A Steady Stream of Third Party Researchers to the Iwokrama Forest

The Iwokrama International Centre has been seeing a steady flow of third party researchers from international organisations and universities over the past quarter. 

In June 2006, the Centre had the privilege of hosting Researcher Olaf Banki who is from the National Herbarium of the Netherlands, Utrecht University, Netherlands on Neutrality, Ecology and Tree-Diversity in the Guianas. The objective of this project is to investigate whether tree-diversity patterns and composition of forests in the Guianas can be explained better by ecology, e.g. different soil types, or by neutral processes, e.g. dispersal limitation of tree species. A special focus in this research will be the difference in composition of forests standing on white and brown sands, but where possible differences with forests on laterite and possibly floodplain forest will also be considered.  Understanding what determines tree-biodiversity patterns in the Guianas is essential for researchers as well as policy makers and conservationists. Plot studies are an important part of basic data generation necessary for the understanding of local and regional biodiversity patterns. The current proposed project will enhance the knowledge of tree-diversity on different soil types in the Guianas, and the role environmental and ecological factors play in determining the observed diversity patterns. The expected results from the project will provide researchers (both from the Guianas as from other countries) with basic information on diversity, which can be used to develop further research on rain forests.

Researcher Aiesha Williams, a Masters Student in Conservation and Tourism from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, Department of Anthropology, University of Kent-Canterbury is also conducting her research on Stakeholder vs. Shareholder: Options for Community-based Ecotourism Partnership between Iwokrama and Fair View Village, Guyana within the Iwokrama Forest and Fair View Community from May – June 2006.

This project will increase the social knowledge in some aspects of the opportunities and mechanism for an Iwokrama – Fair View Village tourism partnership, type of partnership that is suitable, the potential costs and benefits associated with this partnership and the increased benefits and decision making power to be gained by Fairview Village as well as increasing the knowledge that exists in sustainable ecotourism using a participatory planning model. In the long term, this will assist in assessing the sorts of tourism arrangements most suitable for tourism with Protected Areas with communities. This research will also be beneficial in the provision of information to the communities in the North Rupununi.

Researcher Elroy Charles, PhD student from the Imperial College in United Kingdom is conducting his research on Whiteflies (Aleyrodidae) in Guyana: Aleurodicinae, its bionomics, phylogeny and Natural Enemies. The Project aims to survey and identity of whitefly species in Guyana, determine their specific effects on their hosts, study the inter-relationship between whiteflies and their natural enemies through field as well as laboratory experiments and the phylogeny of subfamily Aleurodinae within the Neotropics.

The Iwokrama Researchers Programme continues to provide opportunities for persons to contribute to national and international sustainable forest management. The programme promotes and assists in the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of its components, and does not cause damage to biodiversity.

The Researchers Programme also promotes a greater understanding of the problems, challenges and opportunities relating to the conservation and development of tropical rain forests. Over the years, the Centre has had the opportunity and privilege of collaborating with more than thirty (30) researchers.

The Centre had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and a Collaborative Research Agreement (CRA) with the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada in March 2006 which allowed for a broad range of collaboration covering the natural and social sciences, including studying the impact of Iwokrama on the health and wellbeing of people of the North Rupununi Communities. Research in this field has already been ongoing since 2001. The agreement highlights the research opportunities provided by Iwokrama for the benefit of academic institutions.

Iwokrama also continues to work in close collaboration with the local communities living around the forest and requires their participation in decision-making on issues that affect their land, resource management strategies, and knowledge. In the case of research outside of the forest, researcher-community relationships are designed to protect local communities’ rights over their intellectual property and traditional resources, and promote benefit sharing and the achievement of sustainable use objectives relevant to the community.