Using fish assemblages in different habitats to develop a management plan for the Upper Essequibo Conservation Concession, Guyana

Abstract

Abstract:The Upper Essequibo Conservation Concession is a reserve in central-eastern Guyana managed by Conservation International. The site is uninhabited by people and poorly studied. The first scientific fish survey was in 2007 in conjunction with the filming of the BBC nature documentary Lost Land of the Jaguar. Aquatic habitats were primarily flowing water, ranging from the main channel of the Essequibo River to small forest creeks. Ponds and seasonally flooded forests were uncommon. Large predatory fishes were abundant in the Essequibo River. Fishes tolerant of low oxygen levels were common in flooded forests and small forest creeks. There was zero similarity between the fish assemblages of the Essequibo River and flooded forests / small forest creeks. The rest of the habitats and fish assemblages formed a continuum between these extremes. Imminent threats to the Upper Essequibo Conservation Concession include logging, mining, and over-fishing. Because of the heterogeneous distribution of fish assemblages, and because each threat will differentially affect different habitats, a two-pronged approach focusing on the ends of the habitat / fish assemblage continuum should be implemented in order to conserve the entire fish biodiversity of the Upper Essequibo Conservation Concession.

Survey of fish species from the Lower Roosevelt River, Southwestern Amazon basin

“…Ichthyological surveys assess the biodiversity of water bodies (Silveira et al, 2010), resulting in new discoveries of undescribed species (Frota et al, 2016) and basis for conservation actions . Improving scientific information from conservation sites is crucial for guiding policy and management decisions (Willink et al, 2013), such as for fishery management (Agostinho et al, 2016). In order to know the ichthyofauna from part of Southwestern Amazon basin, this study provides a survey of fish in the Lower Roosevelt River and some of its tributaries.…”