Assessing Conflict Potential Between Birds and Small-Scale Fisheries in Lake Titicaca D. A. Villar, Paola Velásquez‐Noriega, Bastian Thomsen, Edwin R. Gutiérrez Tito, Anahi Cosky Paca‐Condori, Edmundo G. Moreno Terrazas, Ronald Hinojosa Cárdenas, Alfredo Balcón Cuno, Carmen Villanueva, Patrick Chapman, Jhazel Quispe, Andrew G. Gosler Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2026 Globally, fisheries bycatch constitutes a threat to aquatic birds. However, while the threat is global, the threat from bycatch in inland fisheries, and from artisanal or small‐scale fishing, is particularly understudied. Here, we present the first attempt to map the vulnerability of birds to fisheries bycatch, and the conflict potential between birds and fisheries, in Lake Titicaca. We use field surveys, Bayesian Joint Species Distribution Modelling and a trait‐based weighting approach to prioritise conservation efforts, to map bird vulnerability to fisheries bycatch and conflict potential between birds and fisheries in Lake Titicaca. Fisheries in Lake Titicaca are exclusively smallholder, but fisheries bycatch has been listed as a major threat to biodiversity in the lake in past surveys. We found that the region with the greatest concentration of 1 × 1 km pixels in the uppermost quantile of vulnerability to fisheries was in the Lago Menor, Puno Bay and Ramis River Mouth regions of Lake Titicaca, but that the greatest concentration of 1 × 1 km pixels in the uppermost quantile of conflict occurs in the Lago Menor region. Further work to reduce fisheries bycatch should focus on regions with the greatest existing conflict and the greatest conflict potential but can only plausibly be done with the full consent and collaboration of local fishermen.
Antagonist effect of postbiotics derived from native probiotics of the lesser rhea (Rhea pennata) against Escherichia coli associated with enteric processes Anieli Vidal Stocco, Shirley Viana Peçanha, Marcelo Salvador Gomes, Carlos Augusto Santos-Sousa, Paulo Souza- Júnior, Marcelo Abidu-Figueiredo Revista De Investigaciones Veterinarias Del Peru, 2026 The kidneys of two adult female Leopardus pardalis were analysed to study their morphology and vascularization. The kidneys presented an outer renal cortex and an inner medulla, with the pelvis and renal crest visible in longitudinal and transverse sections and were simple and unipapillary. The locations and measurements of both kidneys, as well as the renal arteries and veins, are presented.
Problems with combining modelling and social science approaches to understand artisanal fisheries bycatch Daniel A. Villar, Edwin R. Gutiérrez Tito, Paola Velásquez‐Noriega, Anahi Cosky Paca‐Condori, Edmundo G. Moreno Terrazas, Alfredo Balcón Cuno, Ronald Hinojosa Cárdenas, Carmen Villanueva, Patrick Chapman, Luca Chiaverini, Jorgelina Marino, Andrew G. Gosler Diversity and Distributions, 2025 AimArtisanal fisheries account for 40% of the world's fisheries catch, yet its environmental impacts remain poorly understood. This is especially the case in developing countries. In this study, we sought to integrate Local Fisher's Knowledge with distribution modelling to estimate the annual bycatch of Titicaca Grebe (Rollandia microptera), an endangered endemic bird from Lake Titicaca whose main anthropogenic threat is bycatch.LocationLake Titicaca, Peru and Bolivia.MethodsWe conducted transect and point counts of fishing nets in March–September 2022 and conducted interviews with fishers across the Lake Titicaca region. Using bathymetry, distance from shore, distance from a settlement, distance from the protected area, presence/absence of aquaculture, distance from aquaculture, and wetland cover, we constructed a distribution model of fisheries using maximum entropy modelling. We conducted interviews with fishers asking about the frequency of grebe bycatch and conducted short‐term monitoring at various sites while conducting transect points for dead grebes.ResultsWe estimate 3270 km2 of the surface area of Lake Titicaca is used for fishing, which amounts to 39.40% of the lake's surface area. The area under the curve (AUC) of the distribution model was 0.89 and the True Skill Statistic was 0.67, which suggests maximum entropy modelling can model fisheries occurrence. The results of our interviews suggested a biologically implausible large number of grebes caught as bycatch annually. The cultural context of the interviews, including potential influences of non‐response and social‐desirability bias, being with fishers who often view the Titicaca Grebe as a nuisance species, might have caused over‐reporting of bycatch and hence led to these implausible figures.Main ConclusionsIt is possible to map fisheries using distribution models as one might with species. However, obtaining accurate measures of fisheries bycatch through interviews is more difficult, due to cultural factors which affect the accuracy in fisher's responses. While we hope that this method provides a low‐cost alternative to monitoring, it is not a suitable replacement for it.
Global population size and conservation priority areas for the endangered Titicaca grebe D. A. Villar, Paola Velásquez‐Noriega, Edwin R. Gutiérrez Tito, Anahi Cosky Paca‐Condori, Edmundo G. Moreno Terrazas, Ronald Hinojosa Cárdenas, Alfredo Balcón Cuno, Carmen Villanueva, Patrick Chapman, Jhazel Quispe, Jorgelina Marino, Andrew G. Gosler Journal of Wildlife Management, 2024 The Titicaca grebe (Rollandia microptera) is a poorly studied endangered species, only found in the Lake Titicaca watershed of Peru and Bolivia. Population surveys undertaken in the early twenty‐first century suggested that the species had declined in number by >70%. We conducted a population survey of the grebe between March and August 2022 in Peru and Bolivia, using both maximum entropy and Bayesian occupancy models to estimate factors affecting habitat suitability for the grebe. We conducted surveys between March and August 2022 in Peru and Bolivia. Contrary to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) population estimates of <1,000 individuals, there are likely tens of thousands of individual grebes. The population estimation was sensitive to the type of model used. Distance from shore and fishing intensity were the most significant factors influencing grebe populations. The Reserva Nacional del Titicaca, the only protected area in the lake, covers some of the most suitable Titicaca grebe habitat across its entire range. The population of the Titicaca grebe is significantly higher than previous estimates, but we do not recommend a change to its conservation status because of the lack of conservation efforts for this species, and the long‐term risks associated with global warming and fisheries bycatch.
Indigenous–Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence in the Altiplano D. A. Villar, Bastian Thomsen, Anahi Cosky Paca-Condori, Edwin R. Gutiérrez Tito, Paula Velásquez-Noriega, Edilio Mamani, Mario Arivilca Vilca, Edmundo G. Moreno Terrazas, Jorgelina Marino, Andrew G. Gosler Journal of Ethnobiology, 2024 Understanding the drivers of conflict and coexistence in human–wildlife relations are critical to conservation. This study sought to understand th varying attitudes of local indigenous people towards wildlife, focusing on the Titicaca Grebe ( Rollandia microptera), an endangered endemic species found in Lake Titicaca and surrounding waters in the Altiplano of Peru and Bolivia. We used an ethnobiology approach to understand which demographic, sociocultural, and economic factors influenced (a) attitudes and local ecological knowledge (LEK) towards the grebe and (2) their effects on Indigenous–wildlife conflict or coexistence. We used a qualitative, semi-structured questionnaire to interview 221 individuals over six months in villages surrounding Lake Titicaca. Participants primarily consisted of locals from the Aymara, Quechan, and Uro Indigenous groups. We found that most individuals expressed apathy towards the grebe, with a significant minority being hostile towards it. Hostility was concentrated amongst fishers and was driven by economic concerns. Knowledge of the grebe was low in the general population, but higher amongst fishers. There was, however, widespread willingness to conserve the grebe amongst the general population, particularly when informed that the grebe is endemic to the Altiplano. This small environmental education intervention suggested increased positive attitudes and a willingness to conserve the grebe. Non-homogenous perspectives towards the grebe were held within and between indigenous groups, suggesting the need for future research into intra-indigenous group dynamics in indigenous–wildlife relations. Future conservation work on the Titicaca Grebe should focus on reducing grebe-fisher conflict, both real and perceived, and on educating people on the grebe's endemic status.
Trends in the area of suitable breeding habitat for the Endangered Lake Titicaca Grebe Rollandia microptera, 2001-2020 D. A. Villar, P. R. Long, E. R. Gutierrez Tito, E. G. Moreno Terrazas, A. G. Gosler Bird Conservation International, 2023 Summary The Lake Titicaca Grebe Rollandia microptera is a poorly studied endemic species found in the Lake Titicaca watershed of Peru and Bolivia. Multiple surveys from the early 2000s indicated that the species was suffering a rapid population decline with an unknown cause. At the same time as these surveys, reports emerged that there was an increase in burning of the totora wetlands which are thought to be the primary habitat for the Lake Titicaca Grebe. However, since 2003, no work has been published either on the current population of the Lake Titicaca Grebe, or the extent of the totora wetlands in the Lake Titicaca region. This paper used satellite data to monitor the change in extent of habitat potentially suitable for the Lake Titicaca Grebe to determine whether habitat loss is likely to be a major driver of population declines in this species. We found that the extent of potentially suitable wetland remained stable between 2001 and 2020, though there are more local regional trends of change in extent of totora. We also found that multiple areas exist that might support Lake Titicaca Grebe populations, but where ornithological knowledge is lacking. We suggest no change to the IUCN status of the Lake Titicaca Grebe, but recommend that further fieldwork is required to monitor the species’ current population, especially in previously unstudied but potentially habitable areas.
Removal of tetracycline and chloramphenicol through constructed wetlands: Roles of plants, substrates, and microbial fuel cells Ingrid Maldonado, Edmundo G. Moreno Terrazas, Jesús Miranda Mamani, Franz Zirena Vilca Results in Engineering, 2023 In this study, wastewater was analyzed for the presence of the antibiotics, tetracycline (Tet) and chloramphenicol (Chlor). Additionally, the antibiotic removal capacities of constructed wetland systems, with interacting macrophytes (Lemna gibba and Azolla filiculoides), substrates (sand and silt) and with or without microbial fuel cells (MFCs), were examined. To find the ideal wetland combination, a randomized 23 factorial design was applied, resulting in eight combinations in triplicate. The initial and final concentrations of antibiotics in the aquatic medium and in plants at the end of the experiment were measured with a high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) to verify the absorption rate. The results showed average Tet and Chlor concentration in wastewater samples 4.25 ± 3.95 and 1.87 ± 0.07 μg/L, respectively. All wetland types performed efficiently, removing a maximum of 100% tetracycline and chloramphenicol and a minimum of 99.45% and 97.84% Tet and Chlor, respectively. The average absorption of Tet and Chlor was 3.13 and 0.36 μg/g, respectively, in A. filiculoides; and the average absorption of Tet and Chlor was 2.08 and 0.08 μg/g, respectively, in Lemna. L. gibba had a higher biomass increase and a better relative growth rate than Azolla. In relation to electrical production, at first, all treatments were affected by the antibiotics; however, production increased as time progressed. Finally, the physicochemical parameters that improved with treatment were oxygen, oxidation-reduction potential and pH, whereas conductivity, dissolved solids, and salinity were most influenced by the silt substrate. Overall, although no wetland was ideal, all combinations were efficient at removing antibiotic contaminants.
