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Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina ISSN: 0373-5680 [email protected] Sociedad Entomológica Argentina Argentina BROOKS, Stephen J.; HERNÁNDEZ, Luis M.; MASSAFERRO, Julieta; SPINELLI, Gustavo R.; PENN, Malcolm Capacity building for freshwater insect studies in northern Patagonia, Argentina: DARWIN Initiative programme Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina, vol. 68, núm. 1-2, 2009, pp. 145-154 Sociedad Entomológica Argentina Buenos Aires, Argentina Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=322028484008 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative ISSN 0373-5680 Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. 68 (1-2): 145-154, 2009 145 Capacity building for freshwater insect studies in northern Patagonia, Argentina: DARWIN Initiative programme BROOKS, Stephen J.*, Luis M. HERNÁNDEZ*, Julieta MASSAFERRO**, Gustavo R. SPINELLI*** & Malcolm PENN* * Department of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK; e-mail: [email protected] **INIBIOMA /CONICET, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina ***Museo de Ciencias Naturales de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina Biodiversidad de insectos acuáticos en Patagonia Norte, Argentina: programa Iniciativa DARWIN RESUMEN. Este proyecto fue financiado durante un período de tres años, desde septiembre de 2006 a través de la Iniciativa Darwin del gobierno Británico. El objetivo de este trabajo es el estudio de los insectos acuáticos del Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi (PNNHP), Patagonia, Argentina. El parque incluye una gran variedad de hábitats que comprenden arroyos, ríos y lagos los cuales se distribuyen desde el bosque siempreverde frío, hasta la zona árida de estepa. Todo el material será identificado y depositado en las colecciones del Museo La Plata y el Museo de Historia Natural de Londres. Los fondos de la Iniciativa Darwin han sido utilizados para equipar un laboratorio de biodiversidad en las oficinas del PNNHP en Bariloche y la estación de investigación en Puerto Blest. Toda la información de los insectos acuáticos y las distintas formaciones vegetales donde éstos se han encontrado, se incluirá en una base de datos (la primera de su tipo en Patagonia) que utilizará la metodología GIS para analizar patrones de distribución de las especies en el parque. En estos momentos se están produciendo varias guías de campo para identificar los insectos acuáticos del PNNHP. Es nuestro deseo que los resultados obtenidos en este proyecto, contribuyan a la conservación de los sistemas acuáticos en Argentina y América del Sur. PALABRAS CLAVE. Iniciativa Darwin. Patagonia. Insectos Acuáticos. ABSTRACT. This project was funded from September 2006 for three years by the British Government’s Darwin Initiative programme. The focus of our project is the study of aquatic insects from Nahuel Huapi National Park (NHNP) in Patagonia, Argentina. The park includes a wide range of wetlands, including montane streams, lowland lakes and marshes, distributed within temperate rainforest and arid steppe. The material will be identified and stored in a fully referenced and accessible collection at La Plata Museum and the Natural History Museum, London. Darwin Initiative funding has been used to equip a biodiversity laboratory at National Park Headquarters in Bariloche and also a field station at Puerto Blest. Information on the insect species in NHNP will be entered into a GIS database, together with a vegetation classification and wetland characteristics, to model freshwater insect data spatially and create a biodiversity database, the first of its kind in Patagonia. We hope Recibido: 16-II-2009; aceptado: 25-III-2009 146 Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. 68 (1-2): 145-154, 2009 that the experiences we gain during the project, the insect collections and databases, the publications, and the many other products, will be used to further enhance wetland conservation throughout Argentina and southern South America. KEY WORDS. Darwin Initiative. Patagonia. Aquatic Insects. INTRODUCTION children and non-specialists, through the production of specialist and non-specialist Darwin Initiative. The Darwin Initiative identification guides, and through media programme is one of the responses by the exposure. The projects are expected to British Government to the Rio Earth Summit leave a lasting legacy in the host country in 1992 and Convention on Biodiversity. and promote sustainable use of biodiversity Funds are provided through the Darwin resources. Initiative by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to ‘assist those Focus and aims of the project. The countries which are rich in biodiversity but location of the project under consideration poor in financial resources to implement the in this paper is the Nahuel Huapi National Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Park (NHNP), in northern Patagonia, which through the funding of collaborative projects surrounds the Argentinean resort town of which draw on UK biodiversity expertise’. Bariloche. The focus of the project is on the Funds have been made available on an biodiversity of freshwater insects in NHNP. annual basis since 1992 and, since 2005, The primary aims of the project are to a) after the launch of Phase II of the Darwin compile an inventory of freshwater insects Initiative, £7 million a year was committed that occur in NHNP and map this onto to the programme. vegetation zones using GIS; b) assemble a The focus of the Darwin Initiative, as curated and accessible reference collection of specified on the programme website (http:// freshwater insects from NHNP at the Museo darwin.defra.gov.uk), has been on projects de Ciencias Naturales de La Plata (UNLP); that: c) facilitate scientific study of the freshwater • assist countries rich in biodiversity but insect fauna of NHNP by equipping a field poor in resources with the conservation of station and laboratory in NHNP; d) promote biological diversity and implementation the understanding of freshwater insects in of the Biodiversity Convention; Patagonia by providing specialist papers • draw on British expertise in the field and identification guides; e) encourage the of biodiversity; next generation of freshwater ecologists by • are collaborative, involving either providing taxonomic, ecological and field local institutions or communities in the courses to post graduate students; f) promote host country; greater awareness of the importance and • have a real impact on the ability of sustainable use of wetlands in the region by the host country to meet its obligations the provision of non-specialist field guides, under the Biodiversity Convention; posters and courses. • are of high quality and scientific We hope that the approach we have taken excellence. in this project to promote awareness and The emphasis placed by the Darwin greater understanding of wetland biodiversity Initiative is on projects that improve the will be used as a model in other parts of understanding in the host country of South America and we will welcome the biodiversity through research, and promote opportunity to collaborate with colleagues the study of biodiversity through the initiation and share our experiences. Funding for the of training programmes for students, school project is available between September BROOKS, S. J. et al. Capacity building for freshwater insects 147 2006 and August 2009, but we hope that There have already been some studies of this will be just the start of a long-lasting the terrestrial elements of the biota but little legacy of wetlands research, conservation is known about the freshwater insects, so and awareness in the region. baseline data is essential against which any future changes can be compared. The Puerto Project background. At present, Blest field station, situated in the heart of the the freshwater insect fauna in northern Andean forest near Bariloche, was built by Patagonia is poorly known and knowledge Universidad del Comahue in 2005 but needs and interest is constrained by a lack of equipping to be fully functional. It is one adequate identification guides and reference goal of this project to develop Puerto Blest collections. In addition, there is poor public field station into a centre for the study of understanding of the importance of wetlands freshwater ecosystems and the interpretation for biodiversity and in providing basic of wetland ecosystems. human needs. Freshwater insect biodiversity There is currently poor knowledge of in Argentina is threatened by human the regional fauna and flora of NHNP and impacts, especially nutrient enrichment the area is inadequately mapped so the and habitat modification. Even in National full extent of wetlands is unknown. The Parks, increasing pressure from tourism project will provide an infrastructure for the poses a threat. Our project will address these collection of freshwater insect biodiversity issues by: (a) building infrastructure in the data and vegetation associations. This Nahuel Huapi National Park, which has baseline data, against which future changes been identified as one of the most important can be assessed, is essential because of the conservation areas in Argentinean Patagonia; increasing pressure of tourism and fishing in (b) providing a wetland interpretation centre the NHNP area and because of the possible where tourists, sport fishermen, students impacts