The Effect of Microclimates and El Niño/Southern Oscillation (Enso) Events on

Tree Phenology in a Primary Rainforest in Iquitos, Peru.

In the past five years I have collaborated with Steve Madigosky on a long range research project that involves the collection of  a high resolution meteorological data in a remoter location of an undisturbed rain forest in the Amazonian Conservatory for Tropical Study ACTS formerly called the ACEER ( the Amazonian center for environmental education and Research).  ACTS, located in the Amazonian basin in northeast Peru, has an interconnected walkway from the forest floor to the top of the canopy.   This extensive multilevel system of aerial platforms and pathways is designed to be ecologically sensitive.  The walkway enables scientists and educators to study, observe, and experience the most dynamic but previously inaccessible dimension of the rainforest.  The canopy walkway extends over 40 meters above the forest floor and horizontally covers a distance of over 1 kilometer. 

The objectives of our multi year long range study are:

(1)                          to acquire a large multi year data set of  high resolution meteorological data within an undisturbed rain forest environment

(2)                           to assess the differences that exist within a well defined vertical/spatial profile in the intracanopy environment as they relate to temperature, relative humidity and light intensity,

(3)                          to assess long term seasonal variation within a restricted forest locality.

(4)                          To discern the environmental clues that plant and  trees used in to determine the timing of flowering and fruiting

We have already published primarily microclimatic data (Selbyana 2001) and have collected 4 years fruiting and flowering data on approximately 100 tress located along the canopy walkway. However, we need a few more years of data in order to be able to discern possible patterns in fruiting and flowering in these trees.