Barro Colorado Island

Coordinates: 9°09′N 79°51′W / 9.150°N 79.850°W / 9.150; -79.850
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Barro Colorado Research Station is run by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
A schematic of the Panama Canal, showing Barro Colorado Island in the middle left.

Barro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake in 1913. When the waters rose, they covered a significant part of the existing tropical forest, but certain hilltops remained as islands in the middle of the lake. It has an area of 15.6 km2 (6.0 sq mi).[1]

The island was set aside as a

species composition
of the island.

Hundreds of scientists conduct research projects on Barro Colorado Island every year.[2]

In 1978, Thomas Croat published his Flora of Barro Colorado Island documenting the plant species on the island.

Egbert Giles Leigh, who first visited the island in 1966, and now spends half his week there, published Tropical Forest Ecology : A View from Barro Colorado Island.[6][7] In 2002 The Tapir's Morning Bath by Elizabeth Royte was published, chronicling the lives and work of scientists working on the island.[5]

National Geographic
produced a documentary featuring the Barro Colorado Island titled World's Last Great Places: Rain Forests released in 2007. The first selection, titled Panama Wild: Rain Forest of Life features scientists from the Smithsonian's Tropical Research Institute and also highlights the battles for survival and partnerships among species within this rich ecosystem.

Forest dynamics plot

In 1980, a 50-ha

Pasoh forest reserve, Malaysia in 1987, allowing the dynamics of two distinct tropical forests to be compared.[9]

Visiting

Visitors are allowed on Barro Colorado Island. Access is, however, regulated by STRI. To visit the island, people must make a reservation with the staff and arrange for a tour. Tours generally include transportation to and from the island (often by boat from Gamboa), a 2–3 hour guided hike, lunch, and a visit to the museum. Hikes through the island offer the opportunity to spot several animals including monkeys, anteaters, birds and insects.[10]

National Emergency

U.S. federal law states that the natural features of the island shall "be left in their natural state for scientific observation and investigation", "except in event of declared national emergency."[11]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8047-0950-7
    .
  2. ^
    ISSN 0262-4079
    . Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  3. ^ "History of Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute". Archived from the original on 2013-06-18. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  4. ^ a b Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (n.d.). "Barro Colorado Island". Terrestrial Research Facilities. STRI. Archived from the original on 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-0-618-25758-4
    . Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  6. OCLC 36768102
    .
  7. ^ Royte p.40
  8. ^ "Barro Colorado Island". Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Archived from the original on 2011-02-21. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
  9. PMID 11605618
    .
  10. ^ "Visiting Barro Colorado Island".
  11. ^ "20 U.S. Code § 79". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2020-03-15.

External links

9°09′N 79°51′W / 9.150°N 79.850°W / 9.150; -79.850

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