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The review of the Brazilian Forest Act: harmful effects on amphibian conservation
Luís Felipe Toledo
Universidade Estadual de Campinas
Museu de Zoologia "Prof. Adão José Cardoso", Instituto de Biologia, 13083-863, Campinas, São Paulo, Caixa Postal 6109
email: toledolf2@yahoo.com Sergio Potsch de Carvalho-e-Silva
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Caixa Postal 68044, CEP 21944-970, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
Celso Sánchez
Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, UNIRIO
Departamento de Didática, Escola de Educação
Marina Amado de Almeida
Rua Alves Guimarães, 1354, apt. 71, CEP 05410-002, Pinheiros, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
Célio F. B. Haddad
Universidade Estadual Paulista
Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Caixa Postal 199, CEP 13506-970, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil
keywords
Conservation, Threats, Law, Amphibians, Brazil publication date: 15-10-2010
Abstract
In the last months there is a growing discussion in Brazil about a new Brazilian Forest Act (Código Florestal). This new proposal, in substitution to the current Act, includes modifications which will affect negatively natural populations of amphibians. Besides the deleterious impacts upon amphibians, it will also harm the national and international human populations. Among the possible effects, in consequence of the associate amphibian population declines or complete loss, we cite the increase of agricultural production costs, loss of primary sources of compounds for the medical industry, generalized ecological disequilibrium, eutrofication of water bodies, increase in the costs of water (for humans) treatment, increase of agricultural plagues, and increase of insect borne diseases. All these effects are of high relevance, even more if we consider the population declines of amphibians, the most threatened terrestrial vertebrate group in the world. Therefore, we propose that if a new Forest Act must be prepared, that it should be based, besides in unlikely immediate economical benefits to farm owners, in scientific knowledge which benefits nature conservancy, economy, health, and human welfare. how to quote this paper
Toledo, L.F.; Carvalho-e-Silva, S.P.; Sánchez, C.; Almeida, M.A. and Haddad, C. F. B. The review of the Brazilian Forest Act: harmful effects on amphibian conservation. Biota Neotrop. Oct/Dec 2010 vol. 10, no. 4 https://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v10n4/en/abstract?article+bn00410042010. ISSN 1676-0603.
