Carlos Galindo-Leal (Center for Conservation Biology - Stanford University)
Gerardo Ceballos Gonzalez (Centro de Ecologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico)

Most ecological research in Mexico has consisted on short term projects. A few institutions and researchers have carried out long-term ecological research. Most of them are associated with Centro de Ecologia of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Their research is carried out in three tropical biological stations: Los Tuxtlas in Veracruz, Chamela in Jalisco and Chajul in Chiapas (Table 1). Two other institutions which may also have long term projects are Instituto de Ecologia and Colegio de la Frontera Sur.

Table 1. Sites and ecosystems with existing long-term ecological research. Main institutions and research teams are included.

Where	State	Ecosystem	Institution	Research Team
Los Tuxtlas	Veracruz	Tropical Rain Forest	U.N.A.M. (Centro de Ecología)	Dr. José Sarukhan
Chamela-Cuixmala	Jalisco	Tropical Dry Forest	U.N.A.M. (Centro de Ecología)	Dr. Gerardo Ceballos, Dr. Manuel Maass
Mapimí	Durango	Shrubland (Chihuahuan Desert)	Instituto de Ecología	Dr. Gustavo Aguirre
Montes Azules	Chiapas	Tropical Rain Forest	U.N.A.M.-Colegio de la Frontera Sur	Dr. Rodrigo Medellín

Examples of long term research projects:

• Population dynamics of perennial plant species (1970's)
  
• Nutrient cycling under different management regimes (1981)
  
• Community dynamics of small mammals (1986)
  
• Changes in plant composition in the understorey (1980's)
  
• Population dynamics of desert tortoises (Gopherus flavomarginatus) (1975)

Several other institutions carry out research in protected areas with good potential to establish long-term research projects. Altough they have been established and working on protected areas for more than 20 years, however, most of their projects are short term inventories (Table 2).

Table 2. Sites and ecosystems with potential for long-term ecological research. Main institutions and research teams are included.

Where	State	Ecosystem	Institution
Sierra de Manantlan	Jalisco	Mixed Forest	U.A.Guadalajara
Michilía	Durango	Pine-Oak Forest	Instituto de Ecología
El Cielo	Tamaulipas	Gradient (Rain forest to Coniferous Forest	U.A.Tamaulipas; Instituto de Ecología
Vizcaino y Alto Golfo	Sonora, Baja California Norte	Shrubland (Sonoran Desert)	U. A. Sonora; CISESE
Sian-Ka'an	Quintana Roo	Tropical semideciduos forest, Wetlands	Colegio de la Frontera Sur
Calakmul	Campeche	Tropical semideciduos forest	Colegio de la Frontera Sur; U. Stanford U.A.Campeche; Bosque Modelo;
El Triunfo	Chiapas	Tropical Rain Forest	Instituto de Historia Natural

2. Major needs to advance long-term ecological research.

• Lack of incentive. Short term research provides more publications.
  
• Lack of funding. Funding is more often directed to solving short term applied problems
  
• In some cases, lack of institutional continuity.