ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION: RELATIONSHIPS AND CONFLICTS IN PASSA-CINCO RIVER BASIN – SÃO PAULO – BRAZIL

Abstract

Passa-Cinco River drainage basin is located in the mid-west area of São Paulo State and is part of the Corumbataí River watershed, and has local geographic importance due to its high hydric potential. The area looks like an agricultural mosaic, that had a slash and burn history, devastating the native vegetation and the consequences are seen in the reduction of native animals and plants biodiversity and in the hydric capacity. So the Passa-Cinco River region was the chosen spot to investigate this kind of anthropic environment, known as agroecosystem, with agriculture areas, silviculture, cattle raising and small areas of native vegetation, that still helps to maintain fauna diversity. In these circumstances, local people inhabiting this environment are the experts and protagonists that can destroy or preserve biodiversity. Their knowledge is the goal of this investigation, based on ethnobiology concepts; with the aim of producing a mammal and bird inventory at the Passa-Cinco basin, and trying to understand what they think about their environment. We interview 40 rural owners and the results have showed that their knowledge about agroecosystems is more confused so this idea may compromise the practice of conservation.