The Tahuamanu Biological Station of the Amazonian University of Pando (Pando, Bolivia) is sited in an area of primary and secondary terra firma forest, typical of Western Amazonia in both flora and fauna. River floodplains and bamboo forests provide additional habitat for specialized taxa. The fauna is representative of the region, and at least eight species of edentate are present in the region, including Priodontes maximus (Alverson et al., 2000). Aquatic biodiversity is especially rich in this region, one of the most diverse of the Amazon Basin.
A number of studies have been conducted at the site over the last decade, including long-term field projects on several mammal species. Census data have also been collected for large mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians as well as local flora. The station is well-suited for teaching field courses, and prior topics include primate conservation and ecology, herpetology, field methods, dendrology and more.
The Tahuamanu Biological Station is one kilometer from the north bank of the Río Tahuamanu and 60 km southwest of Cobija, the capital city of Pando; the station is three hours by road from Cobija's international airport. Located within a trinational frontier, the Biological Station is only a short distance from both the Brazilian and Peruvian borders.
Researchers intending to carry out fieldwork and sampling protocols will require permits from the Bolivian Department of National Biodiversity Management (DGB), which also provides CITES permits. To obtain a permit, scientists must sign a research agreement with a local institution, which the Centro de Investigación y Preservación de la Amazonia (CIPA) can easily provide, in addition to assistance with processing permit applications. CIPA also offers academic and logistical assistance to researchers, including the arrangement of transportation to and from the field site.
The Station has shared and private cabins, a partially equipped kitchen, a dining area, and teaching and storage facilities. The presence of local guides and a full-time caretaker ensures safe and comfortable living and working conditions for researchers and the presentation of field courses. Over 25 km of trails in an extensive grid system allows for easy viewing of animals. With advance notice, road and river transportation can also be provided through CIPA at the University of Pando. For more information about the Biological Station, please contact Sandra Suárez at <sqs6596@nyu.edu> or: Centro de Investigación y Preservación de la Amazonia (CIPA), Universidad Amazónica de Pando, Avenida Crnl. Cornejo, Cobija, Depto. de Pando, Bolivia, Tel.: 591-3-842-2135 ext. 112, <cipauap@hotmail.com> or <estacion_tahuamanu@yahoo.com>.
The Tahuamanu Biological Station is operated through the cooperation of the Universidad Amazónica de Pando, CIPA, the Field Museum and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
