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Research and Biology: The Reserve’s Latest Projects
We’re happy to announce that from now on, you can find the Mashpi Lodge Research and Biology Newsletter and Newscast here on our website, in the Research section!
In our mid-year newsletter, we bring you exciting news about the conservation of Magnolias and our work with our neighboring communities. Additionally, there’s important news about macrofungi’s diversity in our reserve and finally, our brand-new classroom/workspace at Mashpi Lodge.
Protecting the Magnolias of the Andean Chocó
A few months back, we shared news of the exciting alliance between Mashpi Lodge, The Red List Project and MANE to develop a synthetic fragrance inspired by the Magnolia mashpi. The project is well underway and we’ll soon have some fragrant surprises in Mashpi’s amenities — stay tuned for these updates!
Today, we’re delighted to share that the project, which started with the idea of conserving the Magnolia mashpi, now includes three endemic Magnolia species from the Andean Choco region: Magnolia mashpi, M. chiguila, and M. mindoensis.
Here are some updates of this In-situ and Ex-situ Conservation Project
In-situ and Ex-situ Conservation, these two components, meaning literally conservation on-site and off-site, involve different actions and collaboration with various stakeholders in the region.
In-situ Conservation: Currently, we are searching for and mapping the distribution of these three species of Magnolia in order to plan our conservation actions. At the same time, we are working with academic partners from PUCE (Quito’s Catholic University) and USFQ (San Francisco University in Quito) to update the conservation status assessments of these species on the IUCN Red List, as well as conducting research on the phenology* of these trees.
*Phenology: refers to the recurrent cycles that a species exhibits, such as leaf production, flowering, fruiting, leaf senescence (fall), and the repetition of these cycles.
Collaboration with neighboring communities has been crucial in the search and identification of Magnolias. Local people, with their deep knowledge and love for their lands, are key to deepening and broadening the positive ripple effect in terms of conservation and conservation awareness the project can create across the whole region.
So far, we have partially mapped areas including San Francisco de Pachijal, the banks of the Guayllabamba River between Cielo Verde and Sahuangal, 1ro de Mayo, and some sectors around Mindo, Saloya and San Miguel de Los Bancos.
Ex-situ Conservation: Alongside the monitoring of adult trees, the project involves collecting fruits and seeds with which to create small nurseries for these species. The same people helping us find the trees are responsible for the nurseries. This process, like all science, involves trial and error, and we hope to discover soon the best techniques for planting Magnolias to help the regeneration of the forest in the region.
Education: An essential and transversal component of the project is education and community outreach. As we obtain results and learn how to germinate Magnolias, we will develop a technical manual to support this process. Ultimately, we aim to produce an informative booklet about the Magnolias of the Andean Chocó, thus increasing the value of these majestic trees.
Can you imagine explorers from around the world traveling all the way to Ecuador to observe and enjoy our magnificent Magnolias — just as they do with the redwood trees of North America?
Completing the Inventory of Macrofungi in the Mashpi-Tayra Reserve
In May, we welcomed back Dr. Paul Gamboa, professor, researcher and director of the Applied Mycology Lab at the Central University of Ecuador. He visited us with two associate researchers and four students. This is Paul’s third visit to collect, identify and catalog species of macrofungi in the Mashpi-Tayra reserve. Expectations are high as Paul believes this visit will provide a better understanding of species diversity and distribution patterns.
During the first two visits, the researchers covered the lower and middle zones of the reserve, ranging from 570 to 1,100 masl. This visit focused on the higher zone (1,100 to 1,400 masl) Monitoring the entire altitudinal range of the reserve allows us to include climatic variables in the study. This way, we can understand how altitude, temperature and humidity affect macrofungi diversity.
To understand this concept better, in tropical and mountainous areas, a general rule is that for every 150 meters of vertical elevation, there is a 1°C temperature variation. Similarly, variations occur in air humidity, precipitation levels, solar radiation, etc. All these variables determine the habitats and ecological niches present, and consequently, the species found in a particular place. This study technique, known as transects, has been used since the 19th century when Alexander von Humboldt explored the Ecuadorian Andes.
During this visit, Paul and his team collected over 120 samples, including the species Rimbachia paradoxa, which is very special because, since its description as a new species in 1891, it has only been recorded three other times (twice at Mashpi). Paul, along with associate researchers Miguel Espín and Silvia Delgado, believes this fungus should be classified as a native endemic species and considered endangered.
We look forward to publishing more news about this significant research soon, as well as producing a photographic guide to help share this knowledge about the fungal kingdom with our guests and neighboring communities.
New Digs!
We are thrilled to announce that the classroom/workspace of the Research and Biology Department has finally been inaugurated! This space was created to provide better facilities for researchers, offering essential services for efficient and focused work, thereby truly establishing Mashpi Lodge as a premier scientific station.
The 30 square-meter space can be adapted as a classroom, workspace or multipurpose room according to the needs of visiting research groups. Our goal is to open our reserve and this classroom to organize courses on various topics with our allies and, of course, invite local communities to be part of these learning spaces.
This space is the result of several years of work and collaboration from various contributors. We would like to thank the Hurtigruten Foundation for their support. We also thank each of our guests at the lodge, since each of their visits have contributed to this project. Finally, we extend our gratitude to all the researchers who have visited and chosen this living laboratory for their studies.
We are confident that this space will bring new research opportunities, new allies and the chance to strengthen our positive impact on the communities surrounding the reserve. We plan to organize talks and workshops for young people from neighboring communities very soon, combining theoretical knowledge with practical experiences in the forest.
Stay tuned!
For more information, please reach out to Mateo Roldán – Research & Biology Director at Mashpi Lodge ([email protected])
