1. The Paraguay and Pantanal: Biodiversity, Ecology and Sustainable Use Barry Chernoff These materials are copyrighted and are intended for use by the audience for the presentation on 2 October 2002 only. Neither the presentation, nor any of the materials, images, or data may be duplicated or distributed without prior written permission from Barry Chernoff.

2. Purpose of Presentation Review Methodology & Philosophy of Rapid Assessment Programs Pantanal and Paraguay Ecosystems Hidrovia and Fishery Economics 2

3. Rio Paraguay Basin >2,800,000 km 2 3

4. 4

5. 5

6. 6

7. Tropics 7

8. Basin Size Discharge (sq. mi) (cu. ft/sec) Amazon 4,340,000 6,180,000 Mississippi 3,236,212 700,000 Paraguay 1,154,059 100 8

9. 9

10. Late-early Paleocene 60-61 MYA 10

11. Proposed Hidrovia 2250 km 1444 mi 11

12. Hidrovia “Grand Plan” 12

13. Plants basin – > 8000 spp. Pantanal > 3400 spp. Endemism < 10% Source: V. Potts 13

14. Pantanal contains > 75% of all species 90% of all genera 99% of all families of Neotropical Aquatic Plants! 14

15. Aquatic Macrophytes – 400-500 spp. 15

16. 16

17. Decapod Crustaceans 12 spp. 17

18. Fishes (n=30,000) # species % End. % Fishes South America > 9,000 95% >30. Amazon Basin >6,000 >30% >20. Paraguay Basin>600 >30% > 2. Orinoco >1,500 >30% > 5. 18

19. Paraguay Basin 60 Reptiles 70 Amphibians 19

20. 20