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The Amazon forest has the highest biodiversity on earth. However, information on Amazonian vertebrate diversity is still deficient and scattered across the published, peer-reviewed and grey literature and in unpublished raw data. Camera traps are an effective non-invasive method of surveying vertebrates, applicable to different scales of time and space. In this study, we organized and standardized camera trap records from different Amazon regions to compile the most extensive dataset of inventories of mammal, bird and reptile species ever assembled for the area. The complete dataset comprises 154,123 records of 317 species (185 birds, 119 mammals and 13 reptiles) gathered from surveys from the Amazonian portion of eight countries (Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela). The most frequently recorded species per taxa were: mammals

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Caiman yacare: Population; Habitat and Ecology; Use and Trade; Threats; Conservation Actions. Made available in DSpace on 2021-02-10T04:11:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2020-Campos-et-al-Red-List-IUCN.pdf: 1681521 bytes, checksum: c915cde1aa10e1068221e31e4a6b5200 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020

Amazonian forests are extraordinarily diverse, but the estimated species richness is very much debated. Here, we apply an ensemble of parametric estimators and a novel technique that includes conspecific spatial aggregation to an extended database of forest plots with up-to-date taxonomy. We show that the species abundance distribution of Amazonia is best approximated by a logseries with aggregated individuals, where aggregation increases with rarity. By averaging several methods to estimate total richness, we confirm that over 15,000 tree species are expected to occur in Amazonia. We also show that using ten times the number of plots would result in an increase to just similar to 50% of those 15,000 estimated species. To get a more complete sample of all tree species, rigorous field campaigns may be needed but the number of trees in Amazonia will remain an estimate for years to come.

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Paleosuchus palpebrosus, Dwarf Caiman: Population; Habitat and Ecology; Use and Trade; Threats; Conservation Actions. Made available in DSpace on 2019-11-07T18:10:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Paleosuchuspalpebrosus2019.pdf: 2234995 bytes, checksum: 3898f25d16c99115fe532c487e25e643 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2019 Na publicação: Zilca Campos.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-01-29T18:08:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Paleosuchustrigonatus2019.pdf: 2348399 bytes, checksum: 7695970dcfea0af89c7b1e63a79e380d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2019 Na publicação: Zilca Campos.

A caça foi proibida no Brasil em 1967, pela lei que ficou conhecida como 'Lei de Proteção à Fauna'. Desde então, nenhuma política efetiva de gestão de fauna foi estabelecida no país. As consequências são graves, uma vez que a caça nunca foi plenamente controlada, e continua sendo comumente praticada em todas as regiões do Brasil. Além disso, o país falhou em educar a população para entender a fauna como recurso importante e valioso, e também em proporcionar seu uso sustentável. As universidades nunca estabeleceram um currículo acadêmico de gestores de fauna capacitados a manejar populações, já que, com a proibição, esse perfil profissional nunca foi considerado uma demanda relevante. O resultado é que a lista de espécies ameaçadas de extinção aumenta a cada nova versão, sendo a caça ilegal uma das principais causas desse processo. O maior país tropical do mundo carece da implantação de uma política abrangente e moderna de gestão de fauna e que seja governada por decisões de cunho técnico-científico e estratégico, ao invés da lógica 'tudo é proibido', que prevalece até hoje. Os objetivos deste artigo de opinião são estimular uma reflexão sobre a situação da caça no Brasil e apontar a necessidade de um sistema de gestão de fauna mais efetivo. Made available in DSpace on 2020-01-29T18:09:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MeioSeculoproibicao2018.pdf: 137327 bytes, checksum: 6559cc875babae6c64d4b3fd7f66b070 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018 Na publicação: Guilherme Mourão; Zilca Campos. Artigo de opinião.

Remote sensing (RS)—taking images or other measurements of Earth from above—provides a unique perspective on what is happening on the Earth and thus plays a special role in biodiversity and conservation applications. The periodic repeat coverage of satellite-based RS is particularly useful for monitoring change and so is essential for understanding trends, and also provides key input into assessments, international agreements, and conservation management. Historically, RS data have often been expensive and hard to use, but changes over the last decade have resulted in massive amounts of global data being available at no cost, as well as significant (if not yet complete) simplification of access and use. This chapter provides a baseline set of information about using RS for conservation applications in three realms: terrestrial, marine, and freshwater. After a brief overview of the mechanics of RS and how it can be applied, terrestrial systems are discussed, focusing first on ecosystems and then moving on to species and genes. Marine systems are discussed next in the context of habitat extent and condition and including key marine-specific challenges. This is followed by discussion of the special considerations of freshwater habitats such as rivers, focusing on freshwater ecosystems, species, and ecosystem services.

Campos, Z., Muniz, F., J Desbiez, A. L., Magnusson, W. E. (2016): Predation on eggs of Schneider's dwarf caiman, Paleosuchus trigonatus (Schneider, 1807), by armadillos and other predators. Journal of Natural History 50: 1543-1548, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2016.1155782, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2016.1155782

Evaluations of the effects of non-timber forest product (NTFP) extractive industries by traditional communities have focused on local effects, but effective conservation of species often requires evaluation at wider scales that can only be efficiently undertaken with the use of remote sensing. Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa seed) is one of the most important NTFP in the Amazon basin and has received considerable attention from researchers aiming to guarantee its sustainability. However, most studies evaluating the impacts of B. excelsa seed harvesting investigated only effects in harvested sites, and did not consider B. excelsa availability in the landscape, or patterns of harvesting at broader scales, which are critical to evaluate the viability of extraction and plan management practices. We used high-resolution satellite images associated with ground truthing, participative mapping with harvesters and harvest records, to evaluate abundance of B. excelsa in the territories of three Kayapó indigenous communities in southeastern Amazonia. This allowed us to obtain conservative estimates of the proportion of Brazil nut harvested by the Kayapó at scales appropriate to evaluate effects on stocks in the landscape and in harvested groves. B. excelsa groves are abundant in the Kayapó lands, but only about 30% of them are harvested. In recent years, the villagers have harvested from 7.2% to 43% of the seeds produced in harvested groves. These represent only 2.5–12.7% of total seeds estimated to have been produced within the Brazil nut-collection territories of those Kayapó villages. Our results show that the Kayapó have undertaken non-intensive Brazil nut harvesting at local and especially at landscape scales, which suggests that B. excelsa is currently not threatened by harvesting in the region and that there is still potential to expand commercial production in at least one of the sites. The application of similar multi-scale approaches in other sites and for other non-timber forest products would provide important information to evaluate their long term conservation, subsidize the development of management plans and help to guarantee the livelihoods of traditional communities.

Caiman crocodilus is found most frequently in relatively warm, shallow or grassy areas in the larger rivers, lakes and canals of Amazonia. The habitats that it uses are increasing in area because of human activities. Paleosuchus trigonatus appears to be restricted to small forest streams in dense forest. Water temperatures are relatively low and constant in the streams and opportunities to bask are limited in the forest. Paleosuchus palpebrosus and M. niger are both found most commonly in the parts of major lakes, rivers and canals which have steep banks and little floating grass. To what extent the present distributions are influenced by intensive hunting of M. niger is unknown. Animals had similar injury rates in all habitats but in the Lago Amanã area individuals in the lake had higher leech, and lower nematode infestation than individuals in the surrounding canals. The giant rotifer Limnias ceratophylli is reported for the first time as an epizoic on the ventral surfaces of M. niger.