| Tropical Rain Forest Canopy: Structure and Organization |
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| Investigators |
| Dr. Roman Dial, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Alaska Pacific University
Andrew Lee (M.Sc. candidate), Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Alaska Pacific University
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What is the Issue? |
| UNDERSTANDING ABOVE GROUND FOREST STRUCTURE ZONATION |
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Forest canopy organization is the distribution of canopy elements, such as leaves, stems, soil, epiphytes and airspace. The relationships between forest canopies and other organisms can be better understood through improved knowledge of forest canopy organization. This study aims to measure and document tropical rain forest canopy layers or zones, and to look for patterns and correspondences with other organisms. A technique for measuring canopy organization using horizontal traverses and vertical transects has been used in previous research to measure temperate rain forest canopy components in Alaska. This technique will also be applied to tropical rain forest canopy elements in Costa Rica for this research. Arthropods will also be sampled using suspended sticky traps.
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What is our goal? |
| TO COMPARE TROPICAL CANOPIES WITH TEMPERATE FOREST CANOPIES TO CONSERVE WORLD FORESTS.
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Where we currently stand. |
| The field research for this project is scheduled to take place during January and February, 2001. Statistical descriptions and GIS maps will be composed from the collected data. The researchers will then compare these data with identically sampled data taken in Alaska to form the basis of a temperate-tropical comparison.
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You can help this project - find out how. |
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