Biological stations
Aguas Calientes field camp is situated in southwestern slope of Serrania de Contamana which is a part of Sierra del Divisor mountain massif (Upper Amazon, Peru). It became a nature reserve since 2005 as protected area and later, in 2015, the Sierra del Divisor National Park was established here. This area is peculiar due to weak or moderate volcanic activity and thermal streams occurring here. The territory of the park is basically uninhabited and covered with virgin mountain tropical rainforests. The understory of the forests is composed by shrubs and palms like Attalea insignis, A. racemosa, Geonoma spp., Bactris spp. and numerous herbs of the family Maranthaceae (Ischnosyphon and Calathea). Mountain ridges is not too high with maximal altitude of 765 m but the slopes are steep. At the back of the ridges the forest becomes pygmy appearance. Numerous bromeliads (Tilandsia and Neoregelia) are reachable at the eye level. Several species of Heliconia (H. densiflora, H. stricta and H. vellerigera) are abundant along the creeks. The ridges are dissected by numerous creeks (quebradas) and deep narrow canyons. There is a number of waterfalls and sulfurous sources. The fauna is very species-rich. Large and middle size mammals, such as jaguar, tapir, Amazonian deer, and Amazonian otter are abundant here. You can stay at that field camp or hike deeper in the forest using the ridges or creeks as a trails. In the center of the park is a mysterious volcanic caldera that is known as Ojo de Cantaya. It is reachable with helicopter only for this moment, but I have begun to clean a new trail through the mountain ridges. The total length of the trail estimated to be 45-50 kilometers. The maximum of the rain season occurs in March-April with daily heavy showers. The minimum precipitation is in August-September. I have sampled insects during both maximum and minimum of rains. Those surveys have revealed that faunal compositions apparently differ to each other. The niche capacity is also high. For example, I have collected ten species of trunk dwelling Conoderinae from one square meter of huge tree trunk.
Allpahuayo Mishana is research forest station at Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve (Loreto, Peru). It is situated ca 26 km from Iquitos along the single road to Nauta. This station provides good accommodation and possibility to make hiking or research of the biodiversity and ecosystem of primary floodplain rainforest of Upper Amazon.
Primary floodplain rainforest Allpahuayo Mishana
Mazumbai Station is perfect field station at Mazumbai Forest Reserve (Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania). It is located within primary mountain rain forest near small village in famous hot spot of biodiversity West Usambara Mountains. It is former house of Swiss tea plantation owners. The station has electricity, very good field lab and all necessary facilities: kitchen, dinning room, bath and bed rooms. The staff at the station is very friendly.
Tarsius home stay is perfect field station at Tongkoko Forest Reserve (North Sulawesi, Indonesia). It is located just near primary rain forest with very diverse fauna including numerous insects, reptiles and endemic mammals such as black macaque and tarsiers (Tarsius spectrum), little nocturnal insectivorous primates. Homestay owners are employees of the park and very familiar with forest paths and trails. It is former house of Swiss tea plantation owners. The station has electricity and all necessary facilities: kitchen, dinning room, bath and bed rooms. Three meals per day are inclusive.
Cikaniki Station is located within primary montane rain forest in Halimun Salak National Park (West Java). It has been established with support of Japanese government for scientific purposes.
Okomu station is located in very diverse primary guinea type lowland rain forest within Okomu National Park (Edo State, Nigeria). It is suitable to students field course. Okomu has been established as research station to monitor rare primates. The station has camp ground and forest lodges with electricity, bed rooms, dinning room, showers and restrooms.