Dear colleagues
I have a query regarding the most appropriate experimental design and statistical analysis for a research project. The project study area is located in a high altitude lagoon (Los Andes, Peru). The study subject is an endangered frog species (the Lake Junín frog).
The research question is: What is the impact of heavy metals, eutrophication and water level variation on the abundance and biomass of the Telmatobius macrostomus and T. Brachydactylu population?
After many field visits and literature research we've found out the 3 main environmental pressures on the frog population: (i) heavy metals from mining activities, (ii) eutrophication produced by untreated urban sewage discharge and (iii) water level variation to assure enough water for hydropower downstream. We have monitoring data (from secondary sources) on heavy metal concentration and some eutrophication indicators (N, P, DBO). For now we only have the resources to collect field data on water level variation, and the frog's biomass and abundance.
Currently we don't have resources to collect more data on heavy metal pollution or nutrient content in the water. Therefore, with the available data, we want to have some idea on what are the most relevant environmental pressures to:
- Know where to allocate more resources on monitoring and
- Evaluate some remediation techniques to improve the frog's habitat.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
ps. Feel free to contact me if any of you are interested in helping designing the study.
Use of detention holes with diluted water and maintained during low flows. You can use this paper.
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4133/2/1/7/pdf
Dear Dalia, Kindly follow the references, although I think you need more papers for comparing the contamination and pollutions, by the way , you can ask me to send other articles for your discussion part!
Anyway, hope they would be helpful:
1- Distribution and Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediment of Lake Junín National Reserve, Peru; Available online: Article Distribution and Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Surface Sed...
and it is in research gate !
2- The heavy metal contamination of Lake Junín National Reserve, Peru: An unintended consequence of the juxtaposition of hydroelectricity and mining
Available on : https://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/24/8/article/i1052-5173-24-8-4.htm
3- The History of Mining in Cerro de Pasco and Heavy Metal Deposition in Lake Junin Peru ( it related in 2012 and I attached it)
4- Protected Area Profile Perú Junín National Reserve ( It has been attached)!
Dear Dalia,
thank you for opening this interesting discussion! I am interested in your project. May I ask how large this "lagoon" is in size? And on which altitude above sea level is it approximately located? I'd also be interested in whether you have any estimates of the overall population size of the Lake Junìn frog in the lagoon you are investigating (or of particular colonies therein)?
Many thanks & the best of luck!
Greetings to Peru,
Julius
Hello Parisa Ziarati
The documents you sent me are very helpful! Thanks a lot
I would appreciate if you could send me more documents for the literature review.
Hello Julius Riese
Thanks for your questions. The lagoon is located 4,080m above sea level and covers an area of about 53,000 ha. Actually the frog population is seamingly recovering at the moment. I believe the monitoring is made mainly in rivers and streams tributaries to the lake. I would have more precise information in the following weeks. I'll let you know.
Dear Dalia
Sure, I will send. Please kindly visit my page too, as I have been working in this regard too ; just like you .
Good Luck and best wishes
Dear Dalia,
many thanks for the information you provide and apologies for my late reply. That's very interesting: So the lake is not only located at high altitude, but also covers quite some space up there! I am glad that the frog population seems to be recovering. And, yes, I can understand if the monitoring is conducted mainly at tributaries/river mouths/deltas etc. flowing into the lake - is this due to technical and logistical (i.e., practical) issues? It would also be very worthwhile in my view to conduct sampling further towards the interior (center) of the lake.
All the best & keep us posted!
Saludos cordiales a Peru!
Julius
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