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Field Museum CI AquaRAP Rapid Assessment of Aquatic Ecosystems An Interdisciplinary, International Program Developing Integrated Solutions For a Sustainable Future 23

International: scientists from 7 countries in South America Interdisciplinary 5 scientific disciplines AquaRAP 24

Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems Include Humans in Ecosystem Integrated, Sustainable Use Plans Watershed is Unit of Conservation 25

River Basin -- Watershed headwaters springs streams lakes flooded areas riffles - rapids main channels deltas 26

River Basin -- Watershed fishes and the forest long distance migrations dynamic life histories ecological services 27

Rainy Season – High Water Fishes in Forest Flooded Forests: Feeding Reproduction Nursery Area 28

Early Rainy Season: Upstream Migration (adults) Early – Mid Dry Season: Downstream Migration (adults, juveniles, larvae) 29

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Rapid Assessment (RAP) is an important tool in Conservation Biology RAP provides a critical across taxon perspective at the distributions within a watershed Landscape level approach that results in first pass scientific information and conservation strategy 32

RAP Programs face a number of challenges: Turn lists of taxa into conservation strategies 33

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RAP Programs face a number of challenges: Turn lists of taxa into conservation strategies Adhere to scientific principles Use data to test basic null hypotheses Establish preliminary hypotheses upon which longer term studies can be based 35

Are species distributed: Randomly? Homogeneously? Heterogeneously? Among subregions or macrohabitats within watershed or area of interest Conservation Strategy depends upon Answer 36

Testing hypotheses of distribution with RAP data can lead to Type I Error -- the false rejection of a true null hypothesis! But we are willing to take this risk in order to develop conservation strategies that are over determined with the effect that they will help to preserve more rather than fewer species. 37

R C species 1 1 species species 3 1 species species 5 1 species species species 8 1 species species 10 1 How similar are these habitats? 50% or 100% ? 38

Solution: depends upon interpretation of absences! R C species 1 1 species species 3 1 species species 5 1 species species species 8 1 species species

R C species 1 1 species species 3 1 species species 5 1 species species species 8 1 species species 10 1 For Rapid Assessment Data: Absences are ambiguous! Therefore: similarity is 100%, discount absences. 40