Abstract
The Bolivian river dolphin, known locally as the bufeo, is one of 4 species of river dolphin in South America. Endemic to the upper basin of the Madeira in the Bolivian Amazon region, the species is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This article provides information related to the geographic distribution of the species, and a review of the studies of its abundance that have been conducted in Bolivia since the 1970s. We discuss the surveys, the analysis methods used in the different studies, and the ways in which these methods might influence the population estimates. We found 63 population abundance estimates for the Bolivian river dolphin across 17 reviewed publications. These studies report relative abundance data for rivers that range from 0.2 to 2.81 bufeos km-1, and density ranges from 0 to 7.59 bufeos km-2. The information presented here reflects the knowledge of the population size of the species in Bolivia obtained over 4 decades, and will be useful for developing conservation strategies and as a tool for decision makers.
Highlights
There are several species of dolphins adapted to inhabit exclusively freshwater rivers in Asia and South America
We reviewed published literature (n = 11), theses (n = 4), and doctoral dissertations (n = 2) in English, Spanish, and Portuguese relating to the abundance of Bolivian bufeos
We reviewed 17 publications containing data on Bolivian river dolphin abundance that described 63 surveys located in 20 different rivers
Summary
Gravena et al (2014) divided I. boliviensis into 2 isolate groups, including populations upriver (Madeira sub-basin) and downriver (in Brazil) that diverged approximately 122 thousand years ago. Despite all these publications that recognize the Bolivian river dolphin as a distinct species (I. boliviensis) (Ruiz-García et al 2006, 2008), the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognize only 1 species of Inia with 2 subspecies, including I. g. In the last categorization of the Red List of Threatened Species the IUCN declared the bufeo to be Endangered (da Silva et al 2018a), stating the necessity to increase the level of information about its population size, distribution, abundance, and population trends. This information is essential for the development of conservation strategies and constitutes a tool that is available for decision makers
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