Explanation of the RAP Mosojhuaico’s project

The RAP Mosojhuaico is a rapid evaluation of flora and fauna that is to be carried out in two formations at the basin of the Rio Mosojhuaico, inside one of the zone’s core of the Madidi National Park, considered as one of the Bolivian protected areas with greater biodiversity.

One of the circumstances that valorize this rapid evaluation is that the zone must be relieved, a type of evaluations that is missing today. 

The special objectives of the RAP are the realization of making a diagnosis of the flora and wild fauna, as the state of conservation of the ecosystems, and at the same time to identify endemics species, threatened, in danger of extinction and of economic and/or cultural importance, determining the wealth and relative abundance of the same. 

Around the avifauna, there will be a work for the surrounding in the direct observation to traverse the passing performed at the hours of great ornithological activities that is between 5:00 and 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 and the 6:00 p.m.  During that time, recordings of songs are to be performed and occasionally network of fog to be installed. For the identification of nocturnal fowls entries will be performed between 8:00 and 10:00 PM.

In relation to the mastofauna (the biological specialty that studies the mammals) they were methods of standard sampling utilized for small mammals to take effect for three nights in each visited place; in relation to macro mammals, is to determine their presence was determined and proceed to the search of traces as are tracks, caves, collections of remaining animals, direct observations and local references. For this reason, itineraries of census that cover approximate distances of 5 kilometers should be established.

For the identification of herpetofauna (the biological specialty that studies amphibians and reptiles) have utilized the method of free capture by chance utilizing sieves for amphibians, hairsprings and bands of rubber to the manual capture, carrying out at the same time a registration of habitats and microhabitats with high individual presence probability.

For the evaluation of the vegetation, have utilized the method of Gentry's transects that is to say an extended portion of vegetation that serves like sample.  Generally in the humidity tropical forests 10 transects of 50 x 2 meters are utilized, while in dry forests a transect of the same dimensions is already sufficient.  Therefore the following data is to be collected: name of the species, number of purse, DAP (diameter, height), and stratum (arboreal, bushes and herbaceous) of each one of the places where the transect will be performed.

The RAP will be in charge of personnel of the National Museum of Natural History with the collaboration of the personnel of the La Paz Prefecture Unit of Environment and of the Public University of El Alto.