Wayqecha Biological Station
Encyclopedia
The Wayqecha Biological Station is a tropical ecological
research station
near Peru
's Manú National Park
. This research station is located (13°10'38.06"S, 71°36'16.36"W) in the upper reaches of the Río Cosñipata, an affluent of the Madre de Dios River
, in the Paucartambo Province
, Cusco Region
. The station ranges from 2200 to 3700 m in elevation and includes several Andean ecosystem
s, such as montane forests, elfin forests, montane scrub and high-Andean grassland (puna
). These ecosystems are connected by a series of trails and by the road Paucartambo-Shintuya. The station was established in 2005 and is managed by two non-governmental organizations: the Peruvian NGO Asociación para la Conservación de la Cuenca Amazónica (ACCA) and the US-based Amazon Conservation Association
(ACA), which also manage the Los Amigos Biological Station
in the lowland rainforest of southeastern Peru.
Current research at Wayqecha includes a multidisciplinary project studying carbon cycling
in soils and montane forests and their response to climate change
, and studies of plant and animal diversity patterns along the Andean elevational gradient. Wayqecha hosted a field course of the Organization for Tropical Studies
in 2007.
, the nearest city.
image:cabfacwayqecha.jpg|Wayqecha Biological Station
image:monforwayqecha.jpg|Montane forest at 3200 m elevation
image:haleniamanu.jpg|A Gentian
flower in the Andean grassland above Wayqecha, Halenia
sp.
image:episecwayqecha.jpg|Epidendrum secundum
, a common orchid at Wayqecha
Image:Wayqechasign.JPG|Welcome sign to the station
Tropical ecology
Tropical ecology is the relationship between plants and animals in a tropical environment , these mean the area between tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn. Day and night last here approximately 12 hours. Characteristic for tropical zone is at least one day of right angle sun shining. High...
research station
Research station
A research station is a station built for the purpose of conducting scientific research. Research station sites might include outer space and oceans. Many nations have research stations in Antarctica; Showa Station, Halley and Troll are examples...
near Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
's Manú National Park
Manú National Park
Manú National Park is a biosphere reserve located in Madre de Dios and Paucartambo, Cusco. Before becoming an area protected by the Peruvian government, the Manú National Park was conserved thanks to its inaccessibility. The park remains fairly inaccessible by road to this day. In 1977, UNESCO...
. This research station is located (13°10'38.06"S, 71°36'16.36"W) in the upper reaches of the Río Cosñipata, an affluent of the Madre de Dios River
Madre de Dios River
The Madre de Dios River, homonymous to the Peruvian region it runs through, then becomes the Beni River in Bolivia and then turns northward into Brazil, where it is called the Madeira River...
, in the Paucartambo Province
Paucartambo Province
Paucartambo Province is one of thirteen provinces in the Cusco Region in the southern highlands of Peru.-Boundaries:* North: Madre de Dios Region* East: Quispicanchi Province* South: Quispicanchi Province* West: Calca Province...
, Cusco Region
Cusco Region
Cusco is a region in Peru. It is bordered by the Ucayali Region on the north; the Madre de Dios and Puno regions on the east; the Arequipa Region on the south; and the Apurímac, Ayacucho and Junín regions on the west...
. The station ranges from 2200 to 3700 m in elevation and includes several Andean ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s, such as montane forests, elfin forests, montane scrub and high-Andean grassland (puna
Puna grassland
The Puna grassland ecoregion, of the montane grasslands and shrublands biome, is found in the central Andes Mountains of South America. It is considered one of the eight Natural Regions in Peru, but extends south as far as northern Argentina and Chile....
). These ecosystems are connected by a series of trails and by the road Paucartambo-Shintuya. The station was established in 2005 and is managed by two non-governmental organizations: the Peruvian NGO Asociación para la Conservación de la Cuenca Amazónica (ACCA) and the US-based Amazon Conservation Association
Amazon Conservation Association
Amazon Conservation Association is a 5013 non-profit organization working to conserve the biodiversity of the Amazon Basin through the development of new scientific understanding, sustainable resource management and rational land-use policy....
(ACA), which also manage the Los Amigos Biological Station
Los Amigos Biological Station
The Los Amigos Biological Station is a research station in lowland Amazonian forest at the base of Peru's southern Andes, at 270 masl in Madre de Dios department. The station's official name in Spanish is Centro de Investigación y Capacitación Río Los Amigos...
in the lowland rainforest of southeastern Peru.
Current research at Wayqecha includes a multidisciplinary project studying carbon cycling
Carbon cycle
The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth...
in soils and montane forests and their response to climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, and studies of plant and animal diversity patterns along the Andean elevational gradient. Wayqecha hosted a field course of the Organization for Tropical Studies
Organization for Tropical Studies
The Organization for Tropical Studies is a network of ecological research stations created in Costa Rica in 1963. OTS is run by a non-profit consortium of 63 universities, based in the United States, Australia and Latin America . The corporate headquarters of OTS are at Duke University, in...
in 2007.
Access
Wayqecha is located along the Paucartambo-Shintuya road, approximately 1 hour east of Paucartambo and 4-5 hours east of CuscoCusco
Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...
, the nearest city.
Gallery
image:cabfacwayqecha.jpg|Wayqecha Biological Station
image:monforwayqecha.jpg|Montane forest at 3200 m elevation
image:haleniamanu.jpg|A Gentian
Gentianaceae
Gentianaceae are a family of flowering plants of 87 genera and over 1500 species. Flowers are actinomorphic and bisexual with fused sepals and petals. The stamens are attached to the inside of the petals and alternate with the corolla lobes. There is a glandular disk at the base of the gynoecium,...
flower in the Andean grassland above Wayqecha, Halenia
Halenia
Halenia is a genus of plant in family Gentianaceae. It contains the following species :* Halenia longicaulis, J.S.Pringle* Halenia minima, C.K.Allen* Halenia pulchella, Gilg...
sp.
image:episecwayqecha.jpg|Epidendrum secundum
Epidendrum secundum
Epidendrum secundum, one of the crucifix orchids, is a poorly understood reed stemmed species, which Dressler describes as "the Epidendrum secundum complex." According to Dressler, there are dozens of varieties, some of which appear to deserve species rank...
, a common orchid at Wayqecha
Image:Wayqechasign.JPG|Welcome sign to the station