National parks and conservation concessions: a comparison between mammal populations in two types of tropical protected areas in Ucayali, Peru

Background

Peru holds the second largest portion of the Amazon rainforest and is threatened by illegal logging and crop cultivation, as well as mining and other activities. Protected areas are one method of forest conservation, which can exist as conservation concessions. These areas of land granted for protection and rehabilitation area vital to maintaining the health and distribution of the forest. Biodiversity is understudied in many of these regions, especially about terrestrial mammals.

Goals and Methods

The authors conduct a field study in Peru on the Conservation Concession Santos Mario Castillo Dominguez (CCSMCD) and on the Parque Nacional Sierra del Divisor (PNSD) to compare species abundance and richness of terrestrial mammals. Cameras installed provide the data of mammal abundance and for species identification.

Conclusions and Takeaways

The authors conclude that conservation concessions have a significant abundance and species richness of terrestrial mammals when compared to national parks. Endangered or rare species may not show the same patterns between the two territory types which may be due to a higher level of ecosystem sensitivity in conservation concessions than in national parks. There is also a high level of degradation due to illegal activity in conservation concessions that may drive the absence of valuable mammal species. Overall, the authors conclude that these concessions are highly valuable sources of habitat and biodiversity and should be more closely monitored and regulated for protection.