Aquatic Invertebrates of the southernmost watersheds of the Americas: Field environmental philosophy at the Omora Ethnobotanical Park, Chile (55°S).

TAMARA CONTADOR; JAMES H. KENNEDY; RICARDO ROZZI; FRANCISCA MASSARDO; RODRIGO MOLINA; ANDRÉS STAMBUK; CHRISTOPHER B. ANDERSON; JAIME OJEDA; YANET MEDINA; JOSÉ CRISTÓBAL PIZZARRO; KELLI MOSES; FRANCISCA LUNA MARTICORENA; FRANCISCO OLIVARES; CARLOS SAAVEDRA; FELIPE LEYTON

Austin

Congreso; 96th ESA Annual Meeting; 2011

Ecological Society of America

Background/Question/Methods The Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, embedded within the remote sub-Antarctic eco-region, is a reservoir of biocultural expressions and represents a frontier towards globalization. Although it is considered one of the 24 most pristine areas in the world, it is not free from local and global threats, such as invasive species and climate change. Field biologists, philosophers, and artists, associated to the Omora Ethnobotanical Park (OEP), have worked to describe the region’s biodiversity, linking ecological and philosophical research. OEP has implemented a methodology called “Field Environmental Philosophy” which integrates ecological sciences and environmental ethics into long-term education and biocultural conservation through a 4-step cycle: 1) ecological and philosophical research; 2) communication through metaphors; 3) ecologically and ethically guided field activities; and 4) In-situ conservation. Although freshwater invertebrates have been extensively researched in northern Patagonian river systems, an equivalent effort has not been made to study these organisms in sub-antarctic ecosystems. We studied the invertebrate fauna associated to the Róbalo River, which provides drinking water to Puerto Williams, the world’s southernmost town, and asked: How can we translate our results into conservation and ecotourism activities in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve? Results/Conclusions To approach this question, we followed OEP’s field environmental philosophy and developed the following: 1) Research -Benthic macroinvertebrate distribution and functional feeding structure along the altitudinal gradient of a sub-antarctic fluvial system in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile (55oS); 2) Communication through metaphors – The River as a Community of Life; 3) Ecologically and ethically guided field activities – Underwater with a handlense; and 4) In-situ conservation: The Southernmost watersheds, interpretative trail at OEP. The application of this methodology allowed us to successfully translate our findings into workshops with Puerto Williams’ 7th and 8th grade students, who conducted research associated to our findings and obtained Chile’s National Science Award for middle schools. Furthermore, we implemented a new interpretative trail at OEP, which allows visitors to explore the importance of the Róbalo river watershed and its inhabitants, participating in the ecologically and ethically guided field activity Underwater with a handlense. By following this methodology, we have witnessed transformative experiences by students of the local school who won the first prize in the National Conference of School Science in Chile. We were able to translate the scientific discoveries into ethical actions that stimulate new research, metaphors, biocultural conservation and sustainable tourism in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve.