Histórico de uso e cobertura do solo na distribuição do Guigó-da-Caatinga (Callicebus barbarabrownae) em Sergipe

Abstract

The conversion of native vegetation to anthropic use has had negative consequences for biodiversity. In the last four centuries, the Caatinga has been deforested, causing loss and alteration of the habitats of species in the biome. The blond titi monkey (Callicebus barbarabrownae) is the only primate species endemic to the Caatinga, classified as Critically Endangered, and its main threats are habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as potential dangers from roads and power-lines and predation by domestic dogs. We evaluated land use and land cover change in the distribution of C. barbarabrownae in Sergipe, on two spatial scales (regional and local) with data obtained from MapBiomas (1986 to 2021). The regional scale was defined as the Caatinga drylands in Sergipe state, while the local scale was defined as the surroundings of the occurrence records of C. barbarabrownae obtained through a literature review. There are a total of 13 land use and land cover classes at the regional scale. The classes with the largest area were Pasture (65.45%), Savanna Formation (18.86%), Other Temporary Crops (7.71%) and Mosaic of Uses (4.64%). The Savanna Formation reduced in size, and there was an increase in areas of Pasture and Other Temporary Crops over the years. These changes were also observed in similar proportions in most landscapes. The use of land for Pasture, Other Temporary Crops and Mosaic of Use is the main cause of deforestation at different scales (regional and local). Land use and land cover were similar at local and regional scales. The low availability of habitat reinforces that the species has been suffering pressures associated with habitat loss. This study exposed the historical dimension of forest degradation in part of the distribution of C. barbarabrownae, providing important spatial data that can contribute to the management and conservation of the species.