| Ecosystem Research at the San Francisco Scientific
Station
| Located in the
"hottest of hotspots" for biodiversity |
NCI’s San Francisco Scientific Station is
set in a region where Amazonia, the High Andes and the Paramo, or
high-altitude grasslands, converge – three of the world’s
highest priority conservation areas. In fact, the Scientific Station
is located in the “hottest of hotspots” at the lowest
elevation portion of the Andes, known as the Huancabamba Depression.
This pro-active research center is devoted to generating a wide
array of ecosystem and social information, and training promising
young Ecuadorian and international scientists in the conservation
of the high priority tropical mountain ecosystems of southern Ecuador.
Over 165 peer reviewed publications, providing useful information
for local farmers and communities, government officials, and policy
makers regarding conservation and development have been generated
by international and Ecuadorian researchers. Previous to this effort,
decisions  impacting
the ecosystems, cultures and communities of Ecuador’s southern
Andes were often made based on incomplete information.
The research facility is easily accessible and is within about 20
miles of Loja, the capitol city of the Loja Province. Comfortable
facilities can accommodate up to 35 researchers. The station offers
ample work space for researchers and offers meals, Internet access,
a nursery production area, a comfortable dining hall, radio communication,
an herbarium, a computer laboratory, telephone access, and a 15
kilometer network of footpaths to diverse research sites inside
the forest reserve. There is a full time administrative and support
staff available to help researchers with logistics, materials and
the locating of potential research sites.
In 1997 the German
Research Foundation began a research program at the Station,
and in 2007 the Foundation renewed its lease expanding its multi-disciplinary
research program aimed at understanding ecosystem components and
processes. The new program, “Biodiversity and Sustainable
Management of a Megadiverse Mountain Ecosystem in  Southern
Ecuador,” is focused on linking research to effective conservation
management actions. Researchers are currently examining a number
of potential sustainable land use strategies within the forest network,
and are developing models for evaluating various conservation and
development scenarios. The research program is currently the German
government’s most important scientific program outside its
territory.
NCI applies this research by serving as a facilitator of information
for communities and policy makers in regards to decisions on land
use and forest management. We place particular emphasis on educating
decision makers about the benefits of forest conservation and the
free ecosystem services that the forests provide, such as reliable
and safe water supplies.
A key component is that for each research project a young, promising
Ecuadorian student is trained, with the intent that these individuals
will in the future assume important political positions of responsibility
in regards to ecosystem management, conservation, research and education
in Ecuador.
Information about German Research Foundation
first phase program: www.bergregenwald.de
Information about German Research Foundation second phase program:
www.tropicalmountainforest.org
Contact us:
Pedro Paladines, ecsf@naturalezaycultura.org,
Administrator
Joerg Zeilinger, jzeilinger@web.de,
Scientific Coordinator
Felix Matt, fxmatt@web.de, Scientific
Coordinator
Information: stationmanager@tropicalmountainforest.org
|
