The region where the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains meet the Amazonian lowlands harbors one of the greatest concentrations of biological diversity on Earth. Thousands of species and many complex tropical ecosystems exist along an altitudinal gradient from 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) in the Andes to 200 meters (650 feet) in the Amazonian lowlands. Vegetation varies with climate from grasslands and cloud forests at high elevation to rainforests, palm swamps, and tropical bogs in the lowlands. This region remains one of the last pristine sanctuaries of biological diversity in the world and is the focus of major conservation efforts as threats grow from human encroachment.

To understand the rich biological diversity of this region and to contribute to wise conservation planning, the BRIT-AABP team and their collaborators carry out botanical and ecological inventories and investigations of plant-animal interactions from the high Andes to the Amazonian lowlands.  After nearly a decade of research, the Andes to Amazon Biodiversity Program has become one of the leading biodiversity research endeavors in the Andes-Amazon region of Peru, with continued focus on five principal components, which are to:  (1) investigate the diversity and ecology of the flora, fauna, and ecosystems of the Andes-Amazon region; (2) conduct research and development in tropical horticulture, agriculture, and forestry; (3) design and develop new technologies for biodiversity science and conservation; (4) execute education and training for community-based biodiversity science and conservation; and (5) support conservation in the Andes-Amazon region of southeastern Peru with real data and expert knowledge.  

A summary of the AABP at BRIT is provided here within the BRIT website and will be updated in time.  Please refer to the AABP website for more information about the history, progress, results, and future plans of the research program.  Research Botanist Amanda Neill is the head of the AABP.  She works closely with co-founder Dr. Mathias Tobler and team members Renan Valega, Jason Wells, Jason Best, Keri Barfield, Tiana Rehman, and former team members Ethan Householder and Pedro Centeno.

This research could not have been completed without the support we have received from various project sponsers which include the National Science Foundation (NSF), Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Conservation Program, DiscoveryFoundation, Moore Foundation, and private donors.

Research Site

The AABP team conducts research in a pristine mid-elevational village of Quincemil, Cusco, Peru.  This area was essentially unknown and provided the team with access to a diverse flora and fauna.

New Technology Development

Creation of new technology is one of the goals of the AABP team.  While in the field, the team has worked to help shorten the amount of time from discovery to dissemination of information.  Mathias Tobler is using a GPS unit to help establish a trail system at Los Amigos Biological Station in Madre de Dios, Peru.

Investigating

Peru is home to a very diverse flora. One particular family of interest, Orchidaceae, provides a large number of species.  TCU-BRIT Graduate student, Rebecca Repasky Luke, studied the orchid diversity of the Andean cloud forest.