The Original Pantanieros

In my upcoming presentation next week I will be addressing the topic of the indigenous tribes of the Pantanal. Whenever traveling I always an drawn to the endemic cultures of the area and so choosing this topic came naturally to me. In addition I am a part of the native community on campus and one of the most important people in my life (my grandmother) was born on an indian reservation and is full Native American. Though I wash never brought up with heavy cultural ties to any particular tribe, the more I learn about the native american culture the more I have learned about myself as well. So for all those reasons I chose to present on this aspect of interest concerning the Pantanal. 

Here I will give you a brief overview of the (sad) history between the indigenous tribes of the Pantanal and the both Spanish and Portuguese conquerers.

Many tribes existed throughout the Pantanal for thousands of year. The water naturally draws all forms of life to it, providing sustenance for all living creatures. Different tribes were known for different things, there were the canoe people, the fierce warriors, and after horses were introduced, the horse tribe. 

The Pantanal was first explored by the Spanish whom then established some small jesuit settlements near the Pantanal. One settlement near the Pantanal called Xeres was later destroyed in raids done by the indigenous peoples. 

Then the Portugese expeditions came. One of the first tribes described by the Portugese is called the Xaray. They were a tribe that lived in the lower flood plains of the Pantanal and were well adapted to the wet environment. The name of this tribe was later morphed into the name of the mythical inland ocean the explorers returning from expeditions spoke of (I'll give you a clue, it's actually the Pantanal). They called it the Sea of Xaraés.

Unfortunately, the arrival of the Portugese would hit the indigenous tribes to the Pantanal much harder than their previous interactions with the Spaniards and Jesuit settlements..... 

With that note I will end this blog post on a cliffhanger and entice you to listen to my presentation next week to learn about what happened to the indigenous tribes of the Pantanal and what they are facing in modern times. 

-Martell 

_____________________________________________________________________________

Sources:http://www.pantanalescapes.com/history/indians.html

The Sao Francisco River Integration Project

Sao Francisco River Integration Project is currently the largest water infrastructure project in Brazil with investment totaling $6.4 billion USD. It is conducted by the Brazilian government, which hires environmental consulting and engineering firms like ARCADIS Logos, the Brazilian arm of one of the top environmental firms in the US.

The project will serve the Northeast where the population is quite poor. The semiarid region experiences extreme water shortages and is known as the "drought polygon." The average amount of water available in the area averages 450 cubic meters per capital per year, one third of the minimum recommended by the United Nations. The Sao Francisco project will use 713 km of canals, aqueducts, tunnels, and dams to divert water from the Sao Francisco River into rivers that dry out during the dry season in order to supply people in the Northeast with water year-round.

The Sao Francisco River Basin

While the project seeks to do good for the people of the Northeast, it has many critics. The water level in the Sao Francisco is already affected by sedimentation, deforestation, and pollution, and many argue that taking from it will hurt the ecosystems that rely on the river even more. Dams built along the Sao Francisco generate 95% of electricity used in the Northeast, and taking too much from the river may impact hydroelectric plants' ability to serve energy needs.

In addition, the construction of new canals, dams, and more will affect plants and animals severely. Further deforestation has already been seen to desertify the already semiarid region. Channels will increase the paths of migrating animals, leading to inbreeding. And increased fish populations from the Sao Francisco diversions, especially predator fish, will disturb the balance of aquatic life in the receiving rivers.

A new canal near Fortaleza in northern Brazil

Some argue that a more sustainable solution is increased rainwater harvesting in the Northeast. They say that the River Integration Project will increase large-scale irrigation, which will increase evapotranspiration and, as a result, salt levels in soil. A network of nearly 1,000 NGOs, labor unions, and community and religious organizations are working on increasing the number of water and irrigation tanks in the more rural parts of the region. The River Integration Project, on the other hand, serves mostly urban populations.

Despite critiques, the project moves forward. ARCADIS Logos was just awarded management of an extension of the project this month and will receive $35 million USD for building additional infrastructure over the next 33 months. The debates around this project will continue, and it will be interesting to observe whether the ecological impacts play out in the way dissenters predict now.

 - Morgan

Sources:

• "ARCADIS wins extension of the largest water infrastructure project in Brazil." ARCADIS Press Release, 10 Feb 2014. http://hugin.info/132839/R/1760043/595520.pdf
• "Brazil: Costly Water for the Poor Northeast." Inter Press Service, 21 Oct 2011. http://www.ipsnews.net/2011/10/brazil-costly-water-for-the-poor-northeast/

Pollution and Mining: Effects from areas surrounding the Pantanal

NATALYA THAKUR


Some of the main problems that the Pantanal faces currently include:
(1) burning and other deforestations of the watershed, (2) exploitation of fauna by poaching and overfishing, (3) discharge of untreated, urban waste, particularly in the state of Mato Grosso, (4) contamination from agrochemicals, (5) discharge of chemical pollutants, such as mercury through mining operations, (6) poorly planned road construction, and (7) local dam and dike construction.


Since the Pantanal is a main global wetland, most of the pollution has to do with water. One increasingly serious concern is water contamination, including mining byproducts, agrochemicals, sewage and garbage. Agrochemicals, including the heavy use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides in agricultural activities, pose another difficult problem as they are washed into the streams and rivers. A common problem relative to MINING operations is mercury contamination from gold mining operations. High levels of mercury have been found in fish and in fish-eating birds, such as kingfishers and raptors.


Furthermore, the problem extends past the immediate span of the Pantanal. Conservation of the Paraguay River Basin and the survival of the Pantanal are being threatened, mainly by the degradation of springs and the rivers that flow from the highland plateaus (Cerrado savannahs) to the Pantanal floodplain below. Some ways to comprehend the massive effects of surrounding areas can be understood by analyzing possible solutions:


1) Altering development models and creating more protected areas are intelligent and strategic actions for the four countries responsible for maintaining the wetland and for developing basin adaptation measures to face the oncoming alterations to the climate.

2) Free range cattle ranching needs more technical and economic support so that best practices such as water and soil conservation, management and recuperation of pastures and integration of crop and cattle farming can be passed on to producers ,

3) There are important mining areas in the basin, especially in the Andean regions like at Potosi (Bolivia), areas of natural gas extraction in the transition zone between the Chaco and the Andes, gold and diamond mining in Mato Grosso and iron ore, limestone and manganese ore mining in Mato Grosso do Sul. Mining in these areas must be regulated and new methods must be used to mitigate the risk on the environment.

4) In the case of hydroelectric installations already in operation, the way forward is to implant operational schemes that maintain the alternation of high water and low water in a pattern similar to natural patterns . In the case of dams still at the planning stage, it is essential to evaluate their cumulative impacts on the rivers in the basin and identify those areas that can absorb the environmental costs involved and those that cannot do so without damaging the Pantanal.

Sources:

http://www.pantanal.org/pantvalu.htm

http://www.wwf.org.br/?30524/Disregard-for-springs-and-rivers-threatens-the-Pantanal

 

Guillermo del Toro is back with Pantanal Rim - Jaguar vs Caiman

I found this footage from National Geographic photographer Paul Donahue which is really awesome - you guys should definitely take a look! Watching the jaguar's muscles ripple as it stalks along the bank is quite something. This action actually takes place over more than half an hour - just imagine the patience. I really hope someone picks the jaguar for their presentation soon - the ferocity and speed and control is just breathtaking. It made me sit back and think when I realised that this is really quite everyday; animals exist to hunt and eat. Couldn't embed the video, but it's HERE. Here are some stills as teasers, but the video really captures the setup and the velocity of the attack:

On the Prowl - Mick Jaguar stalks towards the caiman on an opposite sandbar

All Wet - Jaguars are good swimmers and regularly prey on fish, turtles and well, caimans.

Attack - Mick Jaguar has a damaged right eye. The caiman weighs about 54 kilos, according to the photograher.

Ready for the Kill - Jaguars are ambush killers: unlike most big cats they bite or strike the neck rather than choke

Fatal Bite - The jaguar has been incredibly precise since caimans don't have much of a neck; he's gone for the skull

Speedy End - Mick carries off his prize, just seconds after he left the water. The caiman has stopped struggling.

Photographic Inspiration: Ken Conger Photography

Interested in photography and looking for some ideas for what to photograph in the Pantanal? Already know what you want to take pictures of but want some inspiration for how to compose your photos?The webite Ken Conger Photography is a great place to start. He has photographs of all the animals that you would associate with the Pantanal, from Capybaras to Jaguars to Caiman. He has action shots of jaguars fighting one another, plus photographs of some more unusual birds like Kiskadees and Jacamars. All of his photos are dated in August, which means we might get to see a lot of the same animals that he was able to photograph!

He also has a Facebook page that documents his nature photography from all over the world. 

Here are a few of my favorite photos from his website:

Dance in the Pantanal!

Hey all!

I thought I'd write a quick blog post about dance in the Pantanal! Although it's not necessarily the most salient feature of culture in the Pantanal, I think it is awesome to consider the dance forms and cultural attributes of dance. As many of you know, I started dancing since I came to Stanford and joined Dil Se, and I think that dance is really a beautiful form of expression and says a lot about the place that it originated.

It is so fascinating to me how dance forms vary from one region to another and really can display a range of emotions and tell the story of the people.

In the state of Mato Grosso, there are are two types of dance that prevail: the cururu and siriri. As for their origins, they may have served ritualistic functions or for religious purposes. I just love their bright outfits! 

Every year in the month of August, there is actually a festival in Cuiabá that people prepare all year to perform at, which would be really awesome for us to see! One of the articles I read described this festival as "the biggest part of popular culture in the state of Mato Grosso"

Some cool articles & videos, if you're interested!

http://viagem.uol.com.br/ultnot/2008/09/04/ult4466u393.jhtm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STyiK0eK5fo

- Nicole

Pantanal Painted Pink

Photo Credit: Walfrido Tomas

The Pink and Purple Trumpet Tree, Tabebuia impetiginosa or Tabebuia heptaphylla, are considered by some to be the symbol of the Pantanal. This tree is in bloom during the dry season, has a height of up to 50 feet, and is known for its two-inch-wide pink and purple blossoms. With leaves falling before the tree blossoms, the flowers stand out, contrasting nicely against the tree’s light gray bark.

The tabebuia genus is found from Mexico to Argentina and consists of flowering trees and large shrubs. The wood of the trees in this genus is not especially dense or hard and those that persist in swampy areas (like that of the Pantanal) have wood that is notably light in weight. Tabebuia impetiginosa has wood that is rich in tannins, making it resistant to weather and sun. The wood is difficult to turn into furniture, but can seen being used for structural support of buildings.

Tabebuia impetiginosa has others uses as well. It’s an ornamental tree, planted in city squares and along boulevards – a street tree found all the way in India! It’s inner bark is also used for medicinal purposes – made into a tea to free mucus and ease coughing and used by herbalists to treat intestinal candidiasis.

Pink and purple trumpet trees also play an ecological role. Their flowers are easily accessible to pollinators such as birds and bees – so be on the look out for hummingbirds when in the vicinity! You’re sure to get a great picture this way!

Sources:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st615

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabebuia_impetiginosa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabebuia

The Jabiru

Gwynn Lyons

Since no one did the Jabiru for their organism presentation, I decided I would do some research on it. In the event that someone decides to do this topic later, I will keep this post brief.

General facts:
Jabirus are massive creatures, weighing up to 17 pounds and standing up to five feet tall. They hold the record for being the tallest flying bird in South America. Even their beaks alone can be a foot long! One of their distinguishing features is their neck, which consists of a bare red inflatable patch that helps them to feed. In fact, the name Jabiru is of Tupi-Guaraní origin and translates to "swollen neck."


Habitat and diet:
Jabirus live near bodies of water (hence their presence in the Pantanal) and feed on fish, molluscs, and amphibians. Sometimes they will also eat reptiles and small mammals and even carrion during the dry season. To find food, they open their beak at a 45 degree angle in the water. When prey enters their mouth, they snap it shut and throw back their head in order to force it down their throat. Jabirus have also been seen to steal food from other storks they coexist with, the Wood and Maguari Storks.

Reproduction and life cycle:
Jabirus build huge nests high up in the trees that can reach dimensions of 1 m wide and 1.8 m deep. Females produce about 2 to 5 eggs per clutch, and both parents watch over them. Raccoons and other storks occasionally eat the eggs. However, when Jabirus grow to adulthood, they have no known predators. Fledging occurs at about 110 days, but young chicks stay in their parents' custody for another 3 months. Because of this long brooding period, many pairs of Jabirus have difficulty reproducing in subsequent years; less than half of the couples that are active one year are also active the next. Still, the Jabirus have a whopping lifespan of 36 years, giving them plenty of time to produce offspring.

Memories

I visited Pantanal around 13 years and have vivid memories of travelling to such a special place. We went on a safari tour where we saw so many different types of animals-- and I remember my favorite being the crocodiles we saw bathing by the water. The tour guides were so fearless and approached them with no inhibitions. Then we took a horse riding tour in the swampland with the Brazilian cowboys....I remember almost making it to the end of the tour before my horse decided to leave the pack and gallop with the other wild horses. I for sure thought I was going to get separated from my family forever, in that moment. My horse was then brought back to the herd after the head cowboy had chased my steed down. I also remember there being a lot of insects everywhere, even then hotel, including cockroaches and mosquitoes. The food was mostly rice and beans with meat, and each glass of water was so refreshing because it was extremely hot and humid. At night there were cultural shows and dancing that took place--and was very well received. It is clear that the Pantanal people have maintained their cultural and indigenous roots, which is very unique. Unfortunately for me, I don't have photo evidence of my trip, so I plan to be an active photographer this time around. I am really interested in capturing culture (through people), different bird species in specific, and water (in any form). 

Natalya Thakur

A Picture is Worth How Many Words Again?

So again with the theme of things I am excited for about this trip, (there are about 10000000000 items on that list...) I am really looking forward to getting some awesome photos from this trip. While I am not that experienced with nature photography I have taken some decent picture and can find reliable sources on the internet to point all of us who want to get some good photos in the right direction. 

First off, my experience. Growing up in Washington State for me meant that wildlife was all over the place. Coyotes, great blue herons, owls, bald eagles, hawks and an insane amount of frogs have all been in my backyard at some point. Back in high school when I made more time for just walking around with my camera I really enjoyed capturing images that could show others how I viewed my environment. Overall I really enjoyed this method of expression because it was a chance to show everyone how I saw the world. So with that said here are a few of my photos I have taken over the years. 

And now for what I have garnered with my internet searching in terms of tips for all of us to bring back some awesome pictures to show out family and friends that we had the most epic overseas seminar ever.

Tip 1: If you can't use a tripod hold steady!

Dont just single handed grab your camera and hold it by your face and slam the shutter down. Instead, hold the camera with two hands, bring your elbows into the sides of your chest, then gently squeeze the shutter. I have also found that breathing out gently and slowly while pressing the shutter helps at times as well. 

Tip 2: Use the rule of thirds.

This is not an absolute rule but just a way to spice up composition and move the subject out of the center. This helps people look at the whole photo and not just one part of the photo. In basic terms try to put your horizon at the top or bottom third lines

Tip 3: Take additional considerations when photographing at night.

The best time to take pictures at night is when the sun sets or the moon rises. We don't really have control over this aspect but maybe we will get lucky. Also try using any night modes available on cameras. Night modes usually mean longer exposure time which also means a picture will be blurry if you dont hold it still. This can be remedied by using a tripod or resting the camera on a steady surface. 

So those are all the tips I have for you. Also just practicing with your camera is a good idea, know what settings work best for you. Now lets go and get some great photos!

-Martell

Sources: 

http://www.nwf.org/news-and-magazines/national-wildlife/photozone/archives/2010/nature-wildlife-photography-tips-center.aspx

The Quilombos of Brazil

Looking through a National Geographic issue last weekend, I found a fascinating article about the history of Brazil. It told the story of mixed Indian and African communities, many of which have their origins hundreds of years ago, when African slaves brought over for the sugar plantations or mines escaped into the forest, where they met Indians and established small communities.

Did you know that Brazil brought over 12 times as many slaves from Africa than all of North America combined? And that many died within the first 5 years of working? I had no idea myself, but it makes sense why many slaves tried hard to escape. The communities they formed, quilombos as they are known, were home to many people during the period of colonization. The most famous, Palmares, in the 1600s was 10000 square kilometers and contained as many as 30000 people - pretty much its own kingdom!

These quilombos persisted in relative isolation for several centuries, many getting their start as early as the 1600s. In fact, in 1988, there was believed to be only a few remnant quilombos, and the President at the time issued a decree saying that Brazil would issue title deeds to quilombos, making these people at last the legal owners of the land their family had lived on for many years. The government was taken aback by how many claims for land came forward ~ as of 2012, 1700 quilombos had been recognized by Brazil.

Most quilombos are in the coastal regions of Brazil, but you can see from the map below that there are also some in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where the Pantanal is located.

Palani

Magnificent Cats!

Dr. Bob & Emma mentioned the other day that they were pretty surprised that no one had done the jaguar for their animal projects, and so I decided to do a short little blog post about jaguars. Of course, I don't want to take away the spotlight in case anyone decides to go further into depth with jaguars in their presentations, so I thought I'd just talk a little about jaguar concentration efforts.

The Pantanal is actually home to the highest density of jaguars in the world, which is pretty awesome for use because we might get to see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitats! Jaguars co-habitate the land with cattle, which makes Pantaneiros, particularly cowboys, nervous that they may be a threat to their livelihoods. This overlap has led to cowboys often killing off the jaguars in order to make sure that their cattle are safe, but this has led to the decline of the jaguar population. 

Here comes the Pantanal Project, which hopes to protect the habitat of the jaguars as well as foster a culture where cattle ranching is promoted as well as jaguar conservation. Jaguars are a huge draw to the Pantanal, with ecotourism rising in order to see these animals. It is important to emphasize to the cattle ranchers that their livelihoods will not be negatively impacted by the jaguars and cause a cultural shift to increase jaguar populations. Organizations such as Panthera and CENAP have been very important in jaguar conservation efforts and are actively trying to promote protection of jaguars. 

Take a look at this website if you're more interested about these efforts! Super cool conservation efforts by Panthera have been launched around the world to protect the various cats of the world. http://www.panthera.org/node/28

- Nicole

Pantanal's Cowboy Culture

Hey all!

I thought I'd do a little post about cowboy culture in the Pantanal, since we're likely going to be meeting some of these really awesome people on our trip to the Pantanal. Just as a quick vocab reminder, fazendas means farms in Portuguese, and the lifestyles of the cowboys on these ranches has not changed much in the past 200 years. Their existence is very much centered around the wet environment that they live in and is tailored to the natural resources available in their vicinity. In particular, cattle ranching is a huge industry here, and therefore cowboys, also known as peões, are central figures here. For this reason, the small horses that they ride are critical for them to get around the wetlands and have been the primary mode of transportation. 

For all the horse-lovers in our group (Morgan & Catie, I'm looking at you!), Pantaneiros have specific tacks (equipment) that are tailored to longer days on horseback. These cowboys ride with a saddle pad and saddle along with five layers of wool, sheepskin, and leather called "baldrana," all of which are meant to maximize comfort while riding.Apparently, the flashier the tack a cowboy devises for the horse, the more that the cowboy is trying to convey that he is available/ single. Such an interesting piece of fazendeiro culture.

These cowboys typically live in outstations, and their food is typically grown in the isolation of their own fazendas. Cowboys are really central to conservation in the Pantanal as well, and in this honor, there is also an annual Lasso Festival held in the Mato Gross do Sul state in Brazil!

A website with a personal account of meeting & staying with Pantaneiro cowboys: http://www.equitrekking.com/articles/entry/cowboys_of_brazils_pantanal/

Some other sources:

http://blog.conservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/cowboys-pantanal-brazil.jpg

http://www.thelongrun.com/news/tag/pantanal-cowboys

- Nicole

A Guide to Purchasing a Backpacking Backpack

Since our panel with the Madagascar students, I’ve been thinking a lot about backpacking backpacks. I’m sure Pantanal participants who were SPOT leaders or SPOTlets or other outdoorsy people on the trip will be able to contribute knowledge regarding purchasing backpacking backpacks, so I thought I’d get the ball rolling by sharing a link I read from REI Expert Advice.

There are three things you need to consider when choosing a backpack:

• Trip length
•  Personal backpacking style
• Torso length

Trip length really determines the size of your pack. Although the most popular packs sold at REI are between 60 to 80 L, the table relates trip length to recommended pack capacity. The REI Expert warns, however, that without self-discipline and careful planning, it can be easy to fill the pack to capacity.

I often overpack and for those who are thinking about traveling around the area before/after the seminar, backpack size is really something to consider. Another thing to keep in mind is being able to carry what you pack. A pet peeve of mine is people who pack way more than they can carry themselves with the anticipation and expectation that others will help. In that case, wheeled luggage may be a better option, but I don’t know if we’ll necessarily have paved roads leading up to our accommodations.

Personal Backpacking Style is really about preference. Do you want comfort or weight savings? What do you want in terms of space efficiency?

Torso length is the MOST IMPORTANT consideration when purchasing a pack because you want to wear something that will fit your build comfortably. Two questions to remember are: Is it size appropriate for your torso length (not your overall height)? Does it have a comfortably snug grip on your hips?

It’s recommended to measure your torso before purchasing (either online or in-store) so that you walk into the transaction informed. Find a tape measure and have a friend help you measure the distance from your most noticeable protrusion on your upper spine to the rear “shelf” of your hips. More info on measuring can be found here.

Another thing to measure is your waist size as this informed the size of your hipbelt. Measure around the top of your hips with a measuring tape to get this number.

If you are considering purchasing a backpack for the trip, there are few other things you should keep in mine:

•  Smell. Ventilation can be an issue when purchasing packs so smelly clothes will likely only become smellier. But I’m sure we’ll get used to being around each other’s sweat rather quickly into the trip. Please wear deodorant. Please.
• Organization. If you’re an organized person, I assume it may be a little difficult to organize a backpack as compared to a rolling box luggage since you can’t necessarily see everything in your pack unless you unpack the whole thing. 

I hope this was helpful and if anyone with more expertise on the matter has a different opinion or tips, I think we would all appreciate it!

Soil Carbon in the Pantanal

Hey Guys! I've wanted to write a post for a while about soil carbon in the Pantanal, which is actually one of the main reasons that I was initially interested in this seminar!

A bit of background: While I was studying abroad in Australia a little over a year ago (Fall 2012), I carried out a research project about soil organic carbon stocks in the coastal wetlands of North Stradbroke Island. This project (called a TRP), is meant to just be a few days of fieldwork followed by a written report and a short presentation. It's a great introduction to individual research projects, but for me it actually ended up being a major inspiration for some of my future classes and research! 

While researching for my TRP I was introduced to the concepts of carbon sequestration and storage in soils. Wetlands, as it turns out, are some of the best wetlands for capturing and storing atmospheric carbon. This high storage is achieved because sedimentation from flood pulsing and accumulation of high levels of aboveground biomass result in a large amount of carbon accumulation into the soil. Then, in contrast to tropical rainforest systems where there is also a high level of carbon input to the soil, carbon in wetland soil remains stored because the water-laden soils become anoxic and prevent decomposition of these organic compounds. 

Due to these conditions, wetlands have been found to store a globally significant store of carbon, and are thought to play an important role in global climate regulation. In a recent paper, the following figure was presented to show the potential role of wetlands (and shallow marine seagrass beds) in carbon burial relative to other highly vegetated and more heavily studied systems.

(Source: Mcleod, Elizabeth, et al. "A blueprint for blue carbon: toward an improved understanding of the role of vegetated coastal habitats in sequestering CO2."Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9.10 (2011): 552-560.)

With this is mind, I decided to look up a few other papers about soil carbon storage in the Pantanal and found a couple of interesting journal articles published within the last few years. The first paper, from 2010, looks into changes in the carbon stocks in the northern region of the Pantanal up to the Amazon basin between 1970 and 2002. It was found, through analysis of a variety of environments, that the Pantanal was losing the most carbon of any ecosystem type in Brazil. The numbers found were 0.94 Mg C/ha to 1.16 Mg C/ha. It is very hard to put these numbers into context because of the need to convert a lot of units, but what is more interesting and important to our understanding and conversation surrounding carbon dynamics in the Pantanal is the qualitative assessment that came along with the study. It was found that much of this carbon was lost due to cattle ranching activities in the area, and it was noted that losses could have been substantially greater if there was substantial unnatural change to hydrology in the region. This has not largely occurred yet in the Pantanal, but as others have posted about with the hidrovia project among others, future plans to dam or otherwise manipulate hydrology could thus have a major impact of soil carbon in the Pantanal.

A second paper I found interesting compared sedimentation from flood pulsing in the Pantanal to that of the Orinoco Flood plain in Colombia. This study looked specifically at shallow seasonal lakes and their carbon storage potential during flooding events. The findings of the study indicate that the Pantanal is actually storing less carbon that the Orinoco plains because of different geomorphology in the shallow seasonal lakes. Those of the Orinoco plains have a more concave shape and a greater number of flooded days that those of the Pantanal, and therefore a greater amount of accumulated sediment during the flood pulsing that comes when rainfall increases in the wet season. While at first glance this finding might appear to suggest that Pantanal might be of less conservational importance, it is also important to consider that the Pantanal would have more trouble returning to natural levels of carbon storage should human induced perturbations (such as changes to hydrology or land use) cause a significant loss in these carbon stocks.

As we go forward with our studies of the Pantanal, thinking about changes to water regimes, land use, tourism, invasive species, and many other topics, it would be interesting to consider the impact these changes may have on carbon dynamics in a system that may play an important role in climate regulation amidst this century of impending climate warming.

-Cole

Sources:
1) Maia, Stoecio MF, et al. "Soil organic carbon stock change due to land use activity along the agricultural frontier of the southwestern Amazon, Brazil, between 1970 and 2002." Global change biology 16.10 (2010): 2775-2788.
2) Johnson, Mark S., et al. "Soil CO2 dynamics in a tree island soil of the Pantanal: the role of soil water potential." PloS one 8.6 (2013): e64874.
3) Vega, Luisa F., et al. "Does Flood Pulsing Act as a Switch to Store or Release Sediment-Bound Carbon in Seasonal Floodplain Lakes? Case Study from the Colombian Orinoco-Llanos and the Brazilian Pantanal." Wetlands 34.1 (2014): 177-187.

Some basic tourist info about Cuiabá

Gwynn Lyons

As I was reflecting about our upcoming trip to the Pantanal, I realized that I didn't know much about Cuiabá, so I decided to do some tourism-related research on this city that I hope will be useful for when we actually go there.

According to Wikitravel, there's not much to see in Cuiabá (of course, this doesn't take into account the fact that the World Cup will be hosted there!) Still, there are some interesting attractions, including the following:
* Basilica do Senhor Bom Jesus de Cuiabá, a cathedral bedecked with stained glass.

* Palácio de Instruçao- Cuiabá's history and natural history museums, featuring Indian headdresses and arrows as well as exhibits about the Brazil-Paraguay war.
* Municipal Aquarium- Aquarium boasting a collection of local fish.
* Praça de República- Cuiabá's main plaza.

The history of Cuiabá is also worth knowing about. Cuiabá was founded in 1727 by the head of the captaincy of Sao Paulo, Rodrigo César de Menezes. Unfortunately, an earthquake in 1746 destroyed almost the entire city. From then until the Paraguayan War in the 1860's, Cuiabá remained small and relatively obscure. The war prompted Cuiabá's industrial development; Cuiabá shipped goods to Brazil's troops. However, after this time, it again declined into obscurity, and in fact became a place of exile for dishonored politicians. By the 1930s, with the advent of aviation and the construction of infrastructure, Cuiabá began to grow. Then in the 60's and 70's the commercialization of agriculture further boosted Cuiabá's size and importance- the population grew from 50,000 to 250,000 in this time period.

Currently, tourism is a large part of Cuiabá's economy. Perhaps this is due to the increasing interest in ecotourism and conservation- this certainly motivates our going there. In any case, Cuiabá is a necessary stop along the way to the Pantanal, and, I hope, an interesting one.

Why are female Harpies bigger than Males?

Male and Female Peregrine falcons (note size difference) http://rfalconcam.com/forum/pix/HowTo/FalconIdentification/ArcherBeautySize.jpg

            After my organism presentation on Harpy Eagles, Emma asked me why there is such a large size difference between male and female Harpy Eagles. Apparently, this phenomenon is common across many species of predatory birds, including hawks, eagles, falcons, owls, and skuas. However, the males of most non-predatory bird species are generally larger than the females. Among predatory birds, the species that exhibit the most sexual dimorphism in size generally feed on birds. Predatory birds with relatively little sexual size dimorphism generally feed on invertebrates or reptiles. Raptors that feed on mammals fall in the middle of the spectrum. There are two main theories why this sexual dimorphism occurs: to avoid inter-gender competition or to maximize the foraging ability of a breeding pair of raptors.

            The theory that raptor dimorphism occurs to minimize competition for prey between males and females of a given species is based on the idea that the males and females would otherwise be competing over a scarce food source. Having males be smaller than females allows the males to pursue smaller or more agile prey than females, while the female can pursue larger organisms. In effect, size differences partition the available food between males and females to maximize the survival of each and the species as a whole.

            The second theory suggests that size differences between males and females allows to forage for a wider variety of prey, which maximizes the amount of food they can provide for their offspring. As with the previous theory, if the male and female are different sizes, they can pursue different prey. Thus, there is a wider variety prey available as food for the pair’s young. This theory explains why predatory birds that prey on smaller birds demonstrate the most sexual dimorphism in size. During the late fledgling period, avian prey populations are at a lower density than mammal, reptile, or invertebrate species, so there is a larger evolutionary pressure on raptors that feed on birds to diversify their foraging abilities.

Sources:

Témeles, Ethan J. "Sexual size dimorphism of bird-eating hawks: the effect of prey vulnerability." American Naturalist (1985): 485-499.