Literaturdatenbank
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Ferronato, B. O. (2009). Conservation of amazon freshwater turtles in asháninkas indigenous communities, peruvian tropical andes Rufford Small Grants Foundation.
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich (28 Feb 2010 12:07:13 UTC) |
| Resource type: Report/Documentation BibTeX citation key: Ferronato2009a View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Chelidae, Habitat = habitat, Mesoclemmys, Mesoclemmys raniceps, Phrynops, Phrynops geoffroanus, Podocnemididae, Podocnemis, Podocnemis unifilis, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Südamerika = South America Creators: Ferronato Publisher: Rufford Small Grants Foundation |
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| Abstract |
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gg and meat consumption are one of the main reasons for the decline of Amazon freshwater turtles. Species once abundant, as yellow-spotted sideneck turtle (Podocnemis unifilis), is now classified as a vulnerable species. This project proposes research on reproductive biology, diet and population aspects of Amazon turtles, as well as implementation of an environmental education program, in the territory of two Asháninka indigenous communities, in Central Perú. Animals will be captured in lagoons and streams using fishing nets and baited traps, and with motorboat and hand dip nets in Azupizu River. Biometric measurements will be done in captured turtles, sex will be determined by external morphological characteristics and animals will be marked by notching marginal scutes. Population density will be estimated by the turtles recaptured, through the Mark-Recapture Method. The animals’ diet will be assessed through the stomach flushing technique. We will evaluate frequency of occurrence, numeric frequency and volume percentage. We will look for potential nesting zones, as river beaches and lagoon edges, according to local people information. During the reproductive period we will check the quantity of nests, measurements of nest cavity and egg dimensions, incubation period, incubation success and nest predation Workshops will be held for all age groups concerning the project objectives, activities and turtle biology explanations. Printed materials will be prepared according to age. An artificial nesting beach will be prepared in each community, with local people help and they will accompany the process since the incubation to the release of the animals. The results from this investigation will clarify natural history information of the species in the Tropical Andes region and it will help in future turtles’ conservation strategies within the indigenous communities. For more information contact brunoferronato@hotmail.com Project Update: June 2009 Students of San José de Azupizu Indigenous Community after the workshop. The project activities have started with an initial workshop for children, young and adults within the two Asháninkas Indigenous communities we are working with. We explained the project’s objectives, the goals, the methodologies and the way they can participate and help us. Some weeks before we started buying equipments, looking for the two young indigenous assistants that will work with us during the project and adjusting our schedules and activities. We expected the dry season would start in the end of May and the turtle’s reproductive season as well. However it had been raining until the last days and the rivers are still high. We hope in the next weeks the rivers go down and reproductive activities will start (build the artificial nesting beach, look for natural nests), as well the capture of animals. Project Update: July 2009 Indigenous assistant checking egg viability (fake eggs) during the workshop held in a natural beach at Azupizu River. In the beginning of June 2009 we held a workshop teaching our indigenous assistants how to find turtle nests and how to collect the eggs safely and transfer them to the artificial nesting beach. We used chicken eggs for this activity. In the following week, we gathered several members of communities (faena comunal) to build the artificial nesting beaches. We also were interviewed in a radio programme (Te habla la Tierra) commanded by Conservation International-Peru, at the local radio Radio Selva. By the end of May 2009 we received a donation of two turtle field guide books from Conservation International-Peru, to be used by our indigenous assistants. We have now started to look for turtle nests and initiated the field work. However we have not found nests yet and we are adapting our capture methods to improve our capture success. Project Update: August 2009 Mesoclemmys raniceps hatchling, locally know as cupiso, found in San Jose de Azupizu. During July 2009 we still had rainy days and we were not able to find turtle nests due to the water level. We were interviewed again on the Conservation International radio programme, talking about our activities. We reinforced our objectives and shared information with indigenous people during their week meetings (Assemblea comunal). We started to capture some animals and we recorded three species of freshwater turtles in the communities: Podocnemis unifilis, Phrynops geoffroanus and Mesoclemmys raniceps. We had our first Peruvian student helping in our activities during his university vacation. Some indigenous children helped us during the field work while at school vacation as well. By the beginning of August 2009, the rain has stopped, the water level has dropped and we started to spot turtles footprints at the beaches. We hope in the next weeks we can find turtle nests. Project Update: September 2009 The use of stomach flushing technique for dietary studies in a juvenile teparu (Phrynops geoffroanus). By mid-August 2009, we continued capturing turtles, the same species we had already recorded during July-August period. The environmental education workshops are going well, with a hands-on experience for the students. Also, the students answered a questionnaire in order to evaluate their knowledge and awareness about turtles, conservation and sustainable use (this activity will be done again by the end of the project). We could not find turtle nests yet. Maybe our difficulty in finding nests could be due to the high number of non indigenous fishermen in Azupizu River, increasing the pressure on the consume of turtles and their eggs and the use of illegal practices such as dynamite fishing. We will keep monitoring the river beaches close to the communities and we hope can find nests this month. Project Update: October 2009 High school students helping in the field work at Santa Rosa de Chivis community. The environmental education workshops are dealing this month with general concepts such as species, population, endangered species, conservation and sustainable use. We have a new undergraduate student helping within the activities. We captured this month 2 adult Mesoclemmys raniceps and this makes a record of three species living in the same lagoon we had been studying. We could not find turtle nests. The rains are starting again and the water levels rising up. T his has been an atypical year, with a very small period of dry season. The Santa Rosa High School students presented this project through their Science Club in a District Science Fair. There was a lot of interest in their presentation and this is a good example of project appropriation by the community. We participated again on the Conservation International Radio Program talking about our activities. Project Update: November 2009 Hatchling of teparu (Phrynops geoffroanus) found in Azupizu River. In November 2009, we tried to capture turtles in two different places, Mapirishari River and Rami lagoon, that are close to San José community and according to indigenous people have high numbers of turtles. We presented the environmental education workshop for the students that live in Mapirishari community. In Santa Rosa de Chivis we captured the same turtle species M. raniceps, P. geoffroanus and P. unifilis. Although we could not find turtle nests, we captured two hatchlings of Phrynops geoffroanus, one in San José de Azupizu and other in Santa Rosa de Chivis. The rainy season has started and water levels are high. We expect to capture turtles until the beginning of December 2009. We are preparing our next workshop and a drawing contest within the students.
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich |