Do responsibly managed logging concessions adequately protect jaguars and other large and medium-sized mammals? Two case studies from Guatemala and Peru

Bozovich is proud to share the results of the study made by the San Diego Zoo Global about the effects of sustainable logging practices in medium sized mammals and jaguars in Peru and Guatemala. This study was done using large-scale camera trap surveys. In Peru part of the study was made in the FSC certified concession “Forestal Otorongo” in Madre de Dios managed by Bozovich. We below set out a brief summary of its content: Over the last few decades deforestation of humid tropical forests around the world has continuously increased. Forest certification was created as an independent third-party verification of responsible forest management with strict standards. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), 1993, has a global forest certification system that accredits companies that use sound social and environmental practices for forest management. Certified wood sells for a higher price in international markets and companies get increased market access. Logging practices vary widely. Reduced-impact logging is considered best practice and third-party certification aims to ensure that strict standards includes minimizing the number of roads constructed, avoiding sensitive areas and strictly regulating hunting. We use large-scale camera trap surveys to evaluate terrestrial mammal communities in FSC certified logging concessions in Guatemala and Peru Camera traps detected 22 species of large and medium sized mammals in Guatemala and 27 in Peru. The initial impact was positive on several herbivore species. We found no avoidance of logging roads; Our results indicate that well-managed logging concessions can maintain important populations of large and medium-sized mammals including large herbivores and large carnivores as long as hunting is controlled and timber volumes extracted are low. Responsible forest management would therefore be an ideal activity in the buffer zones and multiple use zones of protected areas creating much less impact and conflict than alternatives such as agriculture or cattle ranching while still providing economic opportunities.