Fauna used by rural communities surrounding the protected area of Chapada do Araripe, Brazil
Perceived richness of animal species
We registered a total of 53 species cited by participants. Group 1 communities reported
a greater number of species (52), belonging to 50 genera and 31 families, with an
average citation of 11.50?±?5.81 per participant. Participants from Group 2 mentioned
44 species, from 41 genera and 25 families, with an average citation of 9.41?±?3.70
(Table 3). These differences in the richness of species and number of citations are significant
(Mann-Whitney U?=?6128, p?=?0.012), leading to the conclusion that the spatial distribution of human populations
in relation to a natural area can contribute to a greater or lesser local knowledge
on the fauna with utilitarian value or not.
Table 3. Animal species cited by surrounding community Groups of the FLONA of Araripe, Ceará,
Brazil
The number of interviews (n?=?246) showed a satisfactory sample of the species richness locally known by participants
from Group 1 and Group 2, considering that the richness recorded was of 99.6 % (n?=?52) and 99.4 % (n?=?44), respectively, of the total species estimated by Chao 2 for these areas (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Cumulative curve of mentioned species. Group 1: 52; Expected richness: 52.33; Grupo
2: 44; Expected richness: 44.25. CI: confidence interval of 95 %
The group of Birds was the most often cited (n
Group 1
?=?33 species and n
Group 2
?=?25), followed by Mammals (n
Group 1
?=?17 and n
Group 2
?=?17) and Reptiles (n
Grupo 1
?=?2 and n
Grupo 2
?=?2). Birds and mammals are typically the most well represented groups in studies
that address the knowledge and use of wild vertebrates by human populations, referred
to as the zoological groups most relevant to local communities 41], 49]–52].
Among the species cited by participants of the Group 1 communities, stand out in the
number of citations: Mazama gouazoubira (G. Fischer, 1814) (Common deer, 103 citations), Penelope superciliaris (Temminck, 1815) (Rusty-margined guan; 98) Dasypus novemcinctus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Nine-banded armadillo; 95) and Euphractus sexcinctus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Six-banded armadillo; 94). On the other hand, communities of Group
2 cited more: M. gouazoubira (Common deer, 129 citations), P. superciliaris (Rusty-margined guan; 110); E. sexcinctus (Six-banded armadillo; 101), D. novemcinctus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Nine-banded armadillo, 98) and Dasyprocta prymnolopha (Wagler, 1831) (Black-rumped agouti; 99). These species were greatly popular as a
food resource in different locations in Brazil 41], 50], 53], 54] and Mexico, signaling a standard regarding the animal species most important for
hunting 12], 55], 56]. The predominance of citations for the common deer, M. gouazoubira, in both groups of communities studied, suggests that the species is possibly distributed
in different forest fragments frequented by human populations, allowing the common
deer to be more vivid in the memory of these people. The prominence of a species results
from the degree of interaction of people with this species, which may be due to its
abundance in area 57].
Comparing the number of species cited by men and women in the communities studied,
on average men cited more species than women (men?=?10.35?±?4.88 animals; women?=?10.24?±?4.67),
with such differences as statistically significant by the Mann-Whitney test (U?=?6811,
p?=?0.697). Analyzing men and women separately, we found that the men from Group 1
communities cited more animals than men from Group 2 communities (on average 11.50?±?5.81
and 9.41?±?3.69 species, respectively; Mann-Whitney U?=?3025, p?=?0.033), though this difference did not exist among women of the studied groups
(Mann-Whitney U?=?550, p?=?0.237). This occurs, because men and women have different and unique relationships
with biodiversity. The propensity of men to be in possession of greater knowledge
about wild animals in this study was similar to that found in the semiarid region
of the state of Paraíba 41]. This can be explained due to men participating in activities that provide a more
direct interaction with the environment, such as hunting, gathering and farming 58], 59]. The fact that Group 1 men mentioned a greater number of animals compared to men
from Group 2, may be due to the life experience of those people with the local wildlife,
which includes access to diversity of knowledge about wildlife resources at different
stages of life and the use of the natural environment, according to the practiced
activity, since differences in the knowledge of communities regarding biological species
may be closely associated with the productive activities of human populations 55].
Ethnobiological studies focusing on intracultural variation of knowledge of wildlife
have shown that, besides the distance of local communities in relation to the environment,
socio-cultural variables such as gender, age classes, schooling, housing time, type
of practiced activity and income all tend to influence the knowledge of local resources
by human populations 41], 60]–62].
Species richness by sampling in forest fragments and ecological aspects
The sampling method by trace elements, through footprints (72 footprints of 10 species,
95.8 %) and carcasses (n?=?1 sp.; 4.2 %) confirmed the presence of 11 species (seven mammals, three birds
and one reptile) to 11 genera and 10 families (Table 4). The greater occurrence of species was found in the Forested Savannah vegetation
(8 spp.; 72.72 % of total records), followed by the transition area Rainforest/Savannah
(6 spp.; 54.55 %) and Rainforest (3 spp.; 27.27 %). Mammal species accounted for 63.64 %
(n?=?7 spp.) of the total representation in sampled areas, followed by birds (27.27 %;
3 spp.) and reptiles (9.9 %; 1 spp.). According to the Geoenvironmental Zoning of
the state of Ceará, the Savannah is one of the vegetation units that has the best
storage conditions 28]. Its closed environment (“capões forest”) and dense configuration provides favorable
environmental conditions to meet the needs of animal species that include availability
of food, rest, refuge, and shelter.
Table 4. Animal species recorded in forest fragments sampled by the walke-in-the-woods in the
FLONA of Araripe, Ceará, Brazil
The fragments sampled in the Rainforest vegetation correspond to environments predominantly
open (such as trails within the forest and road) that, by the degree of disturbance,
becomes an interfering factor for the presence of species in this site. This finding
was corroborated by Negrão and Valladares-Pádua 63] in a Forest Reserve of São Paulo, Brazil, to find that the traffic of people and
vehicles through the Reserve may have contributed to the absence of the Spotted (Agouti paca Linnaeus, 1766) in the region, which is sensitive to the presence of humans.
The higher frequencies of the recordings were made by the common deer, M. gouazoubira (n?=?23; 31.94 % of total records), especially in transitional vegetation Rainforest/Savannanh,
and the Black-rumped agouti, D. prymnolopha (n?=?19; 26.38 %). Of all the recordings (n?=?72), only the Black-rumped agouti, D. prymnolopha (n?=?19; 26.38 %) and the tegu, Salvator merianae (Duméril Bibron, 1839) (n?=?9; 12.5 %) were recorder in all three vegetation types: Forested Savannah (9.02
records), transition area Rainforest/Savannah (9 and 7, respectively) and Rainforest
(1 record each).
The most frequent records for M. gouazoubira (Common deer) and D. prymnolopha (Black-rumped agouti) may be related to territorial behavior and/or feeding strategy
of these species, which are influenced by environmental characteristics of forest
fragments. As pointed out by Caraballo 64], animal species elect different habitats according to their annual or seasonal needs.
The M. gouazoubira species (common deer) occurs in various environments, from continuous dense forests
to open savannahs with small and few forest patches, but always associated with forests
for shelter and food 65]. About the diversity and geographical distribution of terrestrial, medium and large
mammals in the northeastern Brazil, Feijó and Langguth 66] mention the current presence of M. gouazoubira within the state of Ceará, but restricted mainly to the most conserved regions of
the mountain area, where access is difficult.
D. prymnolopha (Black-rumped agouti) is a species of rodent that feeds on a variety of fruits and
seeds in Neotropical forests and savannahs 67], also consuming leaves, flowers and fibers 68]. Feijó and Langguth 66] comment that agoutis have high vagility and have also suffered translocations of
anthropogenic origin. These factors may contribute to the presence of this animal
in several forest fragments, which was confirmed in this study by the evidence of
its presence in forest fragments of the three sampled vegetation types.
The reptile fauna of the Chapada of Araripe is represented predominantly by species
that are typical of the Caatinga, with occurrences in the areas of Savannah and Rainforest 19]. The only recorded species was the S. merianae lizard (tegu), which occurs in a variety of habitats (Savannah, Caatinga and Rainforest)
69] and in semi-arid regions of Brazil. It is the most hunted reptile 70]. Omnivorous in habit and quite tolerant to more open environments, the species lives
at the edges and clearings of the forest, often approaching anthropogenic environments
71], 72]. According to Zanella 73], the S. merianae has great ability to shift between different types of environments, which may have
contributed to the recording of this species in the three sampled vegetation types.
We hypothesize that the unusual weather conditions during the course of the field
study (year of drought and prolonged drought in the state of Ceará), possibly motivated
a higher frequency of movement of this lizard between environments, seeking for food.
This is in line with Silva 74] in his study of diet and reproductive aspects of the S. merianae in an adjacent community of the FLONA of Araripe, Ceará. These authors found that
in the warmer months of the year (from October to February) the tegu, S. merianae, showed a greater recording of location changes for reproduction events, and certainly
for foraging, since it is a period of less availability of food resources.
We observed during the period of study, in the Rainforest area (n?=?3 records) using trampling records, the occurrence of the Collared anteater, Tamandua tetradactyla (Linnaeus, 1758) in the FLONA of Araripe. The three specimens were found in the same
stretch of road (open green area), which may be an indication that T. tetradactyla density is high in this forest fragment. This species has a wide distribution in
the state of Ceará, being found in different vegetation types that include areas of
open vegetation and dense forest 66]. With daytime, twilight and nocturnal habits, the Collared anteater, T. tetradactyla, has a low metabolism, changing the pattern of activity according to the change in
environment temperature, which leaves it more vulnerable to the risk of accidents
75].
Regarding the conservation status of the species recorded through interviews and confirmed
by the trace elements method, only the Oncilla Leopardus tigrinus (Shreber, 1775), is listed in the National List of Brazilian Fauna Endangered Species
and is considered endangered (EN) 76]. In the Official List of Endangered Species of the IUCN, the L. tigrinus species (Shreber, 1775) is assessed as Vulnerable. The other species are classified
as Less Concerning 77].
Animal species of utility value
After the inclusion of species in utility categories, 15 species (distributed in 11
families and 14 genera) presented some known use, corresponding to 28.3 % of all species
mentioned. These were grouped into six categories of use: feeding, medicinal, handcraft,
ornamental, mystic-religious and other uses (Table 5).
Table 5. Number of animal species by category and type of use cited by community groups of
the FLONA of Araripe, Ceará, Brazil
In the use analysis by group of communities, Group 1 participants attributed uses
for 15 species belonging to 10 families. Among participants from Group 2, 14 species
were cited, all mentioned by participants from Group 1. The feeding (10 species cited
by participants from both groups of communities) and medicinal categories (5 and 7
species cited by participants in Groups 1 and 2, respectively) united a greater number
of species known to be locally useful. The categories that had the greatest number
of useful species are also the most representative in the Brazilian semi-arid regions
6], 53] and other biomes of Brazil, such as the Atlantic Forest 49], 50], 52], demonstrating the cultural relevance attributed to these uses. Barboza et al. 78] studying hunting activities for meat in different parts of the Caatinga biome, found
that the mammals’ meat are the main source of protein for human communities of Brazilian
semi-arid. The use of wildlife species as food and as medicinal resources for local
communities is still a common practice in Brazil 79] and in other countries, particularly in arid environments 80], where poverty finds in the flesh of these animals and its by-products, energetic
benefits and an alternative for the treatment of different diseases.
The average use value among Group 1 participants was 0.40 and for the Group 2, 0.42
(Table 6). The common deer, M. gouazoubira had higher use values with 1.15 to participants from Group 1 (131 citations; FL?=?88.67 %)
and 1.49 to participants from Group 2 (199 citations; FL?=?67.93 %); the guan, P. superciliaris, 0.87 to participants from Group 1 (98 citations; LF?=?100 %) and 0.85 to participants
from Group 2 (114 citations; LF?=?99.11 %). There was no significant difference between
studied Groups regarding the use value assigned to the list of known animal species
(U?=?30, Z?=?-6302, p??0.05), indicating that community groups have similar values for the same species.
According to Medeiros and Albuquerque 81], the environment can bring together or distance communities in terms of similarity
in actual and/or cognitive use of biological resources. Animal species highlighted
by their usefulness are well distributed in forest fragments of the FLONA of Araripe,
not only that, the history of local use of the studied groups is the same, which may
explain the similarity in the uses given to animals in the area of study. As suggested
by Medeiros 82], who highlighted the factors (cultural and ecological) shared by different human
populations as a possible explanation for certain similarities in the use of a biological
resource.
Table 6. Species cited by community groups, Group 1 (G1) and Group 2 (G2), with respective
use value
Regarding the diversity of known uses by community groups, the Common deer (M. gouazoubira) was the only species associated with most categories of established uses, five out
of six: meat, used for food (237 citations); lard, leather, horn, hoof, liver and
feces as medicinal resources (33 citations); leather and tail for handcraft purposes
(28 citations); horn and feet, for magic-religious uses (28 citations); and horn,
for other uses (5 citations). We found a high fidelity level (FL) for the use of M. gouazoubira for feeding (77.21 %). These results indicate the representative role of the Common
deer (M. gouazoubira) in the local context, which added to its likely availability in the environment,
infers on the local knowledge of this species, which is being passed on in a similar
way between the people of the studied groups. Bonifácio et al. 84], 85] studied communities from Chapada do Araripe (Ceará, Brazil) founded that M. gouazoubira is recognized as part of the local culture, not only as a food source for survival,
but as embedded element to social practice, making this remarkable animal and very
popular for local people. In the Bonifácio et al. 85] study thirty-five respondents (100 %) stated that the reason for M. gouazoubira hunting in Araripe region in the past and/or present, was (is) the preference for
its meat, which confirms that this species is one of the main huntable species of
the semiarid region, which its meat is indicated as tasty and smooth for those who
hunt it 88].The diversity of uses that M. gouazoubira can provide, especially for food and medicine, is a pattern made evident in many
etnozoological studies, confirming the great cultural importance of this species as
a resource in other rural communities of the neotropical zones 54], 80], 82], 83].
Some studies have shown that people tend to know and use the most abundant species
around. Monroy-Vilchis et al. 89], in a study in Mexico with human populations of a protected area observed that the
ten species most abundant in the region were the most often used as a source of animal
protein. The same was registered for protected area in northeastern Brazil 23].
The multiplicity of uses assigned to natural resources depends on the social group
under study and how each individual perceives and uses the environment that lives
in 86]. Accordingly, understand the use of animals in cultural perspective becomes a necessary
step to promote the maintenance of populations of these species 87]. So we consider that in a management of protected areas should be understood these
relationships to avoid conflicts with local culture.
This is because aspects of human behavior are revealed (why use and non-use of an
animal, for example) that give meaning and context to the conservation of certain
species and therefore should be an aspect to be considered by managers in their management
and conservation practices. This is the case of the Araripe National Forest, where
the management of fauna requires an understanding of the relationships between people
and animals, due to the existence of hunting as part of the local culture of the area.