ASSESSMENT OF A COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM OF RIVER TURTLES (PODOCNEMIDIDAE: Podocnemis) IN ZÁBALO, ECUADORIAN AMAZON

Abstract

In Zábalo community within the Cuyabeno Fauna Production Reserve, a 26-year local initiative aimed at river turtle management was initiated following a significant decline in Podocnemis unifilis and P. expansa populations. Despite the program's lengthy history, weak monitoring and validation procedures prompted a comprehensive evaluation of management efficacy to strengthen the communitarian program. This assessment encompasses population estimates derived from nesting data (density, abundance, hatching success, hatchling production) for P. unifilis between 1994 and 2019. Some available data were also compiled for P. expansa which has not been the main focus of the communitarian program. Results highlight a positive temporal trend in P. unifilis population estimators, and a consistent high hatching success (81%), underscoring the program's contribution to the conservation of the species. Nonetheless, further research is imperative to assess age-specific population trends and enhance monitoring and management strategies for the relatively rare P. expansa.