Conservation of the largest cervid of South America: Interactions between people and the Vulnerable marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus

Wild ungulates, and particularly deer, can cause severe damage to commercial plantations, resulting in reduced tolerance of their presence by forestry producers. The marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus, categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, is declining throughout South America. A population...

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Autores principales: Iezzi, M.E., Fracassi, N.G., Pereira, J.A.
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Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00306053_v52_n4_p654_Iezzi
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spelling todo:paper_00306053_v52_n4_p654_Iezzi2023-10-03T14:40:43Z Conservation of the largest cervid of South America: Interactions between people and the Vulnerable marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus Iezzi, M.E. Fracassi, N.G. Pereira, J.A. Argentina Blastocerus dichotomus forestry human-wildlife interactions interviews Paraná River delta perceived vs actual damage Salicaceae compensation conservation management damage mechanics deer endangered species field survey forestry human activity hunting nature-society relations perception questionnaire survey species conservation vulnerability Parana River Blastoceros dichotomus Cervidae Salicaceae Ungulata Wild ungulates, and particularly deer, can cause severe damage to commercial plantations, resulting in reduced tolerance of their presence by forestry producers. The marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus, categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, is declining throughout South America. A population of c. 500 individuals survive within a matrix of commercial plantations in the lower delta of the Paraná River, the southernmost stronghold for the species. Local forestry producers usually report that damage to plantations is attributable to marsh deer, thus justifying persecution of the species. Seventy-six forestry producers (representing c. 33% of the total plantation area of the lower delta) were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire to assess perceived levels of tree damage, associated economic losses, and attitudes towards the deer. Simultaneously, plantation stands were surveyed to quantify the actual tree damage caused by this ungulate. Seventy-six percent of producers reported damage to trees by deer (i.e. browsing, fraying caused by antler rubbing) but most of them perceived low levels of damage per property (median < 0.2%), with negligible economic effects. However, 5% of producers (all of them with ≤ 2 km2 in production, usually family enterprises) perceived high levels of damage and economic losses, and supported deer hunting as a management option. Field surveys indicated that damage caused by deer could be more severe than perceived by producers, although spatially confined within the landscape. Monitoring of damage perception by forestry producers, and compensation schemes to assist small producers are necessary for adequate management of this threatened marsh deer population. Copyright © Fauna & Flora International 2017. JOUR info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00306053_v52_n4_p654_Iezzi
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic Argentina
Blastocerus dichotomus
forestry
human-wildlife interactions
interviews
Paraná River delta
perceived vs actual damage
Salicaceae
compensation
conservation management
damage mechanics
deer
endangered species
field survey
forestry
human activity
hunting
nature-society relations
perception
questionnaire survey
species conservation
vulnerability
Parana River
Blastoceros dichotomus
Cervidae
Salicaceae
Ungulata
spellingShingle Argentina
Blastocerus dichotomus
forestry
human-wildlife interactions
interviews
Paraná River delta
perceived vs actual damage
Salicaceae
compensation
conservation management
damage mechanics
deer
endangered species
field survey
forestry
human activity
hunting
nature-society relations
perception
questionnaire survey
species conservation
vulnerability
Parana River
Blastoceros dichotomus
Cervidae
Salicaceae
Ungulata
Iezzi, M.E.
Fracassi, N.G.
Pereira, J.A.
Conservation of the largest cervid of South America: Interactions between people and the Vulnerable marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus
topic_facet Argentina
Blastocerus dichotomus
forestry
human-wildlife interactions
interviews
Paraná River delta
perceived vs actual damage
Salicaceae
compensation
conservation management
damage mechanics
deer
endangered species
field survey
forestry
human activity
hunting
nature-society relations
perception
questionnaire survey
species conservation
vulnerability
Parana River
Blastoceros dichotomus
Cervidae
Salicaceae
Ungulata
description Wild ungulates, and particularly deer, can cause severe damage to commercial plantations, resulting in reduced tolerance of their presence by forestry producers. The marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus, categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, is declining throughout South America. A population of c. 500 individuals survive within a matrix of commercial plantations in the lower delta of the Paraná River, the southernmost stronghold for the species. Local forestry producers usually report that damage to plantations is attributable to marsh deer, thus justifying persecution of the species. Seventy-six forestry producers (representing c. 33% of the total plantation area of the lower delta) were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire to assess perceived levels of tree damage, associated economic losses, and attitudes towards the deer. Simultaneously, plantation stands were surveyed to quantify the actual tree damage caused by this ungulate. Seventy-six percent of producers reported damage to trees by deer (i.e. browsing, fraying caused by antler rubbing) but most of them perceived low levels of damage per property (median < 0.2%), with negligible economic effects. However, 5% of producers (all of them with ≤ 2 km2 in production, usually family enterprises) perceived high levels of damage and economic losses, and supported deer hunting as a management option. Field surveys indicated that damage caused by deer could be more severe than perceived by producers, although spatially confined within the landscape. Monitoring of damage perception by forestry producers, and compensation schemes to assist small producers are necessary for adequate management of this threatened marsh deer population. Copyright © Fauna & Flora International 2017.
format JOUR
author Iezzi, M.E.
Fracassi, N.G.
Pereira, J.A.
author_facet Iezzi, M.E.
Fracassi, N.G.
Pereira, J.A.
author_sort Iezzi, M.E.
title Conservation of the largest cervid of South America: Interactions between people and the Vulnerable marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus
title_short Conservation of the largest cervid of South America: Interactions between people and the Vulnerable marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus
title_full Conservation of the largest cervid of South America: Interactions between people and the Vulnerable marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus
title_fullStr Conservation of the largest cervid of South America: Interactions between people and the Vulnerable marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus
title_full_unstemmed Conservation of the largest cervid of South America: Interactions between people and the Vulnerable marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus
title_sort conservation of the largest cervid of south america: interactions between people and the vulnerable marsh deer blastocerus dichotomus
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00306053_v52_n4_p654_Iezzi
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