José Márcio Ayres
Encyclopedia
José Márcio Ayres was a Brazil
ian primatologist and conservationist
who founded the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve
in 1996, followed by the Amanã Sustainable Development Reserve in 1997. The two reserves are located in the central region of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, and are joined by adjacent Jaú National Park
to form a corridor spanning over 20000 square miles (51,799.8 km²) of protected rainforest.
Ayres devoted his life to the preservation of the unique biota and ecosystems of the Amazon
, as well as to developing a method by which rural dwellers would benefit from the conservation of natural resources. He realized that the uakari monkeys
he had been studying for his doctorate thesis would stand no chance of survival unless new community-based models of natural resource management were applied to the much exploited Amazon River
flood basin.
Ayres' doctorate
in primatology at Cambridge
, in 1986, was for his thesis The White Uakaris and the Amazonian Flooded Forest, the field work for which was undertaken on the upper Amazon River flood plain, near Tefé
.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian primatologist and conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
who founded the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve
Mamirauá
The Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, near the city of Tefé, is a reserve near the village of Boca do Mamirauá. It includes mostly Amazonian flooded forest and wetlands.-Protection:...
in 1996, followed by the Amanã Sustainable Development Reserve in 1997. The two reserves are located in the central region of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, and are joined by adjacent Jaú National Park
Jaú National Park
The Jaú National Park is located in the Amazonas state in Brazil, between 1º00’—3º00’S and 61º30’—64º00’W....
to form a corridor spanning over 20000 square miles (51,799.8 km²) of protected rainforest.
Ayres devoted his life to the preservation of the unique biota and ecosystems of the Amazon
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
, as well as to developing a method by which rural dwellers would benefit from the conservation of natural resources. He realized that the uakari monkeys
Uakari
Uakari is the common name for the New World monkeys of the genus Cacajao. Both the English and scientific names are believed to have originated from indigenous languages....
he had been studying for his doctorate thesis would stand no chance of survival unless new community-based models of natural resource management were applied to the much exploited Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
flood basin.
Ayres' doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in primatology at Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, in 1986, was for his thesis The White Uakaris and the Amazonian Flooded Forest, the field work for which was undertaken on the upper Amazon River flood plain, near Tefé
Tefé
Tefé is a city and a municipality in the state of Amazonas in Brazil. Its population was 70,809 as of 2005 and its area is 23,704 km². It is located about 500 km to the west of Manaus on the south bank of the Rio Solimões....
.
Publications
- AYRES, José Márcio. As Várzeas do Mamirauá. MCT-CNPq, Sociedade Civil Mamirauá, 1995.
- PADOCH, Christine; AYRES, J. Márcio; PINEDO-VASQUEZ, Miguel; HENDERSON, Andrew (ed). Várzea. Diversity, Development, and Conservation of Amazonia's Whitewater Floodplains. Advances in Economic Botany. Volume 13, New York: The New York Botanical Garden Press.
External sources
- Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute http://www.mamiraua.org.br/
- New York Times obituary http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DE1DE173EF932A25750C0A9659C8B63