Indigenous Burning as Conservation Practice: Neotropical Savanna Recovery amid Agribusiness Deforestation in Central Brazil

Abstract:Species of Miconia are considered keystone plant resources for frugivorous birds in Neotropical forests, but for other ecosystems little of their ecological role is known. The fruiting phenology and the composition of frugivores of four Miconia species in savanna and palm swamp from the Brazilian Neotropical savanna were studied in three sites from November 2005 to May 2011. The hypothesis tested was that plants from different habitats share their frugivores and consequently promote links between habitats. Through focal plant observations (30–50 h per species in each site), 668 visits by 47 species of birds were recorded and plants from different habitats shared most of the frugivores (49–97%). The fruiting of Miconia chamissois in the palm swamp during the period of fruit scarcity (dry season) was accompanied by an enhancement in the frugivore bird richness and abundance in this habitat, providing indirect evidence of resource tracking. Bird species which primarily dwell in savanna recorded consuming fruits in palm swamps during the resource-scarce season is taken as evidence of landscape supplementation. Miconia assemblage studied here seems to promote a link between two adjacent habitats in the Neotropical savanna from Central Brazil, a link which is likely to be common in this naturally patchy ecosystem.

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Seed tolerance to heating is better predicted by seed dormancy than by habitat type in Neotropical savanna grasses

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf16085 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 25 (12) ◽

pp. 1273 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Desirée M. Ramos ◽

Ana B. S. Liaffa ◽

Pedro Diniz ◽

Cássia B. R. Munhoz ◽

Mark K. J. Ooi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seed Dormancy ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Grass Species ◽

Neotropical Savanna ◽

Central Brazil ◽

Wet Grasslands ◽

Neotropical Savannas ◽

Selection For

Open savannas and wet grasslands are present under the same seasonal macro-climate in central Brazil. However, in open savannas, temperatures during fires are higher than in wet grasslands. Grasses dominate both ecosystems and exhibit large variation in seed dormancy. We hypothesise that seeds of grass species from open savannas are more tolerant to heating than those of wet grasslands. Also, assuming that dormant seeds remain longer in the soil than non-dormant seeds – thus being more likely to burn – we expect that dormant seeds are more tolerant to heating than non-dormant seeds. We tested the effects of heating at 80 and 110°C for 2.5 and 5.0 min on the survival of seeds of 14 species, seven from each community, containing dormant and non-dormant species. Seeds of most species survived at 80°C, but seeds from open savannas maintained greater survival for 5 min than seeds from wet grasslands. Seeds of most species died at 110°C, but dormant seeds survived more than non-dormant seeds. We conclude that species with seed dormancy experience selection for covarying characteristics that allow tolerance to heating in hotter fires. Our findings suggest that both seed dormancy and habitat-specific fire temperatures may contribute to the evolution of seed fire tolerance in Neotropical savannas.

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Remote spatial analysis lacking ethnographic grounding mischaracterizes sustainability of Indigenous burning regime

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2021-1220 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

James R. Welch ◽

Eduardo S. Brondizio ◽

Carlos E. A. Coimbra Jr.

Keyword(s):

Spatial Analysis ◽

Fire Regimes ◽

Ecological Data ◽

Anthropogenic Fire ◽

Central Brazil ◽

Fire Scar ◽

Indigenous Territories ◽

Indigenous Burning ◽

Indigenous Land

Abstract: Scientific research that purports to evaluate Indigenous fire regimes in the absence of ethnographically contextualized ecological data runs the risk of exacerbating the fire blame game and providing evidence to support distorted narratives advanced by anti-Indigenous advocates. Spatial analysis of fire scars in Indigenous territories can be an effective tool for characterizing cultural fire regimes in terms of distribution and frequency, especially when qualified by linkages to different local ecosystems. A recently published article drew on fire scar mapping from satellite imagery to assess anthropogenic fire distribution and frequency in the Pimentel Barbosa Indigenous Land, Central Brazil. The authors use their findings to characterize A'uwẽ (Xavante) use of fire as unmanaged and a model of unsustainable use of cerrado resources. In this article, we discuss Aguiar & Martins's recent paper in light of our long-term research on A'uwẽ hunting with fire in the Pimentel Barbosa Indigenous Land, arguing that A'uwẽ hunters do burn according to established cultural protocols, manage their use of fire for conservationist purposes, and do not cause environmental degradation by burning.

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Frontier and Western History in Central Brazil

Historia Ambiental Latinoamericana y Caribeña (HALAC) revista de la Solcha ◽

10.32991/2237-2717.2019v9i1.p211-214 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 211-214

Author(s):

Donald Worster

Keyword(s):

Rio De Janeiro ◽

Western History ◽

Central Brazil

Frontier and Western History in Central Brazil Dutra e Silva, S. No Oeste, a terra e o céu: a expansão da fronteira agrícola no Brasil Central (Rio de Janeiro: Mauad X, 2017)

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Turnera fasciculifolia (Turneraceae, Passifloraceae s. l.): A New Species From the Jalapão Region, Tocantins, Brazil

Systematic Botany ◽

10.1600/036364420x16033962925286 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 (4) ◽

pp. 833-838

Author(s):

Lamarck Rocha ◽

Patrícia Luz Ribeiro ◽

Maria Mercedes Arbo

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Protected Area ◽

Extrafloral Nectaries ◽

Distribution Map ◽

Central Brazil ◽

Axillary Branches ◽

Revolute Margin ◽

A New Species

Abstract—We present a new species, Turnera fasciculifolia, from the Jalapão region, the largest continuous protected area of Cerrado in Tocantins State, in central Brazil. The new species belongs to Turnera series Leiocarpae, and it can be recognized by the linear ericoid leaves with revolute margin, generally without extrafloral nectaries, and the basal leaves of the young axillary branches gathered in fascicles. We provide a description, illustrations, a distribution map, and a comparison with T. genistoides and T. revoluta, which also have ericoid leaves.

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Meta-analytic data of agricultural conservation practice adoption research in the United States 1982-2018

Forest Service Research Data Archive ◽

10.2737/rds-2019-0011 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Kristin M. Floress ◽

Yuling Gao ◽

Benjamin M. Gramig ◽

J. Gordon Arbuckle ◽

Sarah P. Church ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

The United States ◽

Conservation Practice ◽

Agricultural Conservation ◽

Practice Adoption ◽

Adoption Research ◽

Conservation Practice Adoption

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Unidade de Conservação: Uma Discussão Teórica á Luz dos Conceitos de Território e Políticas Públicas

GEOgraphia ◽

10.22409/geographia2002.48.a13433 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 4 (8) ◽

pp. 57

Author(s):

Luiz Renato Vallejo

Keyword(s):

Public Policy ◽

Biological Conservation ◽

Public Parks ◽

Conservation Practice ◽

Environmental Features ◽

Natural Parks ◽

The World ◽

Long Time ◽

Xix Century ◽

Conservation Of Biodiversity

RESUMO A criação de unidades de conservação é considerada como principal ação de governo cujo objetivo é a preservação e conservação da biodiversidade. A delimitação de “áreas especiais” é uma prática observada desde as sociedades mais tradicionais, sendo que em muitas delas prevalecia um sentido mítico-religioso e, ao mesmo tempo, de conservação de recursos naturais. Em outras sociedades, essa ação esteve associada com a prática de esportes de caça por parte da realeza e da aristocracia rural. Os parques públicos começaram a surgir no século XIX nos Estados Unidos, numa perspectiva de preservação das belezas cênicas e proteção dos bens naturais contra a ação deletéria da sociedade. O tema em questão é discutido à luz da categoria geográfica de território e dos processos de territorialização, utilizando-se para esse fim suas múltiplas abordagens conceituais— biológica, ecológica e social. Discute-se no trabalho os problemas da desterritorialização, em ambos os sentidos (biológico e social), além da formação das redes empenhadas no processo de criação e gestão das unidades de conservação. Houve um esforço de trazer para essa discussão uma contribuição sobre o valor agregado à conservação da biodiversidade com base em princípios de uma nova disciplina - a Biologia da Conservação. O trabalho aborda ainda aspectos conceituais sobre as políticas públicas, em geral, e sobre a influência que elas têm, especificamente, sobre a problemática das unidades de conservação no Brasil.ABSTRACT The principal goal to create natural parks and biological reserves in the world is to promote the conservation of biodiversity. During long time, traditional people established “especial areas” to guarantee natural resources for the future. Others, as kings and rural aristocracy used this areas for practice sports like hunting. The first public parks were created in United States during the XIX century, to preserve the environmental features of the Yellowstone against the human explotation. In this work, I wil discuss conservation of natural areas using the territory and the territorialization concepts and their several meanings: biological/ecological and social. The biodiversity value under principles of a new discipline — Biological Conservation — is showed as contribution. Public policy is discussed at the end of work exploring some reasons of the controversy between government speech and the conservation practice in natural parks and biological reserves.

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