| Research TBS welcomes scientists interested in developing short- and long-term research programs. A spacious laboratory building is centrally located and includes basic equipment. The camp office, an air-conditioned library and computer room, a comfortable conference room with TV/VCR and projection equipment, a large area with bench space for general activities and a separate room for researchers who require a little more privacy are all found here. Some storage space is also available in this building.
General Policies and Guidelines for Research
Policies and Guidelines
Scientists planning to do research at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station must submit a written proposal in either English or Spanish to the Station's Science Director at least 90 days prior to the planned entry date. The proposed research will be evaluated for final approval, and possible suggestions for improvement of compatibility with the overall goals of TBS may be made. You should send all the documentation listed below to kelly@mail.usfq.edu.ec or david@mail.usfq.edu.ec). If you do not hear from us within 48 business hours, assume that your message got lost in cyberspace and please resend it.
Administration and the Advisory Board of the Tiputini Biodiversity Station have the last word in decisions involving all research performed at the site. We reserve the right to grant or deny access to any institution, organization, university, individual, or group.
Our regulations have been designed to be compatible with national Ecuadorian requirements but we must point out that modifications are common with changes in governmental administrations so please confirm the latest updates before submitting a proposal.
Proposals
Any valid proposal must include:
- The researcher's name, address, phone number, e-mail address (if possible), fax number and passport number.
- The name and address of the researcher's home or sponsoring university or other institution.
A letter of support from the home institution for the proposed research is also required.
- An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (with publications list).
- The same information (#'s 1, 2 and 3 above) for any other collaborating researchers or assistants who will be involved in the project at TBS.
- A detailed description of the research that is expected to be performed at the station, including background information, justification of the work, expected results, methodology, data collection strategy, size and number of plots, transects or quadrats needed, whether collection is necessary and why (please see regulations concerning captures and collections below), a tentative time table including the time required to process the data and produce a written report, and a budget, (Note: this descriptive proposal cannot exceed 5 double-spaced type-written pages.).
- How much laboratory or storage space will be occupied and what kinds of equipment will be needed (Note: Highly specialized equipment must be supplied by the individual researcher.), including electricity needs (110-220v, how many hours per day).
- A guarantee of ability to finance the time at TBS (such as vouchers for funding or grants, or the possibility of payment in advance of a minimum of 50% per month). A detailed budget for the entire project should also be presented.
- Proof of appropriate insurance coverage.
- Pertinent health information concerning special conditions or vulnerabilities (allergies, epilepsy, etc.), necessities, dietary preferences (vegetarianism, etc.) or handicaps.
Once your proposal has been approved by TBS, we will proceed to file a request with the Ministry of the Environment for a Research Permit. If your proposal is in English, we will have it translated to Spanish at USFQ at the rate of $5 USD per page. At this point you will have to send a letter of support from your home institution and a copy of your passport. Both of these documents should be sent as PDF files so we can print them in high quality resolution. Also, we recommend sending a copy of your yellow fever vaccination record. The current cost of processing the research permit is $20 USD. We will charge $5 USD more to cover the cost of copies. You will pay for these services once you arrive. We need to file the application at least 15 days prior to your arrival in Ecuador to ensure that your permit will be ready before you go to the field.
Researcher policies
Policies concerning researchers and their activities at TBS
All visitors or residents are required to cooperate with, and suggest improvements for the general operation and conservation philosophies and strategies of TBS.
All researchers agree to follow strictly the stipulations and restrictions that are required by TBS administration and other supervisory bodies and understand that noncompliance may result in expulsion from the site and in flagrant cases, this could include fines imposed by TBS or by the Ecuadorian government's Ministerio del Ambiente.
All researchers must read and understand the policies for our staff and agree not to ask workers to break rules for any purpose. Rules have been designed and explained to our staff with the purposes of conservation and efficiency.
No researcher may hire directly a TBS staff member or other person who is not a student or professional scientist as a field assistant without prior approval of TBS. Whenever there is a necessity for such assistance, this must be arranged through or discussed with TBS administrators.
All researchers must be willing to give informal presentations at TBS or USFQ concerning their studies to students or workshop groups. In order to improve our library, we ask that researchers donate to the Station a copy (reprints or photocopies) of a few scientific articles pertinent to their own research.
All publications or work resulting from research at TBS are required to include the name of the Tiputini Biodiversity Station and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito.
All researchers promise to make available to TBS and USFQ two copies of any publication or other body of work, thesis or dissertation (printed, video-taped, filmed, photographed, or recorded) resulting from research done at TBS at no monetary charge.
All visitors must have and carry a current and valid record of a yellow fever vaccination, preferably a World Health Organization (WHO) card and are recommended to take some anti-malarial prophylaxis.
All visitors assume full responsibility for their own health and well being during their time at TBS and during travel to and from the station. Visitors accept that TBS and USFQ/CPU assume no liability whatsoever for illness, injury or death while involved in activities associated with TBS.
Area policies
Policies concerning establishment and maintenance of transects, plots, or quadrats for analysis
We will not have trails established for each and every project that is carried out at TBS. Before starting to make any trail system or other access route for any area, the manager of the station must be taken to the site by the scientist(s) involved to discuss the possible impacts of the planned development. The same policy applies to any structure that is to be built on our lands as well. In general, constructions on TBS properties legally come to belong to TBS.
The marking of any individual, plant, site, transect, plot, or quadrat must be done in an approved manner that is not distracting to other researchers or visitors and in most cases, must not be permanent.
We insist on minimizing the use of standard flagging tape as it tends to proliferate wherever scientists work. In all cases, it is the direct responsibility of each researcher to remove all such marks upon conclusion of any study. It is absolutely forbidden to use flagging tape on trails within 100 meters of camp. Leaving unapproved marks after the conclusion of any study will result in a fine based on the rate of US$10 per mark.
Specimen policies
Policies concerning capture and collection of specimens
Organisms protected by CITES are further protected by TBS.
The capture of any animal for the taking of samples of blood, hair, feathers, other tissues, secretions, excretions, or parasites will be subject to regulation by the administration of TBS and the government of Ecuador. Researchers must provide the information to process an export permit at least 7 business days before departure. TBS will process the authorization for the researcher. Exporting specimens or parts of them have different regulations that may change. You must verify that your Ecuadorian research permit allows exportation.
Leaving traps or mist nets improperly attended may result in fines and/or expulsion from TBS.
Whenever possible, TBS staff will aid in determining legal aspects of research and collections and in acquisition of ministerial permits for those activities and for exportation.
If collections are necessary, it is preferable that a voucher specimen or some duplicate be deposited at TBS or with USFQ. In some cases, it is required by governmental regulation that a voucher specimen be deposited in the National Herbarium or Museum of Natural Sciences. It is not acceptable to take living or dead specimens from the TBS without prior special approval by TBS and by the Ministry of the Environment.
For mammals, birds, reptiles and adult amphibians, a list of potential collections must include scientific names of the species to be taken and the number of each that is considered necessary. For fishes and larval amphibians, probable number of collections and type of gear must be previously approved and the collection must be made under ethical bounds. Most groups of invertebrates can be approved for collection only upon approval of collection methods and estimates of numbers for each of the target taxa. Proposed plant collections must include a list of genera to be collected plus the number of specimens to be collected per genus.
Mark-recapture studies
In any mark-recapture study, the kind of marks to be employed will be evaluated based on the degree of necessity and humane treatment of study subjects.
Studies of captive animals
Depending upon the organism, time of maintenance in captivity as well as other questions of animal health, welfare and humane treatment, evaluations will be made on a per case basis and will generally be approved only under very strict considerations. In cases where an overseeing board has approved study methods in the scientist's country of origin, a copy of their approval is also acceptable.
Plants, including fungi, lichens and algae
Basically voucher specimens may be taken for identification to species level. Usually specimens may only be exported when they cannot be identified in Ecuador. A specimen must be deposited in the National Herbarium but we request that a copy also be deposited at USFQ's herbarium. Subsequent to this deposition, arrangements can usually be made to loan those specimens to the original collector. Two good-quality photocopies of a standard representative pressed specimen of each species including the label should be made available for the station.
Insects and other invertebrates
Most collections that are well justified scientifically will be permitted with moderate limitations placed on quantity of individuals and some restrictions on specific taxonomic groups on a case by case basis. In many cases, greater scrutiny will be exercised for collection methods than for expected collection results.
Fishes
Most small species may be collected in reasonable quantities for populational studies but larger species will be subject to greater restrictions in general but evaluated on a per case basis. Restrictions may be expected on the type of collection gear employed due to the fact that some net types can be detrimental to a spectrum of aquatic animal populations that is considered to be excessively broad.
Amphibians
For most species, collection will be restricted to a minimal number of individuals be they larvae or adults but judgements will be made on a per case basis. Voucher specimens should be deposited with the Fundación Herpetológica Gustavo Orces, which maintains collections at USFQ.
Reptiles
For snakes, collection of no more than one voucher specimen per species will be permitted. No individual of a total length of greater than 2 meters may be taken as a museum specimen. For lizards, collection will generally be restricted to a few individuals but may be disallowed completely, particularly for well-studied large species. For all caiman species, no museum specimens may be taken. In general, collection of specimens of turtles will be highly restricted.
Birds
Standard banding procedures are acceptable in general but numbers of individuals and areas of capture may be restricted by TBS administration. The collection of museum specimens will only be possible in special cases that are previously approved.
Mammals
In general, no mammal species that attains a size of more than 1 kg may be collected solely for the purpose of obtaining a museum specimen. Small mammals such as rodents and bats and some marsupials may be collected for specific identification but under very strict regulation that will be determined on a per case basis. Under no circumstances will any giant armadillos, giant anteaters, primates, manatees, dolphins, deer, peccaries, cats, dogs, mustelids, capybaras, or tapirs be approved for collection. With special approval, these animals may be captured, studied, marked, and blood or other tissue samples taken as well as samples of excretions, secretions or parasites but the animal must be released subsequently.
Tiputini Climatological Data
Within the following compressed files, climatological information compiled by Dr. Jaime Guerra at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in Amazonian Ecuador is available (for Mac and PC equipment) in graphic form. Weather data are presented for all standard parameters (rainfall, wind speed and direction, luminosity, etc.) from 1998 through the present. In the event that raw data are required by any investigator, these can be made available upon request.
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