Journal Information
Issue
Vol. 17. Issue 3.
Pages 91-162 (July - September 2019)
White paper
Why Brazil needs its Legal Reserves
Jean Paul Metzger, Mercedes M.C. Bustamante, Joice Ferreira, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Felipe Librán-Embid, Valério D. Pillar, Paula R. Prist, Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues, ... 407 scientist signatories (including 391 PhD researchers from 79 Brazilian research institutions)
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2019;17:91-103
Highlights

  • Legal Reserves represent almost one third of all remaining native vegetation in Brazil.

  • There is no solid argument, evidence or theory that support that Legal Reserve extinction will favor Brazil development.

  • The extinction of Legal Reserves will lead to a huge increase in native vegetation loss, with blatant negative consequences on biodiversity and ecosystem services provision.

  • Legal Reserves are a key-component for effective and less expensive nature-based solutions.

  • Legal Reserves should be considered as assets for the development of Brazil rather than liabilities.

Open access
Por que o Brasil precisa de suas Reservas Legais
Jean Paul Metzger, Mercedes M.C. Bustamante, Joice Ferreira, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Felipe Librán‐Embid, Valério D. Pillar, Paula R. Prist, Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues, ... 407 cientistas signatários (incluindo 391 pesquisadores doutores de 79 instituições brasileiras de ensino superior e pesquisa)
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2019;17:104-16
Open access
Opinion paper
Will life find a way out? Evolutionary rescue and Darwinian adaptation to climate change
José Alexandre Felizola Diniz-Filho, Luis Mauricio Bini
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2019;17:117-21
Highlights

  • Studies in climate change usually assume that time is too short for evolution.

  • Some models suggest that evolutionary rescue of populations is plausible.

  • Despite the interest, these models are hard to parameterize.

  • Here we review these models and point out the problems and uncertainties.

  • We discuss the way forward to understand adaptive potential to climate changes.

Open access
Policy forums
Deforestation control in the Brazilian Amazon: A conservation struggle being lost as agreements and regulations are subverted and bypassed
William D. Carvalho, Karen Mustin, Renato R. Hilário, Ivan M. Vasconcelos, Vivianne Eilers, Philip M. Fearnside
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2019;17:122-30
Highlights

  • Brazil's regulations governing deforestation and logging are often circumvented.

  • Agreements with soy and beef companies are important but need strengthening.

  • Effectiveness of commodity agreements is diminished by laundering and leakage.

  • Timber harvest and transportation permits are open to widespread fraud.

  • Ways exist to reduce circumvention of commodity agreements and regulations.

Open access
Green versus green? Adverting potential conflicts between wind power generation and biodiversity conservation in Brazil
Marlon Neri, Davi Jameli, Enrico Bernard, Felipe P.L. Melo
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2019;17:131-5
Highlights

  • Brazilian Caatinga lacks legal protection.

  • Wind-powered energy is mainly generated in the Caatinga.

  • Creation of new protected areas and the establishment of wind farms may generate conflicts of interest.

  • Millions of hectares mapped as of priority for the Caatinga conservation are also suitable for wind-energy.

  • Preventing conflict of interest is needed to achieve both energy and conservation goals.

Open access
Essays and perspectives
Landscape patterns of primary production reveal agricultural benefits from forest conservation
Jakelyne S.B. Sousa, Maria G. Longo, Bráulio A. Santos
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2019;17:136-45
Highlights

  • Large-scale agricultural expansion modifies landscape composition and configuration.

  • Highly transformed landscapes are less productive.

  • Sugarcane and forest primary production decreases in more deforested landscapes.

  • Forests in more fragmented landscapes are less productive.

  • Sugarcane production benefits from forest conservation at the landscape level.

Open access
Research letters
Do we need intervention after pine tree removal? The use of different management techniques to enhance Cerrado natural regeneration
Vagner Zanzarini, Denise Zanchetta, Alessandra Fidelis
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2019;17:146-50
Highlights

  • Pine removal contributes to woody species regeneration.

  • Herbaceous layer still needed to overcome the barrier imposed by the needle layer.

  • Fire and removal of needles enhanced the regeneration (mostly graminoids and shrubs).

  • We suggest the use of fire to increase vegetation regeneration after pine removal.

Open access
Beyond canaries in coal mines: Co-occurrence of Andean mining concessions and migratory birds
Amanda D. Rodewald, Matt Strimas-Mackey, Richard Schuster, Peter Arcese
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2019;17:151-6
Highlights

  • Mine concessions disproportionately occur in important areas for migratory birds.

  • Concessions may affect >10% of populations of 6 of 22 species examined.

  • Steeply declining species were more likely to co-occur with concessions.

  • Citizen-science data can inform planning efforts to reduce impacts to biodiversity.

Open access
Correspondence
The triad “dogs, conservation and zoonotic diseases” – An old and still neglected problem in Brazil
Joel Henrique Ellwanger, José Artur Bogo Chies
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2019;17:157-61
Highlights

  • The presence of dogs in protected/vulnerable areas affects wildlife in different ways.

  • Domestic dogs transit between wild environments and urban areas.

  • Dogs can transmit various pathogens to wild animals.

  • Wild animals can transmit different pathogens to domestic dogs.

  • Dogs can act as spillover bridges, transferring pathogens from wild animals to humans.

Open access
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation