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Subsistence Hunting in the R ío Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras: A Comparison of Game Abundance in Hunted and Prote

Subsistence Hunting in the R ío Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras: A Comparison of Game Abundance in Hunted and Protected Areas. Yannick Cabassu M.Sc. Candidate Department of Geography and Environmental Studies Carleton University Ottawa, Canada. CAG Annual Meeting

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Subsistence Hunting in the R ío Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras: A Comparison of Game Abundance in Hunted and Prote

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  1. Subsistence Hunting in the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras: A Comparison of Game Abundance in Hunted and Protected Areas. Yannick Cabassu M.Sc. Candidate Department of Geography and Environmental Studies Carleton University Ottawa, Canada CAG Annual Meeting Saskatoon, Saskatchewan June 1, 2007

  2. Research Objectives • Goal: To Investigate the effects of subsistence hunting on wildlife populations in the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras. • Specific Aims: To compare the relative abundance of game species between a hunted site in the cultural zone of the biosphere and a non-hunted or lightly-hunted site in the nucleus zone using direct and indirect observations.

  3. Man and the Biosphere Reserve • Conservation Function – to contribute to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variations. • Development function – to foster economic and human development which is socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable. (UNESCO’S MAB Program 2005)

  4. Biosphere Reserves in Latin America • Indigenous People • Hunting

  5. Study Area: Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Moskito Coast, Honduras, May-August 2006. Source: Adapted from Dunn 2005

  6. Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve • General History • Cultural Importance • Miskito, Pech, Garifuna, Tawhaka • Ecological importance Source: House et al. 2002

  7. Methodology • Study period: May-Aug 2006 • Informal interviews with hunters • Transects survey • Las Marías: Four 6-km long transects. • Distance = 180 km • Nucleus: Four 3-km long transects • Distance = 132 km • Tracks as a measure of abundance • 10 game species, 12 non-game species

  8. Direct and Indirect Observations of Game Species per Kilometer Around the Village of Las Marías and in the Nucleus zone, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, May-Aug 2006. • 132 km of transects were surveyed in the nucleus zone (non-hunted). • ** 180 km of transects were surveyed around the village of Las Marías (hunted). • † Obs/Km (Nucleus) - Obs/Km (Las Marías)

  9. Direct and Indirect Observations of Non-game Species per Kilometer Around the Village of Las Marías and in the Nucleus zone, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, May-Aug 2006. • 132 km of transects were surveyed in the nucleus zone (non-hunted). • ** 180 km of transects were surveyed around the village of Las Marías (hunted). • † Obs/Km (Nucleus) - Obs/Km (Las Marías)

  10. Results • 9/10 game species are significantly less abundant in the hunted region. • 5/9 non-game species are significantly less abundant in the hunted region • Higher abundance in protected area.

  11. Discussion • Game species less abundant in hunted region • Non-game species also less abundant in hunted region • Hunting or human presence? • Lower abundance near the village (<2km) than away from it.

  12. Conclusion

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