FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

         THE HONORS COLLEGE AMAZON PROGRAM

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ONGOING FACULTY RESEARCH

In addition to student designed and implemented projects, the Amazon Program faculty are also involved in ongoing reserach projects in the Peruvian Amazon. Students have the opportunity to participate in these projects if interested. Projects currently being designed by the faculty include the following:

Graham: Aquatic biology and fisheries. This project focuses on the extremely rich diversity of aquatic habitats and organisms (particularly fish) in the Amazon. These resources are important on a daily basis to local peoples and fish is the primary source of dietary protein for most residents of the Amazon Basin. Fish are not only economically important for food, but the export of aquarium fishes is a substantial industry in various Amazonian countries. Potential aspects of the project will include documenting the species, size, and numbers of fish caught daily by local fishermen for subsistence purposes; recording local names, uses, lore, and capture techniques for fishes, and examining the diets and habitat preferences of local food and other fishes. An additional component could include examining the dispersal ecology and diversity of fish species in seasonal creeks which become isolated pools between rains, yet which still maintain a high diversity of fish and aquatic invertebrates.


Riach: Agroforestry and Ethnobotany. This project focuses on the diversity of plant species found in the northern Peruvian Amazon. Human culture has been greatly influenced by the interactions of plants and people. This is acutely epitomized in the relationship between plants and indigenous peoples in the Amazon. Plants are highly valued not just by indigenous peoples, but by all local residents who use plants as sources of food, medicine, fibers, and building materials. Some of the more economically important plants are cultivated in agroforestry plots and the products of these plants sold in the local and international markets. Plants also provide invaluable ecological services that benefit the entire region. Potential aspects of the project include a written (and photographic) inventory of the plants used and cultivated by the residents of the region; recording scientific and local names, uses, lore, methods of preparation of foods and medicines. An additional component may include collecting local knowledge about the importance of plants in attracting and supporting local wildlife.