From Subsistence to Prestige: Contemporary Use of Wildlife in Ecotonal Landscapes with High Road Connectivity in Brazil’s Mid-North Region

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Abstract
Wildlife hunting in dry tropical landscapes and ecotonal regions remains comparatively poorly understood, particularly where urban populations, mobility, communication technologies, and local markets interact with longstanding hunting practices. We investigated contemporary wildlife use and trade among urban hunters in the Caatinga-Cerrado ecotone of Northeast Brazil, a highly road-connected area in Brazil’s Mid-North. Semi-structured interviews, open-ended conversations, guided tours, and non-member participant observation were conducted with 15 hunters in Regeneração, Piauí State. We characterized participants’ socioeconomic profiles, hunting practices, species use, and local wildlife trade, and estimated the relative importance of species used for food and traditional medicine using Use Value indices (UV). Hunters reported 32 wild vertebrate species, of which 26 were used as wild meat and 11 as zootherapeutic resources. Mammals, particularly armadillos, had the highest Use Values for wild meat, whereas medicinal use involved fewer species and was generally secondary to food-oriented exploitation. Hunting was predominantly nocturnal and relied on firearms, dogs, artificial lighting, and motorcycles, while mobile phones reportedly facilitated commercial transactions and deliveries. Recreational motivations predominated, although wildlife sales also helped cover hunting-related expenses and household needs. Wild-meat prices varied among species, with armadillos reaching the highest values, suggesting that wild meat may function as a socially valued and economically differentiated food rather than solely as a subsistence resource. Hunters also perceived declines in several frequently hunted species over the previous decade. Overall, contemporary wildlife use in this ecotone reflects an increasingly interconnected socioecological system, with important implications for conservation, monitoring, and culturally informed wildlife governance.

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