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A Mecca for Tropical Biologists
| Article
# : |
19797 |
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Section : |
NATURAL SCIENCE
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| Issue
Date : |
3 / 1991 |
2,451 Words |
| Author
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Michael H. Robinson
Michael H. Robinson, currently director of the National Zoo in
Washington, D.C., was formerly deputy director of the
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. |
The tropics are the Fort Knox of biology; they are home to the overwhelming majority of plant and animal species, with immeasurable biological diversity and a wealth of intricate adaptations. Indeed, more than 90 percent of all animal species are found in tropical rain forests. It was experience in the tropics that solidified the theory of evolution for the great explorer-naturalists Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. They and many others made voyages of discovery in the rich lands of the tropics. In the twentieth century, tropical research has become crucial to our understanding of many biological processes, and probably to the survival of our species. Therefore it needs to be conducted by scientists working for considerable periods at well-equipped field stations.
Two factors contribute to making Panama a mecca for tropical biologists: (1) it is possible to drive from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific in about an hour, and (2) the Panama Canal watershed offers long-standing protection to a mature tropical forest within 15 minutes of the sprawling metropolis of Panama City. This explains why the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) was built here, with its two major marine laboratories, an island field station in the middle of Gatun Lake, and an impressive laboratory, a library, and administrative units on the mainland. STRI does two things simultaneously: It conducts in-house research into a wide range of topics, and it offers a splendid base for research by visiting scientists from around the world.
Islands from hilltops
The first element of this complex was a tropical rain forest island created by the construction of the Panama Canal. Called Barro Colorado Island (BCI), it is probably as famous among biologists as the Panama Canal is among engineers. During the construction of the canal, the Chagres River was dammed up at its Atlantic estuary in order to flood the central area of the isthmus. This formed Gatun Lake, which can be approached from each and by canals with locks. Thus, the canal was constructed without the necessity of digging a ditch across the isthmus. As the waters rose to form the lake, they drowned large areas of rain forest, part of the Panama Railroad, and many villages. They also formed islands out of hilltops. In 1923 one of these, Barro Colorado Island, was set aside by the governor of the Canal Zone, Jay Johnson Murrow, for scientific purposes.
BCI--about three miles wide and 3.5 miles long, a total of around 3,600 acres--is the largest island in Gatun Lake. Its complex and highly
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