A multinational team of scientists is now in Guyana under the auspices of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF Guianas), to collect vital and potentially significant data on the biodiversity of the South Rupununi, a unique and diverse ecosystem within Southern Guyana.
In a release, WWF said Rupununi is one of the last great wilderness areas on Earth and home to over 1400 species of vertebrates, including many highly endangered globally.
The Southern Rupununi Biodiversity Assessment Team (BAT) comprises Guyanese and international scientists who have expertise in the detection and identification of plants, birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, insects and fish, along with water quality and community resource uses. The high bio-diversity of the Rupununi results from the mixing of Amazonian and Guiana Shield fauna, high habitat diversity, and marked seasonal flooding.
The South Rupununi Savannah is home to over 5000 indigenous people, primarily Wapishianas as distinct from the Machusis, their neighbours to the north, and location of cattle ranches for the last 150 years. Until recently, the region has been protected by its relative isolation. However, that is changing rapidly, mainly due to improved overland access from Georgetown, a bridge across the Takutu River, which links Guyana to Brazil, and increasing interest in the region for gold mining, petroleum extraction, and large-scale agriculture.
These developments are perceived to be already threatening the spectacular wildlife and natural habitats of the Rupununi, as well as traditional ways of life of the communities. Despite its reported high diversity and unique species composition, biological data from the southern part of the Rupununi are lacking. As the pressure to rapidly develop the region increases, WWF Country Manager, Dr Patrick Williams said it is essential to have a good baseline of species and habitat data of the Southern Rupununi in order to make sound management and conservation decisions.
The expedition will collect data on different aspects (flora, fauna, water quality and resources use) groups in order to establish a baseline of data that can be used by all stakeholders, government agencies (the Guyana Forestry Commission, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Environment Protection Agency, the Protected Areas Commission, among others), the University of Guyana, non-governmental organisations, local communities and businesses to make informed decisions about sustainable management of the Rupununi area.
The principal aim of the BAT is to gather new biological and natural resource use data to help inform the country’s biodiversity conservation and management decision-making.
Major outputs from the project will include biodiversity data, a published scientific report covering all taxonomic groups listed, scientific publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, as well as presentations to the local communities in the South Rupununi and to stakeholders in Georgetown. This project will provide important training for Guyanese biologists and parataxonomists, as it will provide the opportunity to work with international experts to learn new field techniques and offer an opportunity for future collaboration on publications.
