The Amazon frontier, more specifically the ‘arc of deforestation’, is where most deforestation in the Amazon currently takes place.  Strategies to deter habitat loss and degradation in this region tend primarily to focus on the establishment of new protected areas and economic incentives for the sustainable use of natural resources.  Crucially, though, they often ignore the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of the frontiersmen that underlie their interactions with the species and habitats occurring in the landscape.

The Brazilian Amazon, the Arc of Deforestation on the Amazon frontier, and the Cristatino State Park

This project addresses wildlife conservation on the Amazon frontier by gaining an understanding, and so influencing, the relationships between people and wildlife.  More specifically, we work with migrant farmers and ranchers around Cristalino State Park to resolve their conflicts with wildlife and increase their support of the park.  The Park hosts the highest biodiversity among all state parks in Brazil and, although relatively small (184,900 ha), it is a key landscape conservation unit in this highly threatened area.  It is home to several rare species, such as the harpy eagle and jaguar, the endemic white-whiskered spider monkey, as well as four other species of wild cat, and rare, little known carnivores such as short-eared dog and bush-dog.

The problem and its implications

The Brazilian Amazon faces the highest rates of tropical deforestation in the world.  Most deforestation takes place on the Amazon frontier.  The Cristalino State Park is located on the Amazon frontier and is currently under immediate threat from uncontrolled fires, which are destroying this prime wildlife habitat, and illegal forest clearance for cattle-ranching is an ongoing problem on its fringes.

The landowners around Cristalino State Park are migrants from other parts of Brazil.  Many of them lack knowledge of the Amazonian environment and hold negative attitudes toward the local wildlife.  Their support of the Park and the establishment of new protected areas is, typically, low.  In addition, they have the recurrent problem of animals wandering onto their lands and sometimes destroying crops and killing their livestock.  This problem, combined with their lack of knowledge and negative attitudes towards wildlife – big cats in particular – results in wildlife being killed.

Deforestation in the Amazon impoverishes the Earth’s biodiversity.  The impact on biodiversity of continued deforestation is much greater in areas with little remaining forest and high levels of endemism, such as the Cristalino region.  Persecution is another factor that might contribute to the loss of biodiversity in the region, especially of those species that come into conflict with people.  Persecution of big cats, for instance, is the final step in the process of their disappearance outside of protected areas – a process that begins with the loss and fragmentation of their habitat.

Deforestation and loss of biodiversity remove options for sustainable forest management for both timber, and genetic and pharmacological resources, as well as the use of the forest and its wildlife as tourist assets.  In addition, lack of knowledge and certain beliefs and attitudes of migrant farmers and ranchers determine unsustainable practices and explain part of the social and economic problems of the region.

The project

The WildCRU is working within and around Cristalino State Park.  Our DPhil student, Silvio Marchini, is focusing his research on understanding the social and cultural factors that determine people's attitudes and behaviours toward wildlife; monitoring changes in jaguar and puma populations in and around the Park; and implementing outreach, communication and education interventions to properly change the attitudes and behaviours of landowners and their families around the park.  Specifically, the project is carrying out the following:

• An assessment of people's knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and perceptions about conservation, in order to identify the social and cultural barriers to, and incentives for, behavioural change in relation to wildlife conservation and the environment.

• A participatory rural appraisal in which small farmers identify alternative economic activities to cattle ranching, and assistance is provided on the implementation of those activities

• The monitoring jaguar and puma populations in and around Cristalino State Park; and a community-based wildlife monitoring programme, which teaches rural citizens to observe, interpret, record and monitor evidence of wildlife ion their ranches.

• The recruitment and training of members from the local community to become park rangers and nature tourist guide

• A communication programme based on three flagship species – jaguar, white-whiskered spider monkey and harpy eagle – to disseminate information about Cristalino State Park and human-wildlife conflict issues, and to promote conservation.

• An environmental education programme, in partnership with local rural schools addressing the knowledge gaps and target beliefs that determine unsustainable behaviours.

This project is, therefore, integrating the ecological, economic and socio-cultural dimensions of conservation in order to protect the wildlife and improve the livelihoods of rural citizens on the Amazon frontier.  Significantly, Silvio is combining analysis of data on public opinion, cultural imperatives and socio-economics, as well as wildlife population ecology and habitat use.  This is highly topical research and likely to attract considerable international attention.

Summary and Funding

The key aim of this project is to conserve the biodiversity on the Amazon frontier and improve the livelihoods of migrant farmers and ranchers in the region.  The estimated costs for Silvio’s three-four year project are just under £89,000.  Against this, total sponsorship of £79,000 has been secured.  We therefore need to raise a further £10,000 to ensure its successful completion.

You can find out about the budget for this project by contacting us. See our contact details.

If you are interested in finding out more about the science involved in this project, we would be happy to send you further information.

WildCRU is part of the University of Oxford, a tax- exempt charity. To maximise tax benefits to both donors and WildCRU, please see Donations.

Principal funders
Wildlife Conservation Society
Iris Darnton Foundation

Main Partners