Utilização de répteis e anfíbios como ferramenta para ações de educação ambiental (e.a): revisão da produção científica nos últimos 50 anos

Abstract

Studies show that the conservation and protection of biodiversity, especially fauna, cannot focus solely on scientific research. Similarly, they suggest that environmental education actions in formal and non-formal education environments are valuable tools in conservation biology. The disappearance of species is an increasingly evident topic in discussions about biodiversity conservation, and thus environmental education plays an important role in preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, especially in biologically vulnerable groups. With the aim of evaluating, based on literature research, the strategies, actions, and activities of environmental education involving the use of reptiles and amphibians as the main instrument, as well as the contextualization and importance of these works, we conducted a literature search in five databases. We used the combination of the descriptors "Environmental education" and/or "reptiles" and/or "amphibians" and their combinations for the English language. A total of 532 references were found, and after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 164 were selected, of which 138 met the objectives of the study published between 1972 and 2023. From the obtained data, there was a trend of an increase in the number of publications over the period, with the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2015, and 2012 having the highest number of publications, respectively. Among the 138 selected works, the model study group with the highest number of published works was reptiles (53), followed by amphibians (36), reptiles and amphibians (17), and other studies used combinations of more than three groups, varying with mammals, fish, birds, and even plants. The two countries with the highest number of developed research were Brazil (37) and the United States (28). Thus, it can be concluded that environmental education, especially concerning reptiles and amphibians, still lacks many studies. Brazil, the country with the greatest biodiversity of amphibians, appears as the country that invests the least in environmental education actions, conservation, and scientific work in education using these animals. This raises concerns about the future of these species. After all, it is through knowledge and education that we can change society's mindset and thus promote an awareness of the preservation of these threatened animals.