Project for the conservation and management of endangered species will start this month
The Renova Foundation, together with the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), will start the project for the conservation and management of endangered fauna species in the Doce River basin, in Minas Gerais. Coordinated by Professor Fabiano Melo, PhD from the Federal University of Viçosa, the project had a cooperation agreement signed in June and meets the strategies outlined in the Action Plan for the Conservation of Terrestrial Biodiversity, which has the objective of, in 10 years, recovering populations and restoring the habitats of target species occurring within the scope of the program.
Supported by the Society of Forest Investigations (SIF), the partnership is expected to last for 48 months and aims to contribute to the diagnosis, protection and improvement of the conservation status of some species of terrestrial mammals and avifauna threatened with extinction, in addition to promoting programs for conservation of the marmosets and integrate the local community in conservation actions, reconciling knowledge, science and ecological tourism. Also culminating in management actions at the Marmoset Conservation Center (CCSS), a scientific breeding site specialized in research and conservation of Callithrix spp. (scientific name of marmosets).
Divided into three subprojects, the action will be carried out by different teams:
- Research and conservation of the threatened fauna of the upper and middle Doce River: focused on mapping the occurrence of some target species, monitoring populations and communities, investigating the viability of populations and the degree of regional threat of these species, projecting the invasive potential of marmosets (primate species of the genus Callithrix spp.), that is, that are not typical of the region, and to support the definition of priority areas and actions for the regional conservation of the target species.
- Integrated management of groups of black marmosets (Callithrix aurita), white marmosets (Callithrix flaviceps) and their hybrids: with the objective of planning and carrying out the integrated management (in nature and in the CCSS) of Callithrix spp . natives, invaders and hybrids.
- Citizen Science, Environmental Education and Ecotourism: subproject with the aim of promoting environmental education based on the conservation of fauna in the sampled regions. This one, however, will start when the research projects are more advanced.
The initiative to research the marmosets began when Abílio Vilela, representative of those affected and an active member of TB-Bio, informed that the community was seeing individuals of marmosets near the river, in the region of Rio Doce/Santa Cruz do Escalvado and that it could be Callithrix aurita. As he knew in depth the Action Plan for the Conservation of Terrestrial Biodiversity, he knew that it was a target species of the Plan and that conservation work would be important in the region. At the same time, he contacted Professor Fabiano Melo, a reference in primate research in Brazil, who was there with his team and in fact found a population of C. aurita. The demand was studied by the Technical Support Group (GAT) of the Action Plan for the Conservation of Terrestrial Biodiversity and all were in favor of the elaboration and implementation of this project.
In order to sample the different locations and environments included in the Action Plan, the project will be carried out in three spatial blocks: the upper Doce River region, in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, the middle Doce River region and, further east, in the Sete Salões State Park (PESS), in the Doce River valley, also in Minas Gerais.