Training on Inventory and Taxonomy of Invertebrates

the participants of the training

20 – 26 June 2012, Zhemgang: Bhutan spans across two major biogeographic realms, the Indo-Malayan and Palearctic and is part of the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot with a diverse array of flora and fauna. However, one of the major taxonomic groups, which form more than 97% of the extant diversity, the “invertebrates” which includes animal groups such as sponges, cnidarians, flatworms, mollusks, arthropods, insects, segmented worms, and echinoderms are hardly researched or documented presenting an incomplete view of the Bhutan’s biological wealth.

In an effort to encourage interest and develop capacity to fill this gap, training on inventory and taxonomy of invertebrates is conducted at Rural Development Training Centre (RDTC), Zhemgang. It is jointly organized by the Ugyen Wanghuck Institute for Conservation and Environment (UWICE), Bumthang and National Biodiversity Centre (NBC), Serbithang, with experts from Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity- the Naturalis. The training is attended by 16 field officials working under the Department of Forests and Park Services and NBC.

The current training program is structured as a combination of lectures and field practical on the basics of entomology, malacology, sampling, collection and preservation techniques, registration and identification of different groups of invertebrates, with focus on insects, snails and slugs.

The training program is funded by WWF Bhutan program and Jigme Singye Wangchuck Endowment managed by UWICE.

- Submitted by: Ugyen Wanghuck Institute for Conservation and Environment