How do wild animals manage to continue hunting and reproducing in areas occupied by houses, roads, domestic animals and crops? Scientists increasingly point out that the only solution for most species is to drastically change their habits, in a forced adaptation process whose consequences for the surroundings are still uncertain. An article published in early February in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation shows that many animals end up becoming more nocturnal as a way of avoiding human presence. The study, which gathered researchers from the University of Manchester in the U.K. and the Ecology and Conservation Laboratory (Laec) at the University of São Paulo in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, is part of a broad project started in 2013-14, when camera traps were installed in different parts of northeast São Paulo. The area, originally covered by the Cerrado biome, has undergone changes caused by different crops for more than 200 years. It started with coffee in the 18th and 19th centuries, followed by livestock farming, and it has recently been taken over by sugar cane plantations as well as planted forests of pine and eucalyptus. “These animals have been in contact with people for a long time,” says Adriano Chiarello from Laec, who is the head of the study. Researchers used camera traps to monitor circulation times and areas of five species of mammals in northeast São Paulo. Image courtesy of the USP Ecology and Conservation Laboratory. Camera traps — small devices that capture images every time someone or something crosses…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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