dB@RN2

Aims

This projects aims at testing the consequences of the new road RN2 joining Cayenne in French Guiana to Oyapoque in Brazil. This road crosses the rainforest possibly affecting animal movements and opening the forest to hunters. Here, we aim at estimating the effects of the road on the populations of the white-throated toucanRamphastos tucanus. This species plays a very important role in the conservation of the Amazonia as a tree seed disperser and as a flaship species, the toucan being used as an tourism icon of Amazonia.

We developed an automatic system to track the vocalizations of R. tucanus in nine recording sites along the road RN2. The variation of vocal activity, that is the number of vocalizations detected, was in time and space and confronted with environmental data as rainfall and forest types.

The analysis reveals a clear night and day pattern and no obvious differences between the sites indicating that the species does not seem to be significantly impacted by the road.

Participants and collaborations

Manon Ducrettet, Pierre-Michel Forget, Juan Sebastian Ulloa, Philippe Gaucher, Benjamin Yguel, Karine Princé, Olivier Claessens (GEPOG)

Funding

Labex DRIIHM

Localization


Sound sample

The sound of R. tucanus is part of the forest soundscape.

Pictures

Publications

. Ducrettet M, Forget P-M, Ulloa JS, Yguel B, Gaucher P, Princé K, Haupert S, Sueur J (2020) – Monitoring canopy bird activity in disturbed landscapes with automatic recorders: a case study in the tropics. Biological Conservation, 245: 108574. link