Usos y percepciones de la fauna silvestre por pobladores de dos barrios aledaños a la Reserva Natural Otamendi, Campana, Argentina

Abstract

The Otamendi Natural Reserve (ONR), located in Campana, Buenos Aires, has environments of the Pampa Region and the Paraná Delta. The landscape matrix in this area is composed by agroecosystems, the ONR for example, and preserves patches of Pampean pastureland, tala (Celtis tala) forest and riparian forest. In the community nearby the reserve, evaluation was made through the references made in the use of wildlife and people’s perception of the mentioned fauna. Interviews were made to locals by the National Parks Administration and, in order to get a wider sample, the “snowball” technique was used. The results showed three main uses: as food, trade or as pets. For the people who hunt wildlife, mammals seem to be the most important animals. Three species were the most referenced, and so they represent a greater use value: the coipus (Myocastor coypus), the capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris) and the marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus). Hunting is confirmed in the surroundings of the ONR as well as conflicts between the authorities and locals of this activity. We suggest to extend the studies about wildlife use in this area and also, it is very important, among locals using people’s communal areas, to strengthen the dissemination of the conservation status of species with high use value in the region, all this to establish and to evaluate sustainable basis for their conservation.