El Context matters: Community knowledge about owls along an urban-rural gradient in Patagonia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.26.36.3.0.2761Keywords:
ethnozoology, zoonoses, environmental education, secondary poisoning, rodenticides, biological control, strigiformes, forest-urban interfaceAbstract
1. Human perceptions and knowledge are relevant to the management of environmental conflicts involving wildlife. At the forest-urban interface of northern Patagonia, expanding human settlements increase contact with wildlife, including owls and hantavirus reservoir rodents, altering habitat for both predators and prey, and exposing owls to toxicological threats due to rodent-control practices.
2. We evaluated knowledge, perceptions and attitudes toward owls, as well as knowledge of rodents, health risks and rodent-control practices, among residents of the Comarca Andina del Paralelo 42, Argentina. We conducted 150 semi-structured interviews with adults from three residential zones: rural, suburban and urban. The questionnaire assessed recognition of four owl species through photographs and sounds, ecological knowledge, valuation and perceptions of owls and rodents, and rodenticide use.
3. In line with our predictions, species recognition was higher among rural residents, despite their lower level of formal education. Contrary to our predictions, valuation of Strigiformes was positive and homogeneous across zones, regardless of educational level or access to technical information. Knowledge of diet and nesting sites was also relatively homogeneous. Most respondents rejected the association of owls with fear (87%) or bad luck (84%) and expressed support for the presence of owls near homes for rodent control (85%). However, 39% reported using rodenticides and a substantial proportion were unaware of the effects of rodenticides on predators. Contrary to our predictions, awareness of these effects was not associated with residential zone, education or access to technical information.
4. These results reveal a mismatch between the positive valuation of Strigiformes and rodent-control practices that may affect them, highlighting the need for environmental education and integrated rodent-management strategies to reduce the risks associated with rodenticide use at the forest-human settlement interface.
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