2026/08/07 by Juliano A. Bogoni, Maurício E. Graipel, Nivaldo Peroni
paper · doi:10.1007/s10745-026-00767-1
published in Human Ecology 54(6) (Springer Science and Business Media LLC)
crossref issued 2026/08/07 · crossref published 2026/08/07 · crossref published-online 2026/08/07 · crossref created 2026/08/07 · crossref deposited 2026/08/07 · crossref indexed 2026/08/07 · crossref published-print 2026/12/01
Abstract Local knowledge is a useful tool for understanding historical ecological processes and landscape management. We evaluated the ecological history of Araucaria Forest, including the use of its resources ( Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze [Araucaria seeds] and Feijoa sellowiana (O.Berg) O.Berg [Feijoa fruits]) and landscape management within a highlands area of the subtropical Atlantic Forest, Brazil. Applying a semi-structured questionnaire to 36 local informants within and around the São Joaquim National Park, we aimed to (1) understand the history of Araucaria Forest patches; (2) depict the resource and landscape use across the highlands; (3) understand local people’s perception of native vertebrates in terms of richness and composition and their interactions with Araucaria and Feijoa; and (4) provide a timeline of the main events that have modified the landscape, along with future perspectives. We analysed the data with descriptive statistics based on percentages of responses and measures of central tendency and variation. We used a network approach to measure the interaction between the mammalian biota and the main tree species in the regional landscapes. Our results showed that the management of landscapes over time has maintained vegetation mosaics, and plant resources have been used traditionally since the occupation of the territory. According to local interviewees, the mammalian richness and composition were perceived to be very similar across the local vegetation mosaic. Based on local interviewees’ viewpoints, we can conclude that Araucaria and Feijoa are essential for both human use (food, economy, domestic animals) and native fauna. The historical human footprint (> 100 years) on the landscape and resource management has clearly influenced local diversity patterns and ecological processes.