Rapid Assessment Program Programa de Evaluación Rápida A Biological Assessment of the Aquatic Ecosystems RAP of the Caura River Basin, Bulletin Bolívar State, Venezuela of Biological Assessment Una Evaluación Rápida de los Ecosistemas Acuáticos de la Boletín RAP Cuenca del Río Caura, Estado de Evaluación Bolívar, Venezuela Biológica Editors/Editores 28 Barry Chernoff, Antonio Machado-Allison, Karen Riseng, and Jensen R. Montambault Center for Applied Biodiversity Science (CABS) Conservation International The Field Museum Instituto de Zoología Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela Organization Kuyujani The RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment is published by: Conservation International Center for Applied Biodiversity Science Department of Conservation Biology 1919 M St. NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 USA 202-912-1000 telephone 202-912-0773 fax www.conservation.org www.biodiversityscience.org Conservation International is a private, non-profit organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Editors: Barry Chernoff, Antonio Machado-Allison, Karen Riseng, and Jensen R. Montambault Design/production: Kim Meek Map: Mark Denil Photos: Barry Chernoff, Antonio Machado-Allison, and Jensen R. Montambault Translations: [Spanish] Antonio Machado-Allison and Ana Liz Flores, [Kuyujani] Alberto Rodriguez RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment Series Editors: Terrestrial and AquaRAP: Leeanne E. Alonso and Jennifer McCullough Marine RAP: Sheila A. McKenna ISBN: 1-881173-69-0 © 2003 by Conservation International All rights reserved. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2002116698 The designations of geographical entities in this publication, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of Conservation International or its supporting organizations concerning the legal status of any country, ter- ritory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Any opinions expressed in the RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of CI. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment was formerly RAP Working Papers. Numbers 1–13 of this series were published under the previous title. Suggested citation: Chernoff, B., A. Machado-Allison, K. Riseng, and J. R. Montambault (eds.). 2003. A Biological Assessment of the Aquatic Ecosystems of the Caura River Basin, Bolívar State, Venezuela. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 28. Conservation International, Washington, DC. Chernoff, B., A. Machado-Allison, K. Riseng, and J. R. Montambault (eds.). 2003. Una evaluación rápida de los ecosistemas acuáticos de la Cuenca del Río Caura, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela. Boletín RAP de Evaluación Biologíca 28. Conservation International, Washington, DC. The Rufford Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation generously supported publication of this report. Aquatic Ecosystems of the Caura River Basin, Bolívar State, Venezuela 3 Table of Contents/ Tabla de Contenidos ENGLISH VERSION Chapter 4 ................................................................................... 49 Diversity of Benthic Macroinvertebrates from the Caura Preface ........................................................................................ 7 River Basin, Bolívar State, Venezuela José Vicente García and Guido Pereira Participants and Authors ......................................................... 9 Chapter 5 ................................................................................... 56 Organizational Profiles........................................................... 11 Survey of Decapod Crustaceans in the Caura River Basin, Bolívar State, Venezuela: Species Richness, Habitat, Zoogeographical Aspects and Conservation Implications Acknowledgments .................................................................. 13 Célio Magalhães and Guido Pereira Report at a Glance................................................................... 15 Chapter 6 ................................................................................... 64 Inventory, Relative Abundance and Importance of Fishes in the Caura River Basin, Bolívar State, Venezuela Maps and Photos..................................................................... 17 Antonio Machado-Allison, Barry Chernoff, Francisco Provenzano, Philip W. Willink, Alberto Marcano, Paulo Executive Summary and Overview ...................................... 21 Petry, Brian Sidlauskas and Tracy Jones Chapter 1 ................................................................................... 28 Chapter 7 ................................................................................... 75 Introduction to the Caura River Basin, Bolívar State, Ecohydrological and Ecohydrographical Methodologies Venezuela applied to Conservation of Riparian Vegetation: the Caura Antonio Machado-Allison, Barry Chernoff and River as an example Mariapia Bevilacqua Judith Rosales, Nigel Maxted, Lourdes Rico-Arce and Geoffrey Petts Chapter 2 ................................................................................... 34 Riparian Vegetation Communities of the Caura River Chapter 8 ................................................................................... 86 Basin, Bolívar State, Venezuela The Distribution of Fishes and Patterns of Biodiversity in Judith Rosales, Mariapia Bevilacqua, Wilmer Díaz, the Caura River Basin, Bolívar State, Venezuela Rogelio Pérez, Delfín Rivas and Simón Caura Barry Chernoff, Antonio Machado-Allison, Philip W. Willink, Francisco Provenzano-Rizzi, Paulo Petry, José Vicente García, Guido Pereira, Chapter 3 ................................................................................... 44 Judith Rosales, Mariapia Bevilacqua and Wilmer Díaz A Limnological Analysis of the Caura River Basin, Bolívar State, Venezuela Karen J. Riseng and John S. Sparks Glossary .................................................................................... 97 KUYUJANI Tuna Medewadi, Wenesuweda de´wö ............................... 98 Aquatic Ecosystems of the Caura River Basin, Bolívar State, Venezuela 3 Table of Contents Table of Contents SPANISH Capítulo 6 ................................................................................ 160 Inventario, Abundancia Relativa, Diversidad e Importancia Prefacio................................................................................... 106 de los Peces de la Cuenca del Río Caura, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela Participantes y Autores........................................................ 108 Antonio Machado-Allison, Barry Chernoff, Francisco Provenzano, Philip W. Willink, Alberto Marcano, Paulo Petry, Brian Sidlauskas y Tracy Jones Perfiles Organizacionales ................................................... 110 Capítulo 7 ................................................................................ 172 Agradecimientos ................................................................... 112 Metodologías Ecohidrológicas y Ecohidrográficas aplicadas a Conservación de la Vegetación Ribereña: el Río Caura como Ejemplo Reporte a Primera Vista ....................................................... 114 Judith Rosales, Nigel Maxted, Lourdes Rico-Arce y Geoffrey Petts Mapa y Fotografías ................................................................. 17 Capítulo 8 ................................................................................ 184 Resumen Ejecutivo y Perspectiva...................................... 116 La Distribución de Peces y los Patrones de Biodiversidad en la Cuenca del Río Caura, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela Capítulo 1 ................................................................................ 123 Barry Chernoff, Antonio Machado-Allison, Philip W. Willink, Francisco Provenzano-Rizzi, Introducción a la Cuenca del Río Caura, Estado Bolívar, Paulo Petry, José Vicente García, Guido Pereira, Venezuela Judith Rosales, Mariapia Bevilacqua y Wilmer Díaz Antonio Machado-Allison, Barry Chernoff y Mariapia Bevilacqua Glosario................................................................................... 195 Capítulo 2 ................................................................................ 129 Comunidades de Vegetación Ribereña de la Cuenca del Río Caura, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela Judith Rosales, Mariapia Bevilacqua, Wilmer Díaz, Rogelio Pérez, Delfín Rivas y Simón Caura Capítulo 3 ................................................................................ 139 Análisis Limnológico de la Cuenca del Río Caura, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela Karen J. Riseng y John S. Sparks Capítulo 4 ................................................................................ 144 Diversidad de Macroinvertebrados Bentónicos de la Cuenca del Río Caura, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela José Vicente García y Guido Pereira Capítulo 5 ................................................................................ 151 Inventario de los Crustáceos Decápodos de la Cuenca del Río Caura, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela: Riqueza de Especies, Hábitat, Aspectos Zoogeográficos e Implicaciones de Conservación Célio Magalhães y Guido Pereira 4 Rapid Assessment Program Aquatic Ecosystems of the Caura River Basin, Bolívar State, Venezuela 5 Table of Contents Table of Contents APPENDICES Appendix/Apéndice 5 ........................................................... 233 Limnological descriptors of sampling sites in the Caura Appendix 1.............................................................................