Conservation Committee

Grounds and Motivation

Obtaining up-to-date assessments of the conservation status of Argentine mammals is a priority for this Committee, given that environmental degradation and fragmentation pose a threat to mammal species.

Our Society, formed by specialized mammalogists, can provide knowledgeable advice on the conservation of mammals to governmental and non-governmental agencies. This is the main task of this Committee.

Goals

• To provide updated information on the conservation status of the mammal species that inhabit Argentina, according to international standards and methods. An additional purpose that stems from this goal is the generation of a database with information on the conservation status of Argentine mammals, especially those considered as endangered or vulnerable.
• To provide updated information on the main regional threats (deforestation, mining practices, hunting, etc.) to the conservation of Argentine mammals in each province.
• To generate documents that may serve as guidelines to governmental and non-governmental agencies, to contribute to decision-making that impacts on the conservation status of Argentine mammals.
• To promote interaction with other mammal societies from countries that have species in common with Argentina, in order to combine conservation efforts beyond the political boundaries of our country.

Functions

To maintain updated information on the level of protection and preservation provided by natural areas, especially for native mammals and their environments.

To gather information on the conservation status of each species of mammal in Argentina, to categorize them or suggest changes to their current category. Categorization should follow or agree with international and/or national guidelines.

The Committee Coordinator, based on the working possibilities of the Committee, will chose the methods with which to gather, process and publicize the generated information.

An annual report of activities will be presented to SAREM’s Directive Board. This report will be appended to the Annual Memoir presented by SAREM’s Directive Board at SAREM’s Annual Meeting.