About This Project
Water quality becomes a very important issue moreover in rural areas where local people depend entirely on natural resources. This project will use aquatic insects as bioindicators of water quality in two streams inside Santa Fe national park (SFNP) in central Panama to provide a baseline for future monitoring of water streams in and around this protected area. We will post pics of collected insects and drafts of our field campaign results.Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
Study of aquatic insect biodiversity and their trophic ecology has been suggested as a tool for assesment of water quality. This study simplify the field and laboratory work, being useful when monitoring programs need to be developed. However, few studies have been conducted in tropical ecosystems related to ecology of aquatic insects especially related to their trophic ecology. A better understanding of aquatic insects in tropical streams is needed in order to develop better generalizations about functioning of water ecosystems and their quality conditions.
What is the significance of this project?
Nowadays water quality becomes a very important issue in developing countries where countryside communities rely entirely on natural resources to survive. Therefore it is very important to monitor water quality levels using simplified and reliable techniques. The SFNP protect one of the most important upstreams of rivers in central Panama, supporting water supply and livelihoods of many people. The results of our study will provide a base-line tool to monitor not only conservation measures inside the national park but also support monitoring programs and guide water quality initiatives of NGO´s around the SFNP.
What are the goals of the project?
With support of this funding we will:
1. Determine diversity and abundance of aquatic insects in two streams inside the SFNP.
2. Assess the trophic ecology of the aquatic insects.
3. Establish a base-line of water quality for future monitoring programs.
4. To publish a paper on our findings that may provide more
5. Produce a self-explained and useful leaflet of aquatic insects to be distributed among stakeholders and other community organizatins aound the SFNP.
Budget
We have been able to conduct the dry season sampling thanks to our own seed money and generous donations and collaboration from local supporters and institutions. Therefore funding this project will complement the dry season sampling that we already started. Transport, accomodation, food supply, lab supplies, field guide and field assitants stipend costs are key to pursue our two months rainy season sampling this year in order to have a better sampling scheme.
Meet the Team
Team Bio
Mendeley personal profile ProfileI am panamanian, 38 years old, conservacionist and field biologist. My actual interest is to develop strong science-oriented conservation initiatives in and around National Parks in Panama.
Education
1999 - BSc Eng at Technological University of Panama.
2007 - MSc at the National Taiwan Ocean University
2013- PhD in Biosciences at University of Exeter in UK.
Professional
Private consultant, experience in the public government directing research in the Aquatic Resources Authority, national and international NGOs, actual postdoc at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Programmes manager at Panama Wildlife Conservation.
With more than 10 years working in the SFNP, this project allow me to use aquatic insects as a relatively low-cost technique to monitor water quality; and to establish exciting collaborations with the local University and government and non-government partners.
Additional Information
This is the first time this two pristine streams are being sampled inside the SFNP. We have found so far an interesting abundance of aquatic insect groups during the dry season sampling but, to complete our work the rainy season will be crucial. This year our sampling coincides with the El Niño phenomenon making it really valuable for future assessments of dynamics of aquatic insects in this area. Also for the first time, we will produce educational materials regarding aquatic insects that can be further use for training to undergrad students, local community groups and local environmental authorities supporting their water quality monitoring programe in SFNP. http://panamawildlife.org/aquatic-insects/
Project Backers
- 1Backers
- 5%Funded
- $100Total Donations
- $100.00Average Donation