•v FAUNA:
Macroinvertebrates: essential components of any ecosystem, they are very important to maintain water quality
and are highly affected by Gravel Mining (cf. Will Flower report).
• Fishes, freshwater
shrimps, birds, bats, spiders, amphibians, reptiles, etc., feed on Macroinvertebrates
• Freshwater shrimps
and some fishes need to go to the sea for their first molt and will be directly affected by sedimentation and turbidity.
•
• River Otter – a CITIES Appendix 1 Endangered Species
– is present in the Rio Tigre.
A large part of its diet consists of freshwater shrimp.
•
•
v DISAPPEARANCE OF VEGETATION ON THE RIVER EDGE
• Reduction of
organic particles, reduced quantity of prey and microhabitat diversity
• Vegetation is
used by amphibians for breeding vocalizations and protection during the day.
• Protective vegetation is used by mammals to access river.
v DISAPPEARANCE OF SMALL PONDS AND WET AREAS ALONG EDGES OF RIVER
• Amphibians
species use these temporary slow moving ponds for reproduction.
•
•
v EROSION UPSTREAM CREATING LANDSLIDES AND ADDITIONAL SEDIMENTS
v QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF WATER REACHING AQUIFER IS EFFECTED
v POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION OF THE RIVER BY HYDROCARBONS AND OILS
v GOLFO DULCE: SEDIMENTATION
IN MANGROVES AND REEFS
