Surveying Gorongosa's Biodiversity | HHMI BioInteractive Video
Summary
TLDRGorongosa National Park in Mozambique, once rich in wildlife, suffered greatly during the civil war, leading to a massive loss of animal life. Today, a restoration project aims to revive the park's biodiversity. Led by biologist Piotr Naskrecki, the team documents species, explores habitats, and uncovers new species, including bats that serve as ecosystem indicators. The project not only aims to identify but also understand the interconnections within the park's ecosystem, contributing to its management and conservation efforts amidst Mozambique's growing population pressures.
Takeaways
- 🌳 Gorongosa National Park, established in 1960, was once rich in wildlife but suffered greatly during the civil war from 1977 to 1992.
- 🐘 The war led to the killing of most large animals in the park to feed starving people, leaving the park in ruins.
- 🌿 A significant restoration project is currently underway to revive Gorongosa National Park's ecosystem.
- 🔬 Biologist Piotr Naskrecki is leading the effort to create a comprehensive database of all living elements in the park to aid in its management and restoration.
- 📍 The Cheringoma Plateau, a remote and unexplored area within the park, is being studied for its biodiversity.
- 🌍 The gorges in the plateau are part of Africa's Great Rift Valley and are home to an old growth forest.
- 👥 A team of international experts is conducting a month-long expedition to quantify the biodiversity of the gorges.
- 🕷️ Various methods are being used to catch and identify species, including small mammals, lizards, beetles, insects, and plants.
- 🦇 Bats play a crucial role in the ecosystem, as their feeding and excretion habits contribute to the energy dynamics of the cave environments.
- 🔊 Bats use echolocation, which can be recorded and analyzed using special devices to identify species-specific calls.
- 📈 The biodiversity survey has significantly increased the known species count in Gorongosa, indicating a healthier environment.
- 🌱 The identification of a large number of bat species is a positive sign for the park's ecological health, as bats are sensitive to environmental changes.
- 📚 The surveys will continue in other areas of the park, with an estimated potential of 50,000 to 100,000 species in total.
- 🌐 The biodiversity data is crucial for monitoring changes and identifying threats to the park's recovery amidst challenges like Mozambique's growing population and resource pressures.
Q & A
When was Gorongosa National Park established?
-Gorongosa National Park was established in 1960.
What impact did the civil war that started in 1977 have on Gorongosa National Park?
-The civil war led to the killing of most of the big animals in the park to feed starving people, leaving Gorongosa in ruins.
What is the main goal of the restoration project in Gorongosa National Park?
-The main goal is to identify the species, large and small, living in the park today to ensure their protection and monitor their recovery.
Who is leading the effort to compile a comprehensive database of Gorongosa National Park's biodiversity?
-Biologist Piotr Naskrecki is leading the effort to compile a comprehensive database of the park's biodiversity.
What is the significance of the Cheringoma Plateau in Gorongosa National Park?
-The Cheringoma Plateau is a completely unexplored limestone gorge filled with a beautiful old growth forest, considered a potentially unbelievably rich area for biodiversity.
What methods are being used to document the biodiversity of Gorongosa National Park?
-Methods include using baited traps for small mammals, digging pitfall traps for lizards, using dung to lure in beetles, climbing into the tree canopy for rare insects and plants, and using white sheets and lights to attract flying insects.
How do bats contribute to the ecosystem of Gorongosa National Park?
-Bats feed outside the park and bring energy back in the form of guano, which serves as the engine of the ecosystem, supporting a food chain that includes crickets, whip scorpions, frogs, civets, and mongooses.
What tool does Piotr Naskrecki use to record and understand the echolocation calls of bats?
-Piotr Naskrecki uses an ultrasound recorder, which translates the high-frequency echolocation calls of bats into a range that humans can perceive.
Why are bats considered indicator species in Gorongosa National Park?
-Bats are sensitive to changes in their environment, such as water quality, agriculture, or deforestation. Their presence and diversity are good signs of a healthy environment.
What was the increase in the number of known species in Gorongosa National Park after the Cheringoma Plateau survey?
-Before the survey, there were 300 known species. After the survey, the number increased to 2,820 species of animals and plants.
How does the biodiversity survey help in the context of Mozambique's challenges?
-The surveys provide baseline data to monitor changes and identify threats to the park's biodiversity, which is crucial as Mozambique faces increasing pressures on natural resources due to its rapidly growing population.
Outlines
🌿 Gorongosa National Park Restoration
Gorongosa National Park, established in 1960, was once a thriving wildlife habitat in Africa. However, the civil war that began in 1977 led to the decimation of its wildlife, primarily for sustenance during the conflict. The park now stands in ruins, prompting a large-scale restoration project aimed at reviving its ecosystems. A key component of this project involves cataloging the park's current biodiversity, ensuring the protection and monitoring of these species. The project is led by biologist Piotr Naskrecki, who is compiling a comprehensive database of all living elements within the park. This database will be instrumental in managing the park and understanding its ecological intricacies. The biodiversity documentation process includes exploring various habitats within the park, such as the Cheringoma Plateau, a remote and unexplored limestone gorge filled with old growth forest. A team of experts has been assembled for a month-long expedition to quantify the biodiversity of these gorges, focusing on different species within their respective areas of expertise. Various methods are employed to capture and identify species, including the use of mist nets for bats, which are later identified and their echolocation calls recorded using special devices. The discovery of new species and the understanding of the ecosystem's interconnectivity, such as the role of bat guano in nourishing the cave ecosystem, are also highlighted.
🦇 The Echolocation of Bats and Biodiversity Survey
The script delves into the fascinating world of bat echolocation, a biological sonar system used by bats to navigate and hunt. Bats emit high-frequency sounds that are inaudible to humans, but crucial for their navigation and feeding. Piotr Naskrecki uses an ultrasound recorder to translate these high-frequency calls into audible ranges, allowing researchers to study them. The identification of bat species is significant as they serve as environmental indicators, reflecting the health of their habitats. Gorongosa's bat population is seen as a positive sign of the park's ecological recovery. The script also discusses the importance of cataloging species, which not only aids in conservation efforts but also assigns a legal status to these species, recognizing their existence. A year after the initial survey, the biodiversity count in Gorongosa has significantly increased, indicating the park's recovery. Piotr anticipates that the park may be home to as many as 100,000 species. The script concludes with the importance of these baseline surveys in monitoring changes and identifying threats to the park's biodiversity, especially in the context of Mozambique's rapidly growing population and the increasing pressures on natural resources.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Gorongosa National Park
💡Biodiversity
💡Restoration Project
💡Cheringoma Plateau
💡Echolocation
💡Indicator Species
💡Ecosystem
💡Bat Guano
💡Species Identification
💡Legal Status
💡Population Growth
Highlights
Gorongosa National Park was established in 1960 and once had one of the densest wildlife populations in Africa.
The civil war from 1977 led to the killing of most big animals to feed starving people, leaving the park in ruins.
A massive restoration project is underway to restore Gorongosa National Park to its former state.
Biologist Piotr Naskrecki is leading the effort to compile a comprehensive database of all living elements in the park.
The Cheringoma Plateau, a remote and unexplored limestone gorge, is a key study site for biodiversity.
Piotr has assembled a team of leading experts for a month-long expedition to quantify the biodiversity of the gorges.
Each scientist on the team focuses on species from their area of expertise, including small mammals, bats, and insects.
The team uses various methods to catch and identify species, such as mist nets for bats and pitfall traps for lizards.
Bats are identified as indicator species, sensitive to environmental changes, and their presence is a good sign for the park's health.
Bats' echolocation calls are recorded using an ultrasound recorder, which helps in species identification.
The biodiversity survey results showed an increase from 300 to 2,820 species of animals and plants in Gorongosa.
Piotr estimates that the park may have between 50,000 to 100,000 species of animals and plants.
Naming and cataloging species gives them legal status and recognition, aiding in their preservation.
Baseline surveys are crucial for monitoring changes and identifying threats to the park's biodiversity.
Mozambique's rapid population growth poses challenges for natural resource management and the park's recovery.
The discovery of a new praying mantis species and a new orchid species to Mozambique during the expedition.
Transcripts
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
JEN GUYTON: Gorongosa National Park was established in 1960.
It supported one of the densest wildlife populations in Africa.
But when the civil war broke out in 1977,
most of the big animals were killed
to feed the starving people.
And when the war ended, Gorongosa was in ruins.
Today, a massive restoration project
is underway to bring it back.
A major part of the project is identifying the species,
large and small, living in the park
today to ensure their protection and monitor their recovery.
Biologist Piotr Naskrecki is leading this effort.
PIOTR NASKRECKI: What we are trying to accomplish
is to begin compiling a comprehensive database
of all living elements of this park.
And this database will eventually
help us manage the park, help us restore sum of its parts,
and essentially understand how it all fits together.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
JEN GUYTON: Documenting the biodiversity of the park
means exploring each habitat.
Piotr's first study site is one of the remotest
and least known areas of the park, the Cheringoma Plateau.
PIOTR NASKRECKI: The Cheringoma Plateau
is completely unexplored limestone gorge,
which is filled almost to the rim
with a beautiful old growth forest.
It's a potentially unbelievably rich area.
JEN GUYTON: Located in the east of the park,
these gorges are a part of Africa's Great Rift Valley.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Piotr has assembled a team of leading experts
from all over the world for a month-long expedition
to quantify the biodiversity of these gorges.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Each scientist is focusing on species
from their own area of expertise.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, there is a juvenile.
SPEAKER 2: Tree frogs.
It's a new species.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
JEN GUYTON: We must catch and identify as many species
as we can using a variety of methods.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Baiting traps for small mammals.
SPEAKER 3: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
JEN GUYTON: Digging pitfall traps for lizards.
Using dung to lure in beetles.
Climbing into the tree canopy for rare insects and plants.
PIOTR NASKRECKI: It's a female, so she's feeding.
JEN GUYTON: Searching behind bark for ants.
White sheet and a light to attract flying insects.
And for me, I specialize in small mammals, including bats.
So we're setting up a mist net over here just
across this stream.
It's going to be a great place for bats
because they love flying along water.
There are a lot of insects here, of course.
All right, it looks good.
Now I've got to wait till sundown when the bats come out.
Finding species is one part of our job.
The second part is figuring out how they're all connected.
PIOTR NASKRECKI: This entire ecosystem
is different from the outside world
because it doesn't have plants.
So any energy that's present in the cave has to be brought in,
and it's brought in with bats.
They feed outside.
They come in, they poop on the ground.
And that bat guano kind of is the engine
of this entire ecosystem.
And you have crickets that feed directly on the guano.
Those animals, in turn, are eaten by whip scorpions,
by frogs.
And those, in turn, are being eaten by civets, and mongooses,
and so on.
[BAT CHIRPING]
JEN GUYTON: So we have five, maybe six bats in the net.
Trying to get them all out before
they chew their way through.
Wow!
Oh my god, this is great!
This guy's bright yellow.
Looks like he's even something different than the first one.
At least-- at least four species.
Back at camp, I bring my night's catch
to Piotr to help identify the species.
PIOTR NASKRECKI: So set it to about--
start with 30 and then go up, and see if you can hear her.
JEN GUYTON: They're actually able to hum and emit
echolocation through their nose leaf
and receive it back into their ears and their face
and get an image of what it is that's in front of them.
We can't hear bats' echolocation calls.
The frequency is way too high.
PIOTR NASKRECKI: I am using a special device called
the ultrasound recorder, which sort of translates
these high frequencies for me so that I can actually
perceive them.
So if he starts talking now--
JEN GUYTON: That's great.
PIOTR NASKRECKI: Oh!
[CHIRPING]
That's him.
God, it's the purest call I have ever heard.
Unbelievable.
One of the reasons why people are
interested in echolocation of bats
because it's a great identification tool.
Many of these bats have species-specific calls.
So if we find something that's not recognizable,
that's a very good indication that it might
be a species new to science.
OK, I think we got it.
JEN GUYTON: Identifying a large number of bat species
in Gorongosa is a good sign.
Bats are known as indicator species, which
means they give us clues about the health
of the entire habitat.
Bats are extremely sensitive to changes
in their environment, like water quality, agriculture,
or deforestation.
So the more bat species, the healthier the environment.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
When the collecting of species is complete,
we need to process, identify, and catalog our finds.
A year later, we have the results
from the Cheringoma Plateau survey.
PIOTR NASKRECKI: Before we started,
we knew of 300 total of all the species of animals and plants
that live in Gorongosa.
Now we are at 2,820 species of animals and plants.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
JEN GUYTON: Over the next few years,
Piotr will conduct similar surveys
in other areas of the park.
PIOTR NASKRECKI: I believe that in the end,
the park has somewhere between 50,000,
75,000, maybe even 100,000 species of animals and plants.
So just simply putting a name on a species-- on a frog,
on a bird, or on a plant--
is a very, very powerful argument
towards its preservation.
We are sort of assigning it a legal status
so it becomes recognized as existing.
JEN GUYTON: Quantifying Gorongosa's biodiversity
will also help track the park's continued recovery in the face
of massive challenges.
Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world,
with a population set to quadruple in the next 100
years.
As the population grows, pressures on natural resources
will surely increase.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
These baseline surveys are an extremely powerful tool
for being able to monitor changes and identify threats
before it's too late.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
PIOTR NASKRECKI: I just noticed what
I consider the holy grail of praying mantis.
This one insect made this whole trip worthwhile for me.
Ah, yes!
Awesome.
It's a cool little creature, on an orchid
that's new to Mozambique.
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