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Field Museum
AquaRAP
CI
Rapid Assessment of Aquatic Ecosystems
An Interdisciplinary, International Program
Developing Integrated Solutions
For a Sustainable Future
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AquaRAP
International:
• scientists from 7 countries in
South America
Interdisciplinary
• 5 scientific disciplines
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Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems
• Include Humans in Ecosystem
• Integrated, Sustainable Use Plans
• Watershed is Unit of Conservation
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River Basin -- Watershed
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headwaters
springs
streams
lakes
flooded areas
riffles - rapids
main channels
deltas
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River Basin -- Watershed
• fishes and the forest
• long distance migrations
• dynamic life histories
• ecological services
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Rainy Season – High Water
Fishes in Forest
Flooded Forests:
Feeding
Reproduction
Nursery Area
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Early – Mid Dry Season:
Downstream Migration
(adults, juveniles, larvae)
Early Rainy Season:
Upstream Migration
(adults)
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Rapid Assessment (RAP) is an important tool
in Conservation Biology
RAP provides a critical across taxon perspective
at the distributions within a watershed
Landscape level approach that results in first pass
scientific information and conservation
strategy
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RAP Programs face a number of challenges:
• Turn lists of taxa into conservation strategies
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Fishes collected during AquaRAP expedition to Pando, Bolivia in
September 1996.
Jaime Sarmiento, Barry Chernoff, Soraya Barrera, Antonio Machado-Allison, Na
rcio
Menezes, and Hernan Ortega
Upper
Lower
Upper
Middle
Lower
TAXA
Nareuda
Nareuda
Tahuamanu Tahuamanu Tahuamanu
Rajiformes
Potamotrygonidae
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Potamotrygon motoro
Clupeiformes
Engraulidae
Anchoviella cf. carrikeri
Characiformes
Anostomidae
Abramites hypselonotus
Laemolyta sp.
Leporinus cf. fasciatus
Leporinus friderici
Leporinus cf. nattereri
Schizodon fasciatum
Characidae
Aphyocharax alburnus
Aphyocharax dentatus
Aphyocharax pusillus
Astyanax cf. abramis
Astyanax sp.
Brachychalcinus copei
Bryconamericus cf. caucanus
Manuripi
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RAP Programs face a number of challenges:
• Turn lists of taxa into conservation strategies
• Adhere to scientific principles
• Use data to test basic null hypotheses
• Establish preliminary hypotheses upon which
longer term studies can be based
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Are species distributed:
Randomly?
Homogeneously?
Heterogeneously?
Among subregions or macrohabitats within
watershed or area of interest
Conservation Strategy depends upon Answer
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Testing hypotheses of distribution with
RAP data can lead to Type I Error -- the
false rejection of a true null hypothesis!
But we are willing to take this risk in order to
develop conservation strategies that are over
determined with the effect that they will help to
preserve more rather than fewer species.
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How similar
are these
habitats?
50% or 100% ?
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Solution:
depends
upon
interpretation
of absences!
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For Rapid
Assessment
Data:
Absences are
ambiguous!
Therefore:
similarity is
100%, discount
absences.
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