Brazilian Journal of Nature Conservation Research Letters Natureza & Conservação 10(1):64-71, July 2012 Copyright© 2012 ABECO Handling Editor: Daniel Brito http://dx.doi.org/10.4322/natcon.2012.011 Bills Favor Mining and Threaten Conservation of Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus) at Serra da Canastra National Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil Bruno Arantes de Andrade Bueno 1 *, Marcela Riccomi Nunes 2 & Celine Melo 1 1 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia – UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brasil 2 Sistema de Informações Ambientais para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável – Rede SIADES, Faculdade de Saúde Pública – FSP, Universidade de São Paulo – USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil Abstract Serra da Canastra National Park (SCNP) is one of the most important protected areas in the Cerrado biome. Despite its importance to the conservation of rare and endangered species like Brazilian Merganser, two bills were approved in 2010 by Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies aiming to reduce SCNP’s official boundaries and to transform some of its parts into an Environmental Protection Area (EPA). We evaluated whether such changes would facilitate mining areas to be legally exploited within the park’s area, and if those mining areas would represent a threat to Brazilian Merganser populations at SCNP. Results showed that 55% of the mining areas currently within the National Park will be located within the new EPA, and six hydrographic micro-basins inhabited by Brazilian Merganser could be affected by environmental impacts caused by mineral exploitation in those areas. For these reasons, we recommend the two bills be refused at the Federal Senate. Key words: Threatened Species, Geoprocessing, Hydrographic Basins, Protected Areas, Birds. Introduction Te establishment of protected areas is one of the most reliable and widely-used strategies to conserve biodiversity on the planet (Bruner et al. 2001; Chape et al. 2005). Protected areas help defend natural ecosystems from anthropogenic impacts that would otherwise lead to habitat degradation and destruction, ofen driving populations and species to extinction (Hunter & Gibbs 2007). In Brazil, the National System of Protected Areas (SNUC, in the Portuguese acronym) defnes two major groups of protected areas: strict protection areas (e.g., National Parks and Wildlife Refuges), and sustainable use areas (e.g., Environmental Protection Areas and National Forests). Unlike sustainable use areas, the direct exploration of natural resources for commerce or consumption is prohibited on strict protection areas, whose fundamental purpose is to preserve nature (Brasil 2000). Despite their legal status and importance to biodiversity conservation, it is not uncommon to fnd conficting anthropogenic activities - especially the exploration of mineral resources - being developed within strict protection areas or in their bufer zones (ISA 2006). Te exploration of mineral resources is known to cause signifcant impacts to natural landscapes, their biodiversity and ecosystems, through deforestation, sedimentation and burial of water streams, and increased water and air pollution (Phillips 2001; Palmer et al. 2010). One important strict protected area in Brazil is the Serra da Canastra National Park (SCNP), which shelters important plants and animals of the Cerrado biome, including endemic, rare, and threatened species (Romero & Nakajima 1999; Silva & Silveira 2006). An important bird species that inhabits SCNP is the Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus), a rare and Critically-Endangered waterfowl (IUCN 2011). Te Brazilian Merganser is extremely sensitive to the degradation of its natural habitat, which is composed of rivers and streams of clean and clear waters, usually surrounded by riparian forests (Hughes et al. 2006; Silveira & Bartmman 2001). Such habitat characteristics are claimed to be essential for this species’ survival (Hughes et al. 2006). SCNP and its surroundings shelter this species’ largest currently-known population, with more than 80 individuals (Lamas 2006). Despite that, two bills were presented to the Chamber of Deputies in 2007 aiming to change SCNP’s boundaries: bill nº 1448/2007 reduces its area to roughly 150,000 ha *Send correspondence to: Bruno Arantes de Andrade Bueno Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia – UFU, CEP 38400-902, Campus Umuarama, Uberlândia, MG, Brasil e-mail: barantes@gmail.com