Banca de DEFESA: LUCAS DA SILVA XAVIER

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : LUCAS DA SILVA XAVIER
DATE: 03/06/2023
TIME: 13:30
LOCAL: Google Meet
TITLE:

ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES ON THE HERPETOFAUNA OF A PROTECTED AREA IN THE NORTHERN ATLANTIC FOREST OF BRAZIL

KEY WORDS:

Reptiles, local communities, protected area, Rio Grande do Norte, conservation, ethnoconservation

PAGES: 80
BIG AREA: Outra
AREA: Ciências Ambientais
SUMMARY:

Reptiles are animals of great ecological and cultural importance, but they often evoke aversion and fear in people, leading to conflicting relationships stemming from myths, legends, and local beliefs. In this context, this study aimed to identify the environmental perception of herpetofauna among inhabitants of communities surrounding the Jenipabu Environmental Protection Area (APAJ) in Extremoz, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, as well as to characterize the uses of herpetofauna and the degrees of biophilia and biophobia towards reptiles in this Conservation Unit. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 120 residents from 4 communities surrounding the APAJ. They were shown photos of reptiles found in the region for species recognition and were questioned about their perception of the local species. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed based on discourses that pointed to Kellert's biophilic categories: utilitarian value, naturalistic, ecological-scientific, aesthetic, symbolic, humanistic, moralistic, dominionistic, and negativistic. Tests were also conducted to assess whether variables such as frequency of visits to forested areas, proximity of communities to forested areas, length of residence, level of education, and gender influenced the respondents' level of knowledge, as well as whether there was an influence of participants' degrees of biophilia and biophobia. The results showed that although the inhabitants were familiar with the most common species or those adapted to the urban environment, they were not familiar with cryptic and smaller species, such as the lizard Coleodactylus natalensis, an endemic and endangered species of the Atlantic Forest in Rio Grande do Norte. Aesthetic and negativistic values were most frequently mentioned by the participants, with control group animals (concriz and marmoset) being more commonly associated with aesthetic values and snakes with negativistic values. Men and women in APAJ differed in their degrees of biophilia and biophobia, and a higher frequency of visits to forested areas by people contributed to a lower degree of biophobia towards reptiles. This study demonstrated that ethnobiological research is relevant for identifying the level of knowledge about local biodiversity, including endangered endemic species, as well as detecting aversion levels towards reptiles.  It can serve as a bridge 8 between local perception of herpetofauna and environmental education, dispelling negative information in favor of conservation actions.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1121066 - ELIZA MARIA XAVIER FREIRE
Externo ao Programa - 2316116 - FELIPE NALON CASTRO - nullExterno à Instituição - LEONARDO BARROS RIBEIRO - UNIVASF