The Rufford Small Grants Foundation
Final Report
Congratulations on the completion of your project that was supported by The Rufford Small Grants
Foundation.
We ask all grant recipients to complete a Final Report Form that helps us to gauge the success of our
grant giving. We understand that projects often do not follow the predicted course but knowledge of
your experiences is valuable to us and others who may be undertaking similar work. Please be as
honest as you can in answering the questions – remember that negative experiences are just as
valuable as positive ones if they help others to learn from them.
Please complete the form in English and be as clear and concise as you can. We will ask for further
information if required. If you have any other materials produced by the project, particularly a few
relevant photographs, please send these to us separately.
Please submit your final report to jane@rufford.org.
Thank you for your help.
Josh Cole
Grants Director
Grant Recipient Details
Your name
Daniel Villarroel Segarra
RSG reference
Rescuing the biodiversity of the Mutún Cerro: a basis for generation the
conservation measures for Bolivian biodiversity
13513-1
Reporting period
January 2014 – February 2015
Amount of grant
£5842
Your email address
Danielvillarroel81@hotmail.com
Date of this report
02-02-2015
Project title
1. Please indicate the level of achievement of the project’s original objectives and include any
relevant comments on factors affecting this.
Objective
Increase the
knowledge of
biodiversity in Bolivia
Rescue the
knowledge of this
area damaged by
mining activities
Increase the
scientific collections
of the Museum of
Natural History Noel
Kempff Mercado
Not
Partially Fully
achieved achieved achieved Comments
X
As a result of the project was recorded
974 species (397 species of fauna, 577
species of plants).
Of the 397 species of fauna, 24 are new
X
records for the region (Bolivia - Brazil). No
endemic species were reported. It should
be stressed that the Cerro Mutún serve
as wintering habitat for 92 migratory bird
species along the year. The flora (577
species), 34 species are new records for
Bolivia (previously considered endemic to
Brazil), 45 species is only known from
Cerro Mutún, three are endemic to
Bolivia, and two are new species to
science (in process description). Also, is
necessary to highlight that 0.3% of the
Bolivian flora is restricted only to the
Cerro Mutún.
Therefore, our results substantially
increases the knowledge of Bolivia's
biodiversity at regional, national and
international level because we reported
species not currently registered for
Bolivian biodiversity (species considered
endemic in other countries), and
discovered new species to science.
X
Before the project, the collection of the
Herbario del Oriente Boliviano (USZ Museo Noel Kempff Mercado) there were
only approximately 100 samplecollections of plants from the Cerro
Mutún and the region.
With the collections of the project, the
Herbarium now has more than 800 plant
samples from the Cerro Mutún.
The database of samples and records
Get basic
information to help
authorities to make
better decisions
about conservation
of this area and save
part of this
biodiversity of the
Mutún Cerro
Coaching and trainer
students about
conservation,
inventories methods
and be an active
group interesting in
preserve the
biodiversity in their
country
X
X
fauna of the region was almost unknown
(<20 spp.).
The information of the 397 species of
vertebrates that have registered were
incorporated into the database of the
department of zoology. The collected
samples (21 samples - species that could
not be identified in situ) were
incorporated into the scientific collection.
The fulfilment of this goal is still in
process.
Due to the recent democratic elections
(municipal, departmental and national),
many of the environmental authorities
were changed, and the process of
socialisation of the results of the project
was not completed.
However, we have now resumed contact
with the new environmental authorities,
who have shown great interest.
The project trained 10 students (two
ornithology, two herpetology, two
mastozoology, four botany and plant
ecology), of which two are using
information gained to make their
undergraduate thesis.
After the first fieldwork, the students took
the initiative to use the project
information to prepare manuscripts and
participate in the IV Congreso Boliviano
de Ecología (2014). The works presented
were: 1) Ensambles de aves en un paisaje
de minería de hierro: un estudio de caso
en la región del Mutún; 2) La mastofauna
terrestre del Cerro Mutún; 3) Los anfibios
de la región del Cerro Mutún: que tanto la
conocemos?; and 4) Riqueza y afinidades
fitogeográficas de la vegetación de
afloramientos rocosos del Cerro Mutún.
The Kempffiana Journal (ISSN 1991-4652)
recently accepted a manuscript on the
inventory of reptiles of Cerro Mutún,
which was written by one of our students.
Currently, the other students are writing
similar manuscripts, highlighting the
importance of biodiversity and
conservation of Cerro Mutún. Once the
manuscript is published, I will send a
digital copy.
2. Please explain any unforeseen difficulties that arose during the project and how these were
tackled (if relevant).
The main difficulty was the change of authorities by the recent democratic elections in Bolivia. This
inconvenience prevented complete socialisation of the project results. However, we have now
started again the process of socialisation of the project results with new environmental authorities
of the country (at the municipal, departmental and national levels).
3. Briefly describe the three most important outcomes of your project.
The most important outcomes of the project was:



Biodiversity. Identifying new records for Bolivia and two new species for science, which
increased the knowledge of Bolivian biodiversity. Also, with this study, we were able to fill a
large gap of biological information (flora and fauna) in this region of Bolivia.
Conservation. We identify areas with high biodiversity that will not be affected by the
mining concession. These areas will be proposed to the authorities as areas of
environmental preservation.
Human Resources. Undoubtedly the training of students was one of the most important
achievements of the project. Currently all of them continue collaborating with the project,
and I perceived that they are starting to generate their own ideas and scientific initiatives.
4. Briefly describe the involvement of local communities and how they have benefitted from the
project (if relevant).
N/A
5. Are there any plans to continue this work?
Yes. One goal for the future is the creation of an area of biological preservation based on the results
of this project. However, this process is very bureaucratic and slow, nevertheless, the process of
creation of the area of preservation will initiated after completion of the socialisation of the results
of the project.
6. How do you plan to share the results of your work with others?
Part of the work was presented at the IV Congreso Boliviano de Ecología, attended by people from
around Bolivia and neighbouring countries. Also, in a few weeks it will be published a scientific paper
in the journal Kempffiana. We have scheduled for the month of August-September 2015 the
presentation of results to the municipal authorities of Puerto Suarez and the San Juan del Mutún
community (Prov Germán Busch). Also, we have been seeking funding to produce a book on the
natural history of Cerro Mutún. The new species are currently being described and we estimate to
have manuscripts ready until late September 2015. In October 2015, the results of the flora and
vegetation will be presented in the III Congreso Boliviano de Botánica, which will be held in the city
of Sucre between 12th and 14th.
7. Timescale: Over what period was the RSG used? How does this compare to the anticipated or
actual length of the project?
Four field campaigns were conducted, two in the rainy season (February and March 2014), and two
in the dry season (July-August 2014). Each field campaign lasted 8 - 10 days. The time of fieldwork
went according to plan in the proposal.
8. Budget: Please provide a breakdown of budgeted versus actual expenditure and the reasons for
any differences. All figures should be in £ sterling, indicating the local exchange rate used.
Item
Two tents
Batteries (Alkaline)
Budgeted
Amount
100
70
Food 5 people for 36 days
(10 Pounds
Sterling/people)
1800
Fuel 500 liters
225
Vehicle rental (fourwheel
drive) for 36 days
1800
Actual
Difference Comments
Amount
100
85
15
Difference provided for the
Herbario del Oriente Boliviano
(USZ) – Museo de Historia Natural
Noel Kempff Mercado
2700
323
The initial budget was for five
people. The number of people
participating in each fieldwork was
13. Difference provided with
contingency budget (577) and the
cooperation for the Carrera de
Biología, Universidad Autónoma
Gabriel René Moreno
300
75
Difference provided for the Carrera
de Biología, Universidad Autónoma
Gabriel René Moreno
2100
300
The initial budget was to rent a
pickup. However, due to the
increase of people in the work
team we rented a bus. Difference
provided for the Carrera de
Biología, Universidad Autónoma
Gabriel René Moreno
One GPS
Local guides and support
people
Alcohol 50 liters
Formol 25 liters
Plastic bottle of 1 liter
(200 units)
Newspaper and press
botany
Printing costs
200
720
200
720
75
75
200
75
75
200
200
200
300
300
Contingency (10%)
TOTAL
577
6342
577
7632
0
Item paid with resources of the
Missouri Botanical Garden
Item paid with resources of the
Missouri Botanical Garden
713
We emphasize the logistics and economic cooperation of the Carrera de Biología, Universidad
Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno and the Herbario del Oriente Boliviano–Museo Noel Kempff
Mercado.
9. Looking ahead, what do you feel are the important next steps?
I plan to continue studying the flora and vegetation of the savannahs’ in Bolivia, especially in
protected areas, as there are regions that have not yet been explored or are poorly known
biologically. Therefore, I intend to work more closely with the national system of protected areas of
Bolivia.
In addition, I will continue working with the education and training of students making them
participate in all future activities.
10. Did you use the RSGF logo in any materials produced in relation to this project? Did the RSGF
receive any publicity during the course of your work?
Yes. The logo and name of the GSR was used in all the presentations we've done so far (see Annex
photo), and will also be used on all products of projects (research papers, undergraduate thesis,
congress presentations).
11. Any other comments?
We thank the RSG for the donation of resources for the realisation of this project. So too, we
apologise for the delay in submitting the final report, this was mainly due to the difficulties in
identifying the collected specimens. The team decided to pay homage to the RSG, putting his name
in one of the new species.