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Calidad Química Y Microbiológica Del Agua Y Acceso Al Recurso Agua En La Comunidad De Solöng, Territorio Naso-Teribe, Bocas Del Toro, Shira Wrightman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study evaluated the water quality and accessibility of water resources in the community of Solöng located in the Naso-Teribe territory of the province of Bocas Del Toro. The seven chemical parameters of nitrate, phosphate, pH, alkalinity, total hardness, turbidity and dissolved oxygen were used to assess the safety of drinking water and the health of aquatic ecosystems utilized by the residents of Solöng. A microbiological assessment which included tests for total coliform bacteria and the fecal coliform strain group of Escherichia coli were conducted as well. Chemical tests were performed in a total of 15 spigots, 7 streams, 2 …

The Current State Of Populations Of Diadema Antillarum On Isla Colón In Bocas Del Toro, Panamá, 25 Years After Mass Mortality, Leah T. Ritz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In January 1983, the worst recorded die-off of any marine animal hit the Caribbean beginning near the mouth of the Panama Canal and eventually wiping out nearly 99% of one of the most important herbivores in coral reef communities, Diadema antillarum—the long-spined sea urchin or Diadema. No populations of Diadema in the Western Atlantic are known to have escaped the drastic population declines. The loss of Diadema throughout the Western Atlantic has had long-lasting impacts on the structure and composition of many types of communities including coral reefs, mangrove roots, sea grass beds, and sand flats. Though the mortality was …

Cuando Viene El Agua: Percepciones De Los Impactos Sociales Del Proyecto Hidroeléctrico “Chan-75” En Las Comunidades Ubicadas En La Cuenca Del Río Changuinola, Bocas Del Toro, Jeffery D. Stein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report analyzes the anticipated social impacts of a hydroelectric project, titled “Chan-75,” in the surrounding communities. The project is located in the Bosque Protector de Palo Seco (BPPS) protected area along the Changuinola River. The flooding of 750 ha to create a reservoir for the dam will require the resettlement of roughly 1,000 residents of at least four indigenous Ngöbe Buglé communities including Valle del Rey, Charco la Pava, Changuinola Arriba, and Guayabal, in addition to the submersion of thousands of ha of farmland belonging to residents of nearby communities (Cordero et al). Once completed, the dam will generate …

Ley Y Desorden: La Participación, La Política, Y La Planificación En El Archipiélago De Bocas Del Toro, Sage E. Trombulak

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Bocas del Toro Archipelago is quickly becoming one of Panama’s most popular destinations, both for tourists pursuing temporary fun-in-the-sun type activities and for wealthy Panamanians, Americans, and Europeans seeking a more permanent location for their vacation homes, luxury resorts, and retirement communities. These dual phenomena have become a subject of escalating concern for the political leadership in Bocas del Toro and for a plethora of local, regional, and international NGOs, as unprecedented levels of development are leading to the degradation of one of Panama’s most beautiful and biologically diverse landscapes, stresses on urban infrastructure, and rapid economic growth that …

Coral Reef Tourism And Conservation In Bocas Del Toro: An Analysis Of Ecotourism And Its Tour Guide-Based Components, Rebecca Kayes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tourism of the coral reefs in Bocas del Toro is an important economic activity but also potentially harmful to the environment, creating an ecologically and economically unsustainable situation and doubts that the region engages in “ecotourism.” Coral reef tourism was analyzed with a specific emphasis on tours, tour guides, tourist motivations, tourist education and conservation-related activities. Research methods included participant observation in the tourism world in Bocas, interviews with guides, tourists and community members, and a tourist survey. Though local popular opinion disagrees, data collected shows tourism in Bocas does not emphasize reefs or reef conservation, a potentially catastrophic situation …

The Survival Of The Central American Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri Oerstedi): The Habitat And Behavior Of A Troop On The Burica Peninsula In A Conservation Context, Liana Burghardt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The conservation status of Central American Squirrel monkeys (Saimiri oerstedi) on the far southern coast of Peninsula Burica in Panama was assessed over the course of a 13 day study period. Four troops of squirrel monkeys (67 individuals) were located on the southern coast of Peninsula Burica. Using information from local sources it can be estimated that up to 7 troops (157 individuals) live in the 7-8 km2 study site. These troops are sharing an estimated 80 ha of habitat which compared to past studies is a fairly low amount of habitat.

One troop of squirrel monkeys which is fed …

Agroecology Of The Naso-Teribe: The Management And Conservation Of Traditional Agroecological Systems, Maisie Ganz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The term “agroecology” is used to describe the sustainable design and management of agricultural systems by the application of ecological concepts and principles. The resulting agroecosystems, often practiced by indigenous or poor farmers in marginal environments without access to external technologies, are systems of food production that integrate cultivated crops into surrounding ecosystems. The Naso-Teribe, an indigenous community of approximately 3,800 individuals living in the forests of western Panama, practice a complex agroecological system. The Naso farmers’ agricultural practices contribute to, and are dependent on, the biodiversity of resources available. The ways in which Naso farmers manage, maintain, and preserve …

Using The Trees To Understand The Forest: Evaluating The Risks Of The Panama Canal Amplification Project, Caroline Gross

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For over a decade, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and its United States predecessor have contemplated a Canal Amplification Project to allow larger boats to pass through the Panama Canal. This project, as it is currently understood, would involve the construction of a new, “third” set of locks with greater capacity, the widening of channels within the Canal, and the flooding of approximately 45,000 hectares of land currently occupied by campesinos/as. Since the passage of a 1999 law that expanded the definition of the Panama Canal Watershed by 63 percent, some campesinos/as have united to oppose the flooding of their …