Tiputini Biodiversity Station

Tiputini Biodiversity Station is a scientific field research center in the Ecuadorian Amazon. It is located in the province of Orellana, about 280 km ESE from Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. It is located on the northern bank of the Tiputini River, and although separated from the Yasuni National Park by the river, the station is part of the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve. The station is jointly managed by Universidad San Francisco de Quito and Boston University as a center of education, research and conservation.

Tiputini Biodiversity Station preserves a tract of 6.5 km² which mostly includes primary non-flooded forest, but there is a rather narrow belt of flooded vegetation towards the river, streams, and around a small oxbow lake. Along the Tiputini River, several beaches are uncovered during the dry season, but all are short, never greater than 100 m.

Because of its remote location and agreements with local indigenous groups, no hunting of large mammals has occurred in the area and it is possible to habituate and study primates that are difficult to observe elsewhere. The station is geared towards research and education, and though not strictly off limits to tourists there are no regular tours to the area.

The discovery of further oil deposits in the region has put the station at risk from nearby development of petroleum extraction and transport infrastructure, though the impacts may be mitigated somewhat by voluntary concessions by the management company. It remains to be seen if promised environmental sensitivity is implemented in the field, however.

Media

Tiputini Biodiversity Station has been featured in the BBC series "Andes to Amazon", in National Geographic and on National Public Radio.

References

* Cisneros-Heredia, D.F. 2006. Turtles of the Tiputini Biodiversity Station with remarks on the diversity and distribution of the Testudines from Ecuador. Biota Neotropica v6 (n1) –http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v6n1/pt/abstract?inventory+bn00906012006

External links

* [http://tiputini.usfq.edu.ec Official TBS Website]
* [http://www.bu.edu/cecb/programs/tbs.html Boston University TBS Website]
* [http://www.ambiotek.com/tbs Detailed imagery and geographic data for TBS in Google Earth from King's College London and USFQ]