Cultural keystone species of fauna as a method for assessing conservation priorities in a Protected Area of the Brazilian semiarid

Abstract

The Cultural Keystone Species (CKS) method of identification has been used to define culturally important species. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize CKS vertebrates in the communities surrounding the Environmental Protection Area of Chapada do Araripe and define conservation priorities using semi-structured interviews and free listings. Interviews were conducted with 246 people; 53 species were identified and then included in categories of use: food, medicinal, handicraft and symbolic. Food preference was identified for Mazama gouazoubira, Penelope superciliaris, Dasyprocta prymnolopha and Dasypus novencimctus. As medicinal resources, Salvator merianae and M. gouazoubira represented 51.85% of treatment recommendations. For use in handicrafts, M. gouazoubira, which is also the only species recorded for symbolic use, stands out. Use values (UV) varied from 0.03 to 1.34, and M. gouazoubira had the highest UV (1.34) and a 0.74 projection. Regarding cultural importance, M. gouazoubira was the species with the highest UV and projection, and was indicated as a CKS to be prioritized in research and conservation studies.

Fauna used by rural communities surrounding the protected area of Chapada do Araripe, Brazil

“…The inventory-interview analysis of the sampling trace elements method and the use value calculation indicate the Common deer ( M. gouazoubira ) as possibly the most abundant species (common) in this Protected Area, corroborating found by Bonifácio et al [ 84 , 85 ]. M. gouazoubira is well adapted to semi-arid region and is widely distributed in this region [ 88 ].The forest fragments included in Forested Savannah vegetation and the transition area Rainforest/Savannah were the most used environments, both by M. gouazoubira and most of the species confirmed by evidence.…”

“…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 ].…”

Zootherapeutic uses of wildmeat and associated products in the semiarid region of Brazil: general aspects and challenges for conservation

“…), for instance, are used as ingredients in popular medicines in Argentina, Bolivia, and other regions of Brazil [ 19 , 64 , 65 ]. Indeed, Bonifácio et al [ 66 ] recently suggested that Salvator merianae is the major medicinal species for semiarid areas in Brazil. The results reported by these authors reinforce previous investigations about the use of wild fauna-based remedies in areas of Caatinga in Northeast Brazil (e.g., [ 4 , 19 , 67 ]), and highlight the popularity of this species as a medicinal resource in this region.…”

Conhecimento ecológico local sobre o veado, Mazama Gouazoubira (g. Fischer, 1814), por moradores do entorno de uma área protegida do semiárido brasileiro

“…Na Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA) Chapada do Araripe, Nordeste do Brasil, M. gouazoubira é reconhecida como parte constitutiva da cultura local, não como fonte de alimento para a sobrevivência, mas como elemento incorporado à prática social, motivo pelo qual as inter-relações das comunidades locais com essa espécie são mantidas na região do Araripe (BONIFÁCIO;FREIRE;SCHIAVETTI, 2016;MELO et al, 2014).…”