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Day 14

1 min. Animal population survey in the Brazilian rainforest

On the trail of biodiversity On the trail of biodiversity On the trail of biodiversity On the trail of biodiversity

1 min. Animal population survey in the Brazilian rainforest
Day 14
Inventory of animal species in a newly established protected area

A tapir stomps through the undergrowth, trying to be as quiet as possible to avoid being noticed by the jaguar. The loud creaking of the cicadas helps it to remain undetected. Far above him, in the roof of the kapok tree, a boa constrictor slithers towards the nest of the harpy eagle, the largest eagle in the Amazon. In the distance, you can hear the afternoon calls of a horde of howler monkeys... This is how you imagine everyday life in the depths of the Amazon region. If we were to go on an excursion into the Amazon, however, we would hardly see any of these animals. They have learned to hide and camouflage themselves well. Only experienced hunters, like many indigenous groups or scientists with special equipment, have learned to "read" the forest. Only they notice whether the forest is healthy or not. If there are many Amazon eagles, for example, it means that the kapok trees in which they nest are also doing well. And the boa also finds its food.

Inventory of animal species in a newly established protected area
Hajo Schumacher presents his favorite project
need
Inventory of biodiversity as a basis for a management plan to protect biodiversity in the newly established protected area
activity
A trained team of researchers conducts an inventory of biodiversity in the protected area in the Brazilian Amazon
Measurable performance
Number of hours the research team works
Result
By determining the biodiversity in this area, concrete protection measures can be planned and established
Systemically relevant impact
Scientifically based protection of biodiversity and measurability of the efficiency of protection measures for endangered animal species in the Amazon
background

The Amazon is the largest rainforest on earth. At 6.9 million square kilometers, it is 19 times the size of Germany. Unfortunately, around 20% (3 times the area of Germany) has already disappeared (Butler, R., 2022). The main factor for deforestation is global meat consumption. Soy is grown on the cleared areas for animal feed and cattle, including for export to Europe (Lapola et al., 2023). But illegal gold mining, felling of precious wood trees and commercial hunting of animals also disrupt the balance of this important ecosystem. But precisely because the Amazon is so huge, there are still many places where the water is clean, the forest is dense and the animals are numerous - especially in protected areas and indigenous territories. The indigenous people of the Amazon have lived here for thousands of years without destroying their environment (Qin et al., 2023). These areas must be protected. On the one hand, they contain a huge treasure trove of a wide variety of animals. On the other hand, there are many plants here, some of which can be used to make medicine that is important for us in Europe, such as Jaborandí, which contains a potent active ingredient against glaucoma. Together with the indigenous Huni Kuin, a protected area is being set up in the Brazilian state of Acre. The area was bought, among other things, with donations for door 12 in the 24 Good Deeds Advent Calendar 2022. Now it's time for the next phase, namely the management and protection of the land. Whether the ecosystem is intact, i.e. the forest is healthy, cannot be seen at first glance. This requires researchers to find out how much biodiversity, i.e. how many animals and plants, there are still in a piece of forest. This information is needed to decide how best to protect it so that the animals can settle again.

Jordão, Acre State, Amazonas
Day 14 Day 14
The good deed

Thanks to today's good deed, a team of researchers can search the newly established protected area for animal species. They use special methods and technologies, such as tracking or camera traps that automatically take a photo of the animal when it moves. As many species as possible should have their home here. If there are predators such as jaguars or ocelots, it can be assumed that many other animals and plants live here too. Some animals are specialists. For example, they only feed on a single type of tree. If these animals are missing, trees can be planted specifically to attract them again. Some species, in turn, need corridors to migrate from other forest areas. The data from this inventory is therefore the basis for managing the area. If the rainforest inventory is repeated after a few years, you can see whether the protection measures were successful. This process is called monitoring.

About Brazil
Brasilia
Brasilia
Capital city
215,313,498
215,313,498
Population
8,917.7
8,917.7
Gross domestic product per capita per year
0.754
0.754
Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

There is a fish in the Amazon that produces electricity, the electric eel. It generates a voltage of up to 800 volts, which it uses to paralyze its prey, other fish. By comparison, our sockets produce a measly 230 volts.
About the organization and further information

organization

Living Gaia eV

website

hunikuin.org/

Further links