Undergraduate Project Notes Friday 8/20/10
Paramo Ecology and Conservation Group
Note: All ecological data collected at the same plots.
1. Assess plant species diversity/composition across a paramo gradient (Carlos, Nixon, Fanny, David T, Omar, Alex)
(200 – 500m elevational gradient, soil, moisture, solar radiation, wind exposure, slope, possibly include human impact)
* ID species and relative abundance per plot
* Evaluate patterns of species presence/abundance and how they correlate with the gradient
* Evaluate phylogenetic community composition and using this to distinguish hypotheses of community assembly and evolution across gradients (UTPL faculty maybe not student)
* With multiple years, we could look at climate change (but probably longer than the life of this undergraduate funding)
2. Developing plant reference collection for diet of andean bear (Rodrigo/Nixon/Omar/David T /Janet/Lisette)
· Collect reference samples and complete herbarium vouchers
· Microhistological (microscope) reference (Bruce Davet – WSU)
· Collecting and extracting DNA
At UI or in year 2:
· DNA sequencing/barcoding of key plants
· Possible systematic questions
· Linkage to comparing molecular and morphological diet analysis methods
3. Bear bromeliad foraging project (Janet, David R., Rodrigo, ?)
What is being eaten and what plants are not eaten by bears? What species? What is the spatial distribution? Slope and physical variables? Physical - Location/size/species/age/slope/distance (Rodrigo/Janet/David R)
Later add genetics and chemical composition
4. How do local people view the paramo ecosystem? How do people relate to it? Does it have value to them? (Bill, Sandra, Fausto)
Watersheds Group
1. Possible additional project: assessment of introduced trout and its impact on alpine lake biodiversity.
Overarching Long Term Questions: Is governance approach or market based approach – equity/conservation best for protection and equitable access? Research leads to data for asking people to weigh tradeoffs. Comparative US for doctoral students
.
Research questions:
Baseline data to be developed
What are the biggest impacts on the lakes, wetlands, and streams and the pristine and most highly impacted areas? What are the land uses?
Research undergrad
Need to define regions/samplng areas – consider the clay mining
A) Where it the mining in the watershed and what are its social and economic and physical characteristics? (defined by faculty before )
B) Who benefits from mining and who has access and decision authority? (Bill, Sandra - ?
C) What is the social understanding (meaning) and uses of water and understanding of watershed disturbance between Quechua-speaking and Mestizo peoples? (2 students) – Diana Maldanado and Bill
D) Map out the decision makers and those with power over watershed decisions, land tenure – Fausto and Sandra
E) What is physical impact of mining? (sediment / bed disturbance)- Carlos Iniguez, Frank, Alex
F) How much sediment, what type is released (quantity / size)+””
G) Reshaping of stream channel (flow patterns)? – not for an undergraduate project“”
H) What is the structure of biological community? Diversity? Indicators species? (UI Wilhelm / Carlos I. UTPL)
long term participatory monitoring. Post research- indicators, monitoring system – based on this.
Faculty at UTPL Faustos / Diana Maldonado