The influence of socioeconomic factors on the knowledge of reptiles and mammals in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Northeast Brazil

Abstract Local ecological knowledge is transmitted across generations and arises from various human interactions with the environment. Cultural and socioeconomic variables such as age, sex, educational level and locality can influence both the acquisition and transmission of this knowledge. However,...

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Main Authors: Pedro Victor Cardoso dos Santos, Felipe Silva Ferreira, Samuel Vieira Brito
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00780-6
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author Pedro Victor Cardoso dos Santos
Felipe Silva Ferreira
Samuel Vieira Brito
author_facet Pedro Victor Cardoso dos Santos
Felipe Silva Ferreira
Samuel Vieira Brito
author_sort Pedro Victor Cardoso dos Santos
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Local ecological knowledge is transmitted across generations and arises from various human interactions with the environment. Cultural and socioeconomic variables such as age, sex, educational level and locality can influence both the acquisition and transmission of this knowledge. However, Brazil's diverse environmental contexts reveal gaps in information regarding interactions with local fauna. Given this scenario, this study aims to investigate whether socioeconomic factors influence knowledge about reptile and mammal species in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. Additionally, it seeks to provide a list of the recognized animals and document interactions between residents and fauna. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and open-ended interviews, resulting in records of 36 species (plus 6 identified only at genus level) in 33 families and 10 orders, of which 53% were non-avian reptile and 47% mammals. We observed three types of interactions between residents and fauna: dietary, medicinal and conflict-related. Among the variables analyzed using a generalized linear model, only locality significantly influenced traditional faunal knowledge in the communities studied.
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series Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
spelling doaj-art-906fe897e5134033af1c180a2f65363e2025-08-20T03:45:31ZengBMCJournal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine1746-42692025-07-0121111110.1186/s13002-025-00780-6The influence of socioeconomic factors on the knowledge of reptiles and mammals in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Northeast BrazilPedro Victor Cardoso dos Santos0Felipe Silva Ferreira1Samuel Vieira Brito2Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Centro de Ciências de Chapadinha, Universidade Federal do MaranhãoNúcleo de Estudos de Conservação da Caatinga (NECC)/Colegiado de Ecologia, UNIVASFPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Centro de Ciências de Chapadinha, Universidade Federal do MaranhãoAbstract Local ecological knowledge is transmitted across generations and arises from various human interactions with the environment. Cultural and socioeconomic variables such as age, sex, educational level and locality can influence both the acquisition and transmission of this knowledge. However, Brazil's diverse environmental contexts reveal gaps in information regarding interactions with local fauna. Given this scenario, this study aims to investigate whether socioeconomic factors influence knowledge about reptile and mammal species in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. Additionally, it seeks to provide a list of the recognized animals and document interactions between residents and fauna. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and open-ended interviews, resulting in records of 36 species (plus 6 identified only at genus level) in 33 families and 10 orders, of which 53% were non-avian reptile and 47% mammals. We observed three types of interactions between residents and fauna: dietary, medicinal and conflict-related. Among the variables analyzed using a generalized linear model, only locality significantly influenced traditional faunal knowledge in the communities studied.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00780-6ConservationEthnozoologyTraditional communities
spellingShingle Pedro Victor Cardoso dos Santos
Felipe Silva Ferreira
Samuel Vieira Brito
The influence of socioeconomic factors on the knowledge of reptiles and mammals in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Northeast Brazil
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
Conservation
Ethnozoology
Traditional communities
title The influence of socioeconomic factors on the knowledge of reptiles and mammals in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Northeast Brazil
title_full The influence of socioeconomic factors on the knowledge of reptiles and mammals in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Northeast Brazil
title_fullStr The influence of socioeconomic factors on the knowledge of reptiles and mammals in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Northeast Brazil
title_full_unstemmed The influence of socioeconomic factors on the knowledge of reptiles and mammals in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Northeast Brazil
title_short The influence of socioeconomic factors on the knowledge of reptiles and mammals in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Northeast Brazil
title_sort influence of socioeconomic factors on the knowledge of reptiles and mammals in the lencois maranhenses national park northeast brazil
topic Conservation
Ethnozoology
Traditional communities
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00780-6
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