LENGLET Georges (RBINS) & KOK Philippe (RBINS)
Herpetological Species Richness and Community Structure on the Kaieteur National Park Tepui, Guyana (2004-2007)
Promoted by: Dr G. Lenglet / Mr Ph. Kok (RBINS)
Local Partners: CEIBA Biological Centre, University of Guyana, Iwokrama and the Guyana National Museum.
Identified taxonomic impediment: taxonomy of the herpetofauna of the Kaieteur National Park (KNP) is very poorly known
Objectives: inventory of the ill-known herpetological fauna of the Kaieteur National Park; providing training in contemporary herpetology to local staff.
Long term vision: generate taxonomic data to support the Government of Guyana in their aim to get the Kaieteur National Park listed as a World Heritage Site.
Poverty reduction components: World Heritage Site status will increase eco-tourism whereby well-trained park-rangers will become key players; education and public awareness towards the richness of the exceptional natural resources of the KNP leads to more sustainable management.
Scientific capacity building: prior to the inventories in the Park 29 species, belonging to 21 genera and 14 families were known (note: many dubious to erroneous records!). Today, 115 species, belonging to 94 genera and 28 families (of which 8 species and 1 genus new to science), are known from the Kaieteur National Park.
Human Capacity building: several people trained in basic to advanced herpetological taxonomy and collection management; ensuring local capacity and durability in monitoring of the herpetofauna.
Institutional Capacity building: The University of Guana is now the local center of excellence for herpetological studies in Guyana. One of the trainees, Ms. M. Kalamandeen who is now Scientific Officer at the Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity at the Department of Biology of the University of Guyana, co-authored a volume of Abc Taxa on the herpetofauna of the KNP. This volume has been widely distributed, in Guyana and the world.
Kaieteur National Park, home to the spectacular Kaieteur falls but also to a rich herpetofauna (all pictures by Philippe Kok)
Jump to volume 5 of Abc Taxa to read this book or jump to the September 6 2009 issue of the 'Kaieteur News online' to read how this book came to being.
Read more on the scientific expeditions behind this capacity building project on the expedition pages of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
Read more on a new genus and species called after the Kaieteur Park and the prime minister of Guyana by clicking here.
Read more of the Principle Investigator's research interest and scientific output by jumping to his webpage.
