos judiciais de 2013 a 2017, percebeu-se intenso uso de mercúrio e danos da atividade ilícita, com insuficiente ação estatal. Há divergências entre a proteção e responsabilidades inscritas na ordem jurídica brasileira e o fenômeno clandestino estudado, em violação às vozes indígenas, científicas e a imperativo ético, que coadunam na possibilidade de prejuízos e no fim do mundo e do povo Yanomami.