IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| CuarĒn, A.D. | |
| A Global Perspective on Habitat Disturbance and Tropical Rainforest Mammals | |
| 2000 Conservation Biology (14): 1574-1579 | |
Habitat loss and modification are considered the primary threats to species throughout the world. In some cases habitat disturbance is an immediate and drastic event - outright conversion - but in others habitat characteristics are altered gradually. Currently, the dominant types of habitat disturbance are directly related to human activities. The effects of some types of habitat disturbance are more pervasive than others, and species may respond in different ways. It is important to understand these processes in order to eliminate or at least mitigate the negative effects of habitat changes. Social considerations are also important. Most tropical rainforest regions are found within the political borders of countries overwhelmed by poverty, weak social institutions, and great demand for natural resources to satisfy local, national, and international markets. The challenge, then, is to learn how to use tropical rainforest resources without hampering their long-term maintenance or the social benefits they provide. The papers in this special section, along with these introductory remarks, provide a global perspective on different types of habitat disturbance and how they affect tropical rainforest mammals. Mammals play an important role in tropical rainforest maintenance and regeneration. They provide vital ecological services in tropical rainforests and are key in the structuring of biological communities through their roles, for instance, in seed predation and dispersal, pollination, folivory, and frugivory, and as top predators. Mammals are usually among the favored group of species local people use for food, pets, and artifacts (e.g., skins, bones, teeth), and they are integral components of the religion and culture of the people who inhabit tropical rainforests. They are also an important economic resource for tropical rainforest inhabitants. Many mammal species, such as primates and large felids, are charismatic and have been used as flagship or umbrella species to promote the conservation of tropical regions. Thus, they are also important conservation tools |
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