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

本项目基于对蒙古西部阿尔泰山脉中东部和杭爱山脉南部水域淡水昆虫的调查。水生昆虫的分类和分布研究为了解水生群落的进化、生物地理学和生态学提供了重要的研究成果。西部山区的经济发展和人口增长，由于采矿、未经处理的废物、农业、过度放牧、火灾和气候变化，给水生生物群落带来了压力。该项目不仅将产生关于生物多样性的基础科学知识，还将为蒙古政府提供监测水质的标准。该提案详细介绍了一项全面的、为期三年的水生大型无脊椎动物采样计划，以评估栖息地和测量物理参数。考察将与蒙古科学家、学生和非蒙古科学家合作。该项目的目标包括调查水生昆虫和其他无脊椎动物群体的主要群体，合作出版调查结果，并建立相关数据库。该项目的更广泛影响，包括水生无脊椎动物的采样，以及水质和河岸带（河滨）测量的收集，将直接有利于为未来的水质监测项目建立基线的努力。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的努力。拟议中的调查将使美国科学家能够与目前的蒙古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.