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Bibliothèque Conservation strategies for Araucaria Forests in Southern Brazil: assessing current and alternative approaches

Conservation strategies for Araucaria Forests in Southern Brazil: assessing current and alternative approaches

Conservation strategies for Araucaria Forests in Southern Brazil: assessing current and alternative approaches

Resource information

Date of publication
Décembre 2016
Resource Language
ISBN / Resource ID
AGRIS:US201600181194
Pages
537-544

Efforts to protect the remaining Araucaria Forest fragments in Southern Brazil have focused on large forests dominated by the threatened species Araucaria angustifolia. However, such an approach can miss significant biodiversity by ignoring smaller forest fragments scattered throughout the landscape, many of which exist on small farms. Here, I evaluate the method used to define a set of natural reserves in Southern Brazil to assess if it captures and preserves the significant biodiversity that exists in this unique biome. I used a relatively simple field sampling methodology and statistical analyses to evaluate floristic and structural parameters, comparing tree species diversity within a large forest fragment (with and without A. angustifolia dominance) to smaller fragments in the surrounding landscape. While stands dominated by A. angustifolia showed primary forest‐like physiognomy, they did not have the levels of diversity expected for old‐growth forests. Traditional forestry parameters, especially basal area and number of individuals, are useful for differentiating forest types in terms of structure. While no single diversity index provides a complete picture of the composition and variation of diversity in forest fragments, when taken together and assessed using extrapolation and comparative statistics, they provide a meaningful method for comparing and identifying high priority areas for conservation. Future conservation strategies should look to alternative approaches for assessing biodiversity across the landscape, while including small‐scale landowners in conservation efforts.

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Authors and Publishers

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s)

Lacerda, André E. B.

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