Title: "The arguments are sound, but does science really have a chance to save the Amazon?"

Upcoming guest lecture of the Neotropical Montology Collaboratory on "The arguments are sound, but does science really have a chance to save the Amazon?"

Dr. Swing has confirmed the topic:  "I expect to talk about several specific studies at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station from some environmental monitoring of oil impacts on freshwater fishes to our half-million-image camera-trap study. I'll also make references to long-term studies on bats, the leaf-litter amphibian community and use the Fulgoridae as indicators of a general decline in insects. I'm directly involved in all these studies which are running somewhere between 12 and 25 years each in Yasuni, a region that appears to be broadly intact. I can touch on the plight of indigenous peoples and the special situation of the rights of nature as recognized by the Ecuadorian Constitution. All this leads toward some discussion of human nature, logic and pragmatism". 

The Tiputini Biodiversity Research Station (TBRS) is one of the prime LTER sites for studying the Amazon, located in the heart of the Yasuni National Park, the most biodiverse tropical rain forest ecosystem.  It has received global attention after the National Geographic article and several scientific papers emanating from TBRS.  In addition, USFQ is a successful partner with a long-standing collaborative agreement with UGA.

Co-sponsored by the Departments of Anthropology and Geography