Posted on 24 August
2011
Mato Grosso, Brazil: The discovery of a
new primate species and suspected new fish
and plant species and the presence of other
animals in endangered categories highlight
an urgent need
for management plans for some of the last
unexplored areas in the Amazon.
The discoveries were
made on an expedition backed by WWF-Brazil
in December 2010 to a part of Mato Grosso
state that is considered to be an unexplored
area in the Meridional Brazilian Amazon.
The team discovered a new primate species
and possible new fish and plant species
and also sighted five animals on the endangered
species list of the Brazilian Institute
for the Environment and Renewable Natural
Resources (IBAMA).
Researchers took specimens of the discoveries
which are now being examined and detailed
studies will verify if these do in fact
come from a new species.
The team of 26 people made up of researchers
and support staff, covered around 950km
of forest inside the four protected areas
of the Guariba-Roosevelt Extractive Reserve,
the Tucumã State Park and the Roosevelt
River and Madeirinha River Ecological Stations.
The areas were created back in the 11000s
but now are under threat from social and
environmental problems including serious
land tenure conflicts, illegal deforestation,
illegal fishing activities, and exploitation
of local labour in irregular activities
such as large scale ranching and commercial
plantations.
The aim of the expedition was to gather
information to support the improvement of
the management plans for the Mato Grosso
state protected areas.
Exciting discoveries
Forty-eight different species of mammals
were confirmed to be living in the region,
including armadillos, anteaters, deer and
monkeys and a primate species that is being
considered as new to science. This species
is being described at Emilo Goeldi Museum
in Pará.
The team members investigating
the region’s fish registered 208 species,
of which 192 have had their identities confirmed
and 16 are still being processed. Among
these last 16 there may also be two previously
undescribed species. The team’s bird specialists
identified 313 bird species, including two
migratory species and some that had previously
only been registered in other South American
countries.
The team studying fish also brought two
possible new species back to the laboratories;
one is a catfish and the other a tetra,
a small brightly coloured freshwater fish.
Other very small fish were found, known
locally as ‘piaus’ and they too may have
new species among them.
The expedition also
discovered several threatened species, according
to the expedition’s preliminary report signed
by the biologist in charge of the mammal
species studies Júlio Dalponte. These
animals were: the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga
tridactyla), the giant armadillo (Priodontes
maximus), the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis),
the jaguar (Panthera onca) and the ocelot
(Leopardus pardalis).
Geographer Gustavo Irgang, who with WWF-Brazil
was jointly responsible for the overall
coordination of the expedition, said “We
fulfilled our schedule, there were no serious
setbacks and we got back to our laboratories
and study centres with the possible discovery
of new species. We only have reasons to
celebrate”.
Over the coming months all the information
will be set out in reports that will provide
support for the formulation of management
plans for the protected areas.
Under threat
The region drained by the Guariba and Roosevelt
rivers lies within the Juruena-Apuí
block. The block consists of around nine
million hectares and is covered by forests,
some of them flooded, and patches of Cerrado
formation. Together they are home to 500
species of birds and a variety of primate
species.
Since the year 2003,
WWF-Brazil has been working in this area
to combat deforestation and contribute to
the conservation of the Amazon.
The area explored by
the expedition team is overrun with illegal
loggers and occupied by huge cattle farms.
Violence associated
with land tenure conflicts and social problems
such as lack of health or education services
and electricity supplies are very common
throughout the area. Additionally, there
are environmental problems like predatory
forms of fishing, contamination of river
water, deforestation, unchecked expansion
of agricultural activities and lack of surveillance
and inspection on the part of the state
and federal environment authorities.
One person trying to
deal with some of these problems is Edelso
Ferreira Rodrigues who is manager of the
Tucumã State Park and the Roosevelt
River and Madeirinha River Ecological Stations.
In his struggle to protect these areas he
faces a number of challenges, “Logistics
here are naturally complicated and up until
a few months ago we did not even have a
boat for the work in the protected areas.
I carried out inspections using borrowed
or hired boats and often had to pay for
the fuel out of my own pocket” says Edelso.
But according to Edelso
the government is starting to allocate a
larger budget for these PAs equipment is
starting to arrive and members of the government’s
technical staff make their visits more frequently.
“The process has already progressed a lot
even though the steps have been very gradual”
says Edelso “However slow the process may
be, we are intensifying our activities here
including the inspections that need to be
carried out in this area.”
Deforestation
The state of Mato Grosso was the state with
the most destroyed vegetation in its territories
in January 2011, according to the most recent
issue of the bulletin Forest Transparency
– the Legal Amazon published by the Deforestation
Warning Service of the Man and the Amazon
Environment Institute (SAD/Imazon).
The bulletin reports that in the first month
of 2011, 47 square kilometres of vegetation
in Mato Grosso was destroyed, the equivalent
of over half of all the devastation registered
for the Amazon in the same period.
Mato Grosso also heads
the list for degraded forest areas, which
are areas that have been intensely exploited
by logging activities or affected by the
setting of fires.
In January 2011 the
State had 353 square kilometres of degraded
forests corresponding for 93% of the areas
for the entire Amazon region at the time.
Biologist Fátima Sonoda is environment
analyst in the Environment Department of
the State Government and said “I feel that
the question of Protected Areas needs to
be taken much more seriously, especially
by decision makers and the public sector”.
“What we need to do
is to make constant efforts to increase
the quantity and quality of our partnerships
and call on companies, non- governmental
organisations, and research institutes to
intensify their conservation work”.
+ More
Scientists discover
new monkey species in Amazon
Posted on 24 August
2011
Mato Grosso, Brazil: Scientists on an expedition
backed by WWF-Brazil to one of the last
unexplored areas in the Brazilian Mid-west
have discovered a new species of monkey.
The monkey belonging to the Callicebus genus
was found in the northwest of Mato Grosso
State and is one of the great results from
the studies undertaken during an expedition
in December 2010 to the Guariba-Roosevelt
Extractive Reserve.
In May, WWF-Brazil and
the scientist who made the discovery, Julio
Dalponte, officially handed over the specimen
to the Emílio Goeldi Museum in Belem,
Para.
“By integrating this animal to a reputable
collection such as that of the Goeldi museum
we have taken an important step towards
gaining better knowledge of the fauna in
the northwest Mato Grosso region which is
still a puzzle with many pieces missing”,
Mr Dalponte explained.
Dalponte remarked that the discovery of
the new species increases the potential
biodiversity of the northwest of Mato Grosso
and with it the importance of conservation
in the area.
“We do have some information on Protected
Areas surrounding this region but little
information on this part of the State itself.
That means we must work to complete this
map and fill in the gaps in our information
on the region” said Dalponte.
“Never been observed before”
The primate specimen was found in an area
between the courses of the Guariba River
and the Roosevelt River, two of the most
important water courses in the north-western
part of Mato Grosso state.
Dalponte noted “This
primate has features on its head and tail
that have never been observed before in
other titi monkey species found in the same
area”.
The animal will be the object of studies
designed to provide a detailed description
of its characteristics to mammalian zoology
experts and primatologists worldwide.
The study of the species will take about
six months to conclude. The process of publishing
the discovery in specialised scientific
journals can take up to one year from the
time the papers are submitted till the time
they are approved for publication by the
editing committees of scientific journals
and reviews.
Other discoveries
The discovery was made during a 20 day expedition
in December 2010 to four Protected Areas
in the north-west of Mato Grosso state.
The aim of the expedition
was to gather information to support the
improvement of the management plans for
these areas.
The expedition team of 26 people was made
up of researchers and support staff and
together covered around 950km of forest
and also discovered suspected new fish and
plant species and five animal species under
threat of extinction.
'Deforestation Crescent'
The area the expedition team explored lies
within an area known as ‘Deforestation Crescent’
which is overrun with illegal loggers and
occupied by huge cattle farms.
Violence associated to land tenure conflicts
and lack of health or education services
and electricity supplies are very common
throughout the area. On top of that there
are environmental problems like predatory
forms of fishing, contamination of river
water, deforestation, unchecked expansion
of agricultural activities and lack of surveillance
and inspection on the part of the state
and federal environment authorities.
Living Amazon Initiative
The Amazon region comprises the largest
rainforest and river system on Earth. It
consists of over 600 different types of
terrestrial and freshwater habitats, from
swamps to grasslands to montane and lowland
forests, and it houses an incredible 10%
of the world’s known species, including
endemic and endangered flora and fauna.
More than 30 million people living in the
Amazon depend on its resources and services
– many millions more living as far away
as North America and Europe, still are within
the Amazon’s far-reaching climatic influence.
The Amazon is one of WWF’s priority places
for conservation and so WWF has developed
the Living Amazon Initiative, a comprehensive
approach to conserving the largest rainforest
and river system.
WWF has been at the forefront in protecting
the Amazon for over 40 years and is using
this experience to work with governments,
local communities and others to ensure conservation
and sustainable development throughout this
vital ecosystem.
