Conservation of large avian frugivores and the management of Neotropical protected areas

Abstract

Large frugivorous forest birds are among the most endangered avian groups in the Neotropics. Despite this fact, there has been little field work on members of these groups or on other large Neotropical forest birds. While current studies of Neotropical forests are beginning to provide data for reserve management at the ecosystem level, we lack information for management of particular species or habitats. Throughout Latin America, large forest frugivores are economically important as food, as pets or in local crafts. They can also be important seed dispersers and can be used as indicator species of habitat disturbance in protected areas. The conservation status of these birds demands more attention and commitment from conservation organizations and the scientific community in general. Further field research should focus on the basic ecology and natural history of endangered and non-endangered species. These studies will aid in developing badly needed long-term management and monitoring plans both for populations of large forest frugivores and their habitats.

Impact of game hunting by the Kayapó of south-eastern Amazonia: implications for wildlife conservation in tropical forest indigenous reserves

“…The model indication that curassows had not been harvested unsustainably should, however, be interpreted with caution. These large cracids can serve as good indicators of hunting pressure (Silva and Strahl 1991;Strahl and Grajal 1991), and the small number of kills recorded can also mean that curassows had already been severely depleted. This is consistent with the fact that hunters rarely bypassed an opportunity to kill a curassow, whereas this was often the case with smaller cracids and other gamebirds.…”

Do Frugivores Respond to Fruit Harvest? An Experimental Study of Short-Term Responses

“…If the frugivores impacted by fruit harvest are seed dispersers, then their reduced abundance and activity may also affect dispersal of seeds (DeSteven and Putz 1984, Strahl and Grajal 1991, Hamann and Curio 1999, Loiselle and Blake 2002. Less time spent in fruiting patches may increase the dispersal of ingested seeds if frugivores are forced to move farther and more frequently in search of food (Pratt and Stiles 1983).…”

Use and conservation of Cracidae (Aves: Galliformes) in the Peruvian Amazon

“…In many areas of Latin America cracid populations are declining. Subsistence hunting is an important cause of these declines (Delacour and Amadon, 1973;Thiollay, 1989;Ayres et al, 1991;Silva and Strahl, 1991;Strahl and Grajal, 1991;Vickers, 1991;Collar et al, 1992). Habitat destruction has also been responsible for population declines of several species (Strahl and Grajal, 1991) and for the near extinction of one curassow (Texeira and Snow, 1982).…”

“…Several studies have concluded that cracids are not suitable for wild-meat harvests because of their slow rate of population recovery (Lovejoy and Brash, 1984;Terborgh, 1986;Estudillo-Lopez, 1988;Silva and Strahl, 1991;Strahl and Grajal, 1991). Thus, conservation of cracids has focused only on fully protected areas (Estudillo-Lopez, 1988;Strahl and Grajal, 1991). Many cracid populations, however, inhabit areas outside parks and are hunted by rural people to varying degrees.…”