Bird fauna and public use of the State Park Serra do Mar - Itutinga-Pilões

• Grant number: 15/19792-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2015
• End date: November 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Geography - Human Geography
• Principal Investigator: Davis Gruber Sansolo
• Grantee: Stefano Spiteri Avilla
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB-CLP). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental do Litoral Paulista. São Vicente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The bird life is an important element in the Atlantic Rain Forest. It contributes with animal and plant population control, seed dispersion and it is an important environmental indicators. The Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar (PESM), through its extension, protects the largest continuous stretch of Atlantic Rain Forest and is inserted into an intense anthropogenic activity context. Thus, the public use program can be an important instrument in the sensibilization for the conservation of these ecosystems. The birdwatching is a modality in the public use programs that favorable economic development and income generation associated with nature conservation. The activity has been developed in the PESM under the public use program, as set out in the Management Plan, the main birdwatching program are located in the nuclei Picinguaba, Ubatuba, and Caraguatauba. The region of Cubatão, where is located the nucleous Itutinga-Pilões, has a history of intense human impact throughout human occupation. Currently does not have a birdwatching program, therefore, this study aims to evaluate the potential for inclusion in the public use program to bird watching activity in nucleous Itutinga-Pilões, through a qualitative survey of birds on the tracks and and common use areas, and interviews to assess the environmental awareness of the community residing in the park, in order that it can contribute to conservation through community monitoring, adding value to the PESM public use policies. (AU)