Gisele Didier
Direction's Assistant
Humboldt Institute.

1. The Humboldt Institute

The Humboldt Institute belongs to the recently created Ministry of the Environment technical and scientific support body. Althought It was created by law in 1993, it only started to operate 18 months ago. Four more institutes were created by the same law. These institutes are:

• The IDEAM institute, in charge of physical environment research
• The INVEMAR Institute, in charge of marine research
• The SINCHI Institute, responsible for the research in the Amazon region
• The John von Neumann Institute, responsible for the research in the Choco region, and
• The Alexander von Humboldt Institute, in charge of biodiversity research in the whole country

The Humboldt Institute is an non profit corporation, made up by 23 members, including the Ministry of the Environment, Colombia National Science Foundation (Colciencias), Universities and Non governmental Organizations among others.

It's goal is to promote, coordinate and carry out research that contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of Biodiversity in Colombia.

To accomplish its main objective, three aspects are considered:

• The different levels of Biodiversity organization (genes, species and ecosystems)
• The different Biodiversity attributes (composition, structure and function) and,
• The human impact effect on Biodiversity

For practical purposes, the Institute's activities are being carried out under six strategic areas or programs. These programs are:

• The Inventories programme, dealing with biological collections information, rapid ecological assessments and systematics.
• The Conservation Biology Programme, dealing with ecology and natural history, gene banks, habitat fragmentation, ecological restauration and in situ and ex situ conservation strategies.
• The Socioeconomics programme that deals with ethnobiology studies, economics and biodiversity and with the role of biodiversity in Colombian culture.
• The Policy and Politics Programme, that is in charge of monitoring the Convention on Biological Diversity implementation. It also supports the Ministry of the Environment with the national and regional legislation process as well as with the National Biodiversity Strategy building.
• The Information and Communication programme includes a Biodiversity Information System throught INTERNET, as well as the publication of Scientific journals, field guides and text books and some audiovisuals and educational exhibitions.
• The Training Programme focuses in three main issues: Specialized courses, Biodiversity schollarships and short term visits.

For 1996, the Institute's budget was 1.2 million dollar. Up to now, the Institute has received support from the government and its members. Right now, we are beginning to submit research projects to international agencies and governments to obtain more financial ressources. Also, we have the possibility of offering some services to the scientific community that could also represent additional financial incomes.

2. Colombia National Research Station Network

One of the functions that is given by law to the Humboldt Institute is to create a National Research Station Network. In order to do this, a national survey was carried out. Several criteria were selected in order to select some stations as elegible. These criteria are: biological significance, previous knowledge, infraestructure/accesibility, working institutions and security.

After the survey, nine stations were selected. In some of these stations we are already promoting, coordinating or carrying out research. All selected stations have a basic infrastruture supporting research activities. Selected stations are:

a. In the Caribbean Area:

Coloso Station: It's elevation goes from forty to one hundred and twenty meters above sea level. Annual rainfall is one thousend five hundred milimeters. Research carried out in this station is mainly related to flora and fauna inventories, and threatened species monitoring (specially with primates as Saguinus oedipus). Collaborating institutions are the regional environmental corporation and the Humboldt Institute. The ecosystem represented is tropical dry forest and it is one of the few reserve areas in the country where this ecosystem is present. The Humboldt Institute carried out a rapid ecological assessment in this area with very interesting results that lead to the decision to include this station in the network because of biological significance of the site.

b. In the Andean Region:

Ucumari station: This station is located in the Western slope of Central Andes, at an elevation that goes from two thousend to two thousend four hundred meters above sea level. It is located in the buffer zone of Los Nevados National Park. Annual rainfall is about three thousend milimeters. Research carried out in this station focuses mainly in flora and fauna inventories, threatened species monitoring (specially with Andean tapir) and fragmentation ecology. Collaborating institutions are the regional environmental corporation and the Humboldt Institute as well as the Ministry of the Environment through the National Park Service. The ecosystem represented is cloud montane forest. The Humboldt Institute has two PhD level associated researchers working in a fragmentation ecology projects. Other institutions involved with this project are Wildlife Conservation Society, Colombia National Science Foundation among others.

Chingaza National Park: This station is located in the Eastern slope of eastern Andes, at an elevation that goes from two thousend three hundred to four thousend meters above sea level. Annual rainfall ranges from three thousend to four thousand milimeters. Research carried out in this station focuses mainly in flora and fauna inventories and reintroduced species impact and management (particularly with Andean Condor). Collaborating institutions are the Ministry of the Environment through the National Park Service and the Humboldt Institute. The ecosystem represented is paramo, cloud montane forest and pre montane forest. The Humboldt Institute is carrying out a research project related to the Andean Condor reintroduction impact and management in the area.

La Planada Private Reserve: It is a reserve owned by Fundacion Fes (NGO). This station is located in the Western slope of Western Andes, at an elevation that goes from one thousend two hundred to two thousend two hundred meters above sea level. Annual rainfall is about four thousend milimeters. Research carried out in this station focuses mainly in flora and fauna inventories, threatened species monitoring (specially with Spectacled bear) and forest dinamics. The ecosystem represented is cloud montane forest. Collaborating institutions are Fundacion FES and the Humboldt Institute. The Humboldt Institute is establishing a 25 hectares permanent plot in close collaboration with CTFS. At the moment, the basic map of the plot is been finished.

c. In the Amazon region:

Macarena biological station: This station is located in Tinigua National Park and it is located between the eastern andes and the Sierra de la Macarena. Its elevation is between two hundred to five hundred meters above sea level. Annual rainfall ranges from two thousend five hundred to three thousend milimeters. Research carried out in this station focuses mainly in flora and fauna inventories and primate ethology. Collaborating institutions are the Ministry of the Environment through the National Park Service, University of Miyagy (Japan), Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) and the Humboldt Institute. The ecosystem represented is lowland tropical forest.

Araracuara Station: It is also located in the amazon region. Its elevation is four hundred meters above sea level. Annual rainfall ranges from three thousend to four thousend milimeters. Research carried out focuses mainly in flora and flora inventories, floristic composition and forest dynamics. Collaborating insitutions are the Tropenbos Foundation and the Humboldt Institute. The ecosystem represented is lowland tropical forest. At the moment we are preparing an agreement with the Tropenbos Foundation in order to establish a joint research agenda including long term ecological research.

Caparu Station: Its elevation is four hundred meters above sea level and annual rainfall is between three thousend and four thousend milimeters. Research carried out focuses in flora and fauna inventories, threatened species monitoring and population dynamics (related with primates). The ecosystem represented is lowland tropical forest. Collaborating institutions are Fundacion Natura (NGO) and the Humboldt Institute. At the moment, the Humboldt Institute has two PhD level associated researchers in the station working with primates population dynamics.

d. In the Pacific region:

Utria National Park: located in the northern pacific coast, with an elevation from sea level to one thousend two hundred meters above sea level. Annual rainfall exceeds ten thousend milimeters. Research carried out focuses in flora and fauna inventories and threatened species monitoring. Collaborating institutions are the Ministry of the Environment through the National Park Service, Fundacion Natura and the Humboldt Institute. The ecosystem represented are lowland tropical rain forest, mangroves and coral reefs.

Gorgona National Park: it is an island located in the southern pacific area, with an elevation that goes up to three hundred and thirty meters above sea level. Annual rainfall is about six thousend milimeters. Research carried out focuses mainly in fauna and flora inventories and threatened species monitoring (particularly with the humpbacked whale). The ecosystem represented is lowland tropical rain forest. At the moment, we are working in close collaboration with the National Park Service in order to prioritize activities to be carried out by the Humboldt Institute.

3. Major needs:

Major needs and priorities for the network can be summarized in basic information gathering (particularly satelite imagery), infrastructure and intercommunication strenghten and interinstitutional partnership strenghten.