Application of scientific information in the management of protected areas in Brazil

• Grant number: 12/20962-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): November 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Luís Hettwer Giehl
• Grantee: Marcela Moretti
• Home Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Conservation units are crucial to sustain biodiversity and need a skilled management, matching the available funds with an effective set of management and conservation-related actions. Management effectiveness depends on the application of knowledge, which can be obtained either from publications or from the manager's experience. However, studies indicate so far that the scientific knowledge published in journals is seldom used during decision making and that experience-based information is used most of the time. Even though managers agree that scientific information is important, there is still an overwhelming shortcoming in both accessibility and understanding of this knowledge. We aim to list managers' procedures during decision making, checking for issues that may limit or prevent them from using scientific evidence on unit management. Thus, we will ask managers of conservation units located in Brazil to answer a survey about decision making. First, we will check whether managing actions are based on scientific information or self-acquired experience through time. Based on these results, we will quantify differences in the kind of information supporting decision making. Next, we will also assess whether there are trends for different conservation unit type and f size. Finally, we will also ask about the existence of actions and the way they are conducted regarding threatened and invasive species, thus allowing us to evaluate management effectiveness within conservation units. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GIEHL, EDUARDO L. H.; MORETTI, MARCELA; WALSH, JESSICA C.; BATALHA, MARCO A.; COOK, CARLY N. Scientific Evidence and Potential Barriers in the Management of Brazilian Protected Areas. PLoS One, v. 12, n. 1 JAN 9 2017. Web of Science Citations: 4.