Environmental Perception in Fully Protection Conservation Unit: Ecological Station from Aiuaba, Ceará

Abstract

An important instrument to mitigate human impacts on nature is the establishment of protection areas, called, in Brazil, conservation units. The survey of environmental perception is an important tool in the conservation of biodiversity, which allows a diagnosis of the conservation unit, and its relationship with human populations. This work investigates the relationships between populations that live in the buffer zone of the Ecological Station from Aiuaba, southern region of the state of Ceará, in order to identify local conflicts. Sixty face-to-face interviews were carried out in 21 communities, through the application of semi-structured questionnaires, with 15 closed and 13 open questions. Most of the interviewees come from rural areas and lived there before the creation of the unit, and there are still conflicts over the non-compensation of former owners by the unit. The main problems pointed out to conservation were hunting, invasion of farm animals and fires promoted by residents. Of the total number of respondents, 83% said they knew about the existence of the unit, 88% did not know its category and 52% of respondents said they had never participated in any activity developed by the ecological station. The analysis of environmental perception highlighted the need to create strategies to combat illegal practices and establish relationships between communities in the buffer zone and conservation unit.