DOGS AND CATS AS INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES: AN EDUCATIONAL FRAMEWORK TO TEACH IN THE CLASSROOM THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATIVE FAUNA.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5216/rbn.v23.80857Keywords:
invasive species, pets, environmental education, native fauna conservationAbstract
The advance of urbanization on natural environments and the spread of exotic species constitute two of the main threats to biodiversity. Domestic dogs and cats are invasive exotic species and have a negative effect on ecosystems as they can prey on, compete with, and transmit diseases to native fauna. Different studies suggest that education programs aimed at promoting responsible pet ownership can help mitigate the problem of dog and cat overpopulation and therefore reduce the negative impact on native fauna. This work seeks to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity by mitigating the impact of dogs and cats on native fauna through education on responsible pet ownership. To this end, an educational proposal is based so that students recognize the role of dogs and cats as invasive exotic species and the importance of responsible pet ownership to mitigate their impact, and the workshop designed for this purpose is presented. The study was carried out in secondary schools in the Escobar district (Buenos Aires), which has a high biological value and the problem addressed is strongly represented. The partial results of the implementation of the workshop reflect a high degree of novelty on the part of the students regarding the contents addressed and a high predisposition to disseminate the importance of responsible pet ownership.
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