Category Archives: Week 2

from the field, Juan, Week 2

Conserve the Agouti

After multiple days here, I feel as though we have settled in to a routine. Everyone is focused and working hard on their projects, with just enough time to squeeze in three meals per day. Some do not even manage to do that. Although data collection may be a difficult and strenuous process, the most complicated part was definitely coming up with a question and proper methodology to answer that question. While exploring the rainforest during the first few days here at Refugio Bartola, there were so many new things that I had never seen before and I was full of questions. The only problem is that all of my questions already had answers. Caleb (my partner) and I had originally settled on an experiment focusing on the biodiversity in the crevices of buttress trees and the effects of selective logging. We were finally able find a question that had not been answered by previous research. The only problem with this experiment was that it was extremely difficult and time consuming to carry out and would not be feasible in the short amount of time that we were going to be here. So it was back to the drawing board.

While spending more time with Debra and Rachel, we were able to come up with a question based on a previous paper we had read on Agouti foraging behavior. Since agouti are mostly diurnal and base their foraging behavior on the presence of predators, we wanted to know if they prefer to forage in open or closed understory to determine the potential effects of selective logging. Once the question was established, determining the methodology for answering the question proved to be another difficult process. After some brainstorming, some bumping heads, and some guidance, we were able to come up with a process for answering our question that we believe can be successful. This was all an eye opening experience about the processes behind coming up with a question and determining proper methods to answer that question. Besides a few set backs, it was all a great learning experience and I’m excited to see what new information we learn and the potential conservation implications it may have.

from the field, Vivien, Week 2

“I see three coconuts in the water. Oh wait, one’s a turtle”

Our time here has gone by much too quickly. Now that we only have about one week left, everyone has realized that it is crunch time when it comes to completing our projects. For our conservation biology course, Callan and I have decided to conduct a project which assesses the water quality of streams below human impact sites and above these sites. Due to recent dredging in Nicaragua, we decided that we want to focus on the effects human can have on water quality and species abundance when they directly impact a water source. Coming up with a project idea was rather simple because we have similar interests. However, deciding what methods to use and what kind of analysis to record became a little more difficult. We didn’t realize how tricky it would be to conduct an experiment which incorporates all of the factors we were interested in testing, but allows us to test each of these factors in a feasible way. In addition, I don’t think our bodies were prepared for waking up every morning at 5:30am and working all day in 96% humidity. However, after a few days of locating streams and finalizing our methods, we have been able to collect all of the data we need for our analysis, especially with the kind guidance of Dr. Debra Shier.

In our study, we have decided to focus on ten different pools: five below the sites of human impact, and five above the sites of human impact. Of the five pools below the human impact, three of the pools are located downstream from a generator, which is used to supply electricity to the Rancho, while two pools are located downstream from a pipe, which leads from the kitchen into a stream. With the help of Dr. Greg Grether mapping all of the streams using GPS coordinates, we have discovered that the stream that is affected by the generator and the stream that lies below the kitchen are not connected. Therefore these sites can be treated as independent. The five pools above the human impact sites have been chosen randomly.

Our data consists of taking water samples to analyze, recording the dimensions and characteristics of each pool, and recording species abundance in the pools we are extracting samples from. Our water analysis focuses on the amount of dissolved oxygen pH, and the presence of bacteria. For our species abundance tests, we are focusing on animal species directly affected by the pollution of water such as different species of fish, water striders, and damselflies, just to name a few. During our species abundance analysis, we have seen a large variation in the presence of species depending on the location of the pools. We have also confirmed the presence of bacteria in pools affected by human impact. Hopefully once we have completely analyzed our data, we will find statistically significant results. These results will allow us to contribute to the goal of developing a conservation strategy that involves depleting human impact on rainforest streams.

P.S. Hi Papa! Tell Mama that I have been making lists every night of animals I saw and things that have happened to me, so she will get a detailed description when I am back home. Counting down the days until I can tell you about all of my adventures! (Also, happy belated birthday). Sending all my love!

Ben, from the field, Week 2

Bird Songs and Bullet Ants

This past week has been very productive at Refugio Bartola. Kathleen and I finished our final bird call recording session this morning. Our conservation project is focused on how bird and mammal diversity is affected by the distance from the edge of the forest. We mapped out three zones that include the edge, intermediate, and interior areas in the rainforest. Each zone is 200m in length and has two sites in different locations. Each site has 5 points 50m apart where we perform our data collection, which involves recording bird songs for 8 minutes and setting up camera traps to take pictures of small animals passing by throughout the day and night. We hypothesize that there will be a difference in bird and mammal diversity in relation to the edge to interior gradient. Specifically, we predict the interior zone to have a greater diversity of animals and more specialist species.

Our camera traps (pictures) have been very successful so far. We have documented multiple cute agouti, an armadillo, and skunk. While performing our point observations we have also spotted spider monkeys and playful white faced capuchins. One early morning while we were far off trail collecting data we heard a peculiar rustling and grunting nearby. Unbelievably, a beautifully patterned ocelot walked within 3m of where I stood and gave a nonchalant look our way.

Finally, yesterday I had quite the memorable experience. While collecting harvestmen in the crevices of trees for our animal behavior project I stumbled upon an angry nest of bullet ants. These ants have a reputation of biting and stinging, releasing a very painful toxin. Well, it turns out I was the lucky soul thus far in the group and while walking away from the nest felt an extreme pain on my hand. A bullet ant had somehow fallen on my hand and bit through my thin cotton glove. Three hours of intense piercing and throbbing pain passed slowly but thankfully by night the pain was gone.

Brigit, from the field, Week 2

In the Middle of the Middle of Nowhere

This morning I woke up at the crack of dawn, put on my muddy boots, and slopped down a muddy and miserable trail in search of spiders. Not only did I find these spiders (clustered in a tree of over 200), I poked a stick at them to chase them down a tree (that is covered in spines both on the bark and on the leaves) towards a mesh cube to later determine their sex and transport them to another spiny palm site on the other side of the reserve. I then spent the afternoon poking around in leaf-cutter ant holes.

I never imagined that I would love field-work this much. Yeah, it is exhausting and frustrating (so many hills and so many insect bites), and sometimes I have no idea if the data my partner and I are collecting is making any sense, but I truly enjoy every moment of it. Each venture out there has a purpose and we are finally starting to see some interesting results. The procedure of coming out here to the wilderness, running around and observing behaviors, and developing a testable question and predictions about a system has been more stressful (and more fun) than I ever imagined it could be. However, I am still not a fan of reaching my bare hand into a fabric cube of spiders and watch them bite my hand- nor do I like poking sticks at them in a tree and having them fall in my hair.

We have almost completed our harvestmen (spider) project. Our question focuses on whether or not these spiders that live in spiny palms in clustered groups of up to 300 individuals have sex specific chemical cues since it has been established that they are sexually dimorphic and rely on chemical cues left by other individuals when finding a roosting site. We have translocated 510 individuals into 17 trees and thus far it seems that females attract both males and females whereas males only seem to attract more males. But we still need to do the stats. Just three more translocations are needed and then we will collect the last of the data involving the habitat characteristics of each translocation site

With regards to our other project looking at the potential difference in leaf cutter ant colony quality and behavior when living in un-logged or selectively logged areas, we still have a lot of data to collect. We tried doing our data collection at night but…there was a large animal in the canopy above us, a wasp that stung my partner and professor, and a giant tarantula. So we have to collect our data during the late afternoon. But I am sure we can complete everything over the next seven days.

I look forward to finishing up early and having some time to eat lunch on the river. I also look forward to one last easy hike through the jungle before going home.