Neotropical Diversification: Patterns and Processes by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030311674
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

3.4 Conservation

Due to its remoteness and pristinity, it could be expected that the biota and ecosystems of Pantepui are not threatened by human activities. On the tepui summits, activities such as hydrocarbon exploitation, mining, hydroelectricity production, forestry and farming are not possible due to the special geological, edaphic and vegetation features (Huber 1995d). The main activities atop the tepuis are tourism and scientific exploration, although permanent facilities for such tasks (hotels, scientific stations, etc.) are nonexistent and these activities are carried out by camping. Only a few tepui summits, notably the Roraima-tepui and Auyán-tepui, are accessible by foot, while others can be reached by helicopter. The tepuis have been declared natural monuments and some Pantepui areas are under other designations, such as national parks, biosphere reserves and a human heritage site (Huber 1995d; Bevilacqua et al. 2019). However, the available resources for effective control and surveillance of such a huge and remote area are insufficient (Rull et al. 2016; Rull and Vegas-Vilarrúbia 2017). In 1989, official permits to visit the tepui summits were suspended. Since then, a long, complex, erratic and uncertain process was established to obtain permits for visiting the tepuis that makes scientific research virtually impossible (Rull and Vegas-Vilarrúbia 2008; Rull et al. 2009). In spite of this, illegal touristic and scientific activities have not stopped and are difficult to control. Other threats for Pantepui are human activities that occur in the surrounding uplands and lowlands (notably fire), which can eventually affect the tepui summits and their slopes. This is especially true for the Eastern Tepui District, where the tepuis are surrounded by the Gran Sabana uplands, the most populated and active area in the region. In addition to direct human impacts, the ongoing anthropogenic global warming may also affect the Pantepui biota, as occurs in other Neotropical and worldwide mountain areas. This section briefly discusses the potential direct and indirect consequences of local and global human activities on Pantepui.

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