Survey and Inventory of the Aquatic Insects of the Altai and Hangai Mountain Drainages, Mongolia

该项目的基础是对蒙古西部阿尔泰山脉中部和东部以及汉盖山脉南部水道中的淡水昆虫进行调查。水生昆虫的分类和分布研究为了解水生昆虫群落的进化、地理学和生态学提供了重要依据。 这些西部山区日益增长的经济发展和人口增长正在通过采矿、未经处理的废物、农业、过度放牧、火灾和气候变化对水生生物群落造成压力。 该项目不仅将产生关于生物多样性的基本科学知识，还将为蒙古政府提供监测水质的标准。 该提案详细说明了一个为期三年的综合性大型水生无脊椎动物采样方案，以评估栖息地和测量物理参数。考察将与蒙古科学家和学生以及非蒙古科学家合作。 该项目的目标包括调查水生昆虫和其他无脊椎动物的主要群体，合作出版调查结果，并开发相关数据库。该项目的更广泛的影响，包括水生无脊椎动物的采样沿着水质和河岸带的收集（河边）测量，将直接有利于努力建立一个基线，为未来的水质监测计划。这些科学知识将有助于指导蒙古政府保护环境和发展生态旅游。 拟议的调查将使美国科学家能够与蒙古现有科学家开展有意义的合作，并在实地和实验室培训蒙古学生。

This project is based on an inventory of the freshwater insects of the waterways of the central and eastern Altai Mountains and southern Hangai Mountains in western Mongolia. Studies of aquatic insect taxonomy and distribution provide important results for understanding evolution, biogeography, and ecology of aquatic communities. Increasing economic development and human population growth in these western mountains are stressing both aquatic biological communities through mining, untreated wastes, agriculture, over-grazing, fires, and climate change. This project will generate not only basic scientific knowledge of biological diversity, but also provide the Mongolian government a yardstick for monitoring water quality. This proposal details a comprehensive, three-year sampling program for a range of aquatic macroinvertebrates to assess habitats and measure physical parameters. The expeditions will be collaborative with Mongolian scientists and students and non-Mongolian scientists. Goals for this project include surveying the major groups of aquatic insects and other invertebrate groups, collaborative publication of the survey results, and development of associated databases.The broader impacts of this project, which include the sampling of aquatic invertebrates along with the collection of water quality and riparian zone (streamside) measurements, will directly benefit efforts to establish a baseline for future water quality monitoring programs. The scientific knowledge will be useful in guiding Mongolia's government in its attempts to protect the environment and to develop eco-tourism. The proposed survey will allow U.S. scientists to develop meaningful collaborations with current Mongolian scientists and to train Mongolian students in the field and laboratory.