Efeito de porcos domésticos exóticos no estoque reprodutor de fêmeas Chelonia mydas na Ilha da Trindade, Atlântico Sul Ocidental

Abstract

The island of Trindade is an important wildlife refuge, its discovery has resulted in the consumption of endemic animals and the introduction of exotic species. Introduced pigs have become predators of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nests. Considering the predatory process of pigs on the nests of C. mydas and their present state of vulnerability, this research aims to understand the ecological effect of the introduction of exotic species in a spawning area on the island of Trindade through the study of the population changes of post- (CCC) of Chelonia mydas females of 35 years of monitoring in spawning grounds and historical records of exploration and introduction of predatory exotic species. Significant differences were identified in the curvilinear length of the carapace of the Trindade turtles along the monitoring that converge with the history of eradication of the pigs. The largest curvilinear length classes of the carapace are present in the first years of monitoring with a decreasing pattern during the most recent seasons. Observed changes in CCC frequencies between monitored seasons suggest a lower recruitment rate in the 1985/2000 period and a more significant recruitment between 2006/2017. The study showed that the stock of the spawning population of Chelonia mydas underwent an intense process of change in the population structure induced by the introduction of a new egg and newborn predator in Trinidad and present evidence of increasing recovery.