2002 Tropical Ecosystems Field Course Report
July 16 to August 8, 2002
Frogs
and snakes, frogs and snakes, I've never seen so many frogs and snakes! We set out
from Quito after a quick day of shopping for field equipment -- rubber boots, machetes,
ponchos -- and drove to the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve (more
info). There we spent three days hiking and camping in mossy cloud forest
on the flanks of Pichincha volcano. Course activities included a plant collection
and identification exercise, a hike to the spectacular Yumbo trail (more
info), and several night walks where we found
numerous tree frogs and an array of hyper camouflaged walking sticks. Just down the
trail from the Bear's Den cabin, we found evidence that a spectacled bear had been
feeding on bromeliads not 300 yards from us! This vegetarian is South America's only
bear, which has been listed as a threatened species due to habitat loss; El Pahuma
protects over 1500 acres of habitat for these marvelous creatures.
From
the chilly highlands where nightly fires and cups of tea were a necessity, we descended
to visit the tropical dry forest of the Pacific coast. Along the way we passed fields
of pineapple, banana, yuca, papaya, passion fruit and oil palm, and even stopped in
an oil palm plantation to get a closer look at these impressive trees, and learn about
the effects of intensive agriculture on tropical landscapes. Taking a left at the
ocean, we arrived at Punta Prieta, where the forest meets the sea on both sides of
an impressive bluff. The course spent two days learning about and exploring the dry
forest, where we practiced vegetation measurement methods and and habitat characterization.
We also saw our first monkeys, black howlers, eating leaves overhead and roaring at
us. Then on the second day the students discovered a boa constrictor hiding in a shallow
pond. Everyone got a close up look as Joe gave his best crocodile hunter impersonation!
Back
at Punta Prieta we enjoyed some quiet time with Patita, the resident Galapagos tortoise,
and then retired to our tents on the beach to enjoy the sunset. After dinner, we analyzed
the vegetation data we had collected, and listened to a lecture about tropical amphibians
and reptiles. The lecture was also attended by several geckos, who patrolled the walls
for stray moths, and occasionally clucked at us with their unforgettable calls. A
bonfire under that stars was all we needed to end a terrific visit to the Pacific
coast.
We returned to Quito, where the students enjoyed a visit to the historic section
of the capital, and were treated to a lecture on Ecuadorian indigenous groups by our
guest lecturer Dr. Diego Quiroga, anthropologist at the San Francisco de Quito University.
The following day we began our whirlwind tour of the country's fabulous altitudinal
gradient from the snowy peaks of the Andes to the humid forests of the Amazon! We
began at Virgen del Soccorro pass, over 14,000 feet above sea level, where the driving
winds whipped sleet into our eyes and cold gusts under our ponchos as we collected
measurements on climatic factors and biological responses. As a treat, we then took
lunch at the Papallacta hot springs, where volcanically heated water feeds soothing
swimming pools. After an excellent lunch of fresh trout, we headed on down the mountains,
passing waterfalls and huge cliffs on the way, watching as the forest gradually changed:
taller and more diverse the further down we went.
Our first 
experience
in the lowland forest came at the Jatun Sacha biological reserve, a fragment that
has been diligently protected by a local conservation organization and international
volunteers. We learned insect collection techniques all morning, then put them into
action in the afternoon as we conducted a comparison between pasture, forest and forest
edge insects. We found some intriguing bugs, including several iridescent orchid bees
attracted to scents we set out; they collect flower scents for later use in courtship,
a natural perfume! The following morning, we enjoyed our first real day of birdwatching,
and were treated to a mixed-species flock of tanagers, feeding on fruits with toucans
and barbets. Impressive sight, for those not still snoring in their beds!
A heavy rain greeted us in the middle of the night, as we soggily loaded our bus
and got under way. 13 hours later, after the bus, 2 canoes and a "ranchera"
(typical Ecuadorian open-sided bus that lets all the dust in!), we arrived at the
Tiputini Biodiversity Station (more
info), in the heart of the upper Amazon basin, across from the enormous
Yasuní national park. Tiputini is one of the most diverse places I have ever
visited, perhaps since it is located smack in the middle of one of the presumed pleistocene
biodiversity "refuges", and it certainly lived up to its reputation this
year! We saw 5 more species of monkeys (raising our course total to 7!) and glimpsed
a pod of rare pink river dolphins carousing in the Tiputini river.
Among
our many interesting finds at Tiputini was an ant-mimicking spider (one was actually
first discovered in the dry forest by John "eagle eyes" Madek). This eight-legged
spider imitates an ant by holding its front legs out over its head like antennae ...
a neat trick (see photo)! We also got a terrific look at a three-toed sloth, happily
munching leaves in a tree overhead as we performed chemical analysis on a black water
river. We even saw a fresh water ray swim by as we took visibility measurements with
a secchi disk!
For
three days, the students worked on individual or group projects, putting to use all
the field techniques they had learned and practiced during the course so far. John
and Kelly studied the frogs of the Tiputini station's forest types, while Pamela and
John tested the feeding behavior of lake fish. Diego and Javier, this year's scholarship
students (more info),
examined the effect of bark characteristics on the epiphyte load of trees. Ant gardens
were the subject of Laurie and Lauren's project, where ants carry seeds that germinate
to grow into plants that provide both food and housing! Spiny caterpillars prickled
the interest of Jill and Jacob and Jessie, who tested whether spineless caterpillars
were attacked by predators more commonly than spiny ones.
We
celebrated our final day at Tiputini with a long float on the river, where we saw
an incredible anaconda, one of the world's largest snakes, that had come out on a
sunny afternoon to warm up after days of rain. On the same float trip, we saw several
troops of monkeys, including acrobatic spider monkeys leaping from tree to tree. Back
at the research station, everyone enjoyed 
a
thrilling rope climb up to the top of one of Tiputini's largest Ceiba trees (more
info). Using gear designed for canopy study, our students hauled themselves
step by step up into the leafy heights of this giant tree, then rappelled speedily
back down as the first tinges of the sunset reached us. The following day we headed
out, greeted by the sounds of the forest awakening as we cruised steadily upriver
in our giant canoe. Along the way back, we passed numerous Ceiba trees along the Napo
River, before arriving in the frontier town of Coca, where we caught our flight back
to Quito.
The last day of the course was spent shopping at the traditional artisan market
in Otavalo, a highland town populated by native Quichua indians, descendants of the
Incas. The high elevation landscape was delightful to see, and everyone was glad to
be in cool dry air after more than a week in the damp, warm lowlands! After completing
an impressive species list for the course, we got dressed up for our celebratory final
dinner in Quito. There we were treated to the music of the Andean highlands by a traditional
trio playing a guitar, a quena (bamboo flute), pan pipes, and a charango, the local
version of a mandolin. A few group photos later, and we were back in the hotel saying
our goodbyes and laughing about our adventures. Students started leaving at the painful
hour of 4 am (!) the next day, amid some sleepy-eyed final hugs, and soon everyone
was on their way, dreaming of monkeys and spiders, frogs and snakes, on the plane
ride home.
(Special thanks to Jill McLaughlin for use of
her photographs).
