Section I: Introduction

 

Bellavista ("beautiful view" in Spanish) Ecological Reserve is located in the north-western region of the Andean Mountains of Ecuador. As you can see the views are spectacular and the number of species of birds even more miraculous.
 
    In the expediton briefing, specific goals were listed but only as the trip unfolded and after many discussion with group members, the goal of the expedition became clear; how can one combine science and conservation while contributing to the pursuit of worldwide sustainabilityas well as discovering the implications for conservation of biodiversity. As with any educational aim/goal, this needed to be broken down into a smaller component, the central question.
    The central question of my Earthwatch expedition was: Do forest interiors differ from forest edges in terms of birds and their interactions; or in other words, compare bird communities in degraded and more pristine patches to determine which species are more vulnerable to habitat change.    
    Dr. Constance Dustin “Dusty” Becker, the Principal Investigator, has been involved in the exploration and reforestation of Ecuador since 1997.  It is through her patience and many discussions with not only Dusty, but all the members of our group, that I am able to visualize how this project actually does contribute to the pursuit of worldwide sustainability.
    Briefly, the study enables Dusty to document the enormous biodiversity found in the forest, distinguishing those birds that inhabit the interior regions and the exterior or the edges.  By documenting this information community awareness can and hopefully will be stimulated which in turn will encourage the local people to embrace this diversity, leaving the forests intact. Bellavista has claimed to be the “best” birding area in South America and according the Richard, founder of Bellavista , the traffic has increased immensely, providing local people with alternatives to raising cattle and cutting down the forests for pastures.

     “On the edge” can have many interpretations, especially when one loses the trail, must climb a vertical cliff utilizing one rope between five friends, and with darkness quickly approaching (see sections II for more details). In regard to our intentional scientific research, the edge refers to the pasture areas, or deforested areas, as well as the foliage along the road.  The interior inecludes the dense foliag.