The Organizations for Tropical Studies (OTS) hosted a workshop named “Tropical Biodiversity Initiative” in Costa Rica during June 18-22, which was present by 27 tropical biologists from OTS, XTBG, and universities of Central America. The purpose of the workshop was to set priorities for biodiversity research and ecosystem valuation. The workshop was one of the two planning meetings to establish collaborative research, education and training priorities, which was supported by the NSF Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) and Division of Environmental Biology – Dimensions of Biodiversity program.

The meeting focused on the three core issues related to biological diversity: identifying biodiversity, quantifying ecosystem diversity, function and value, integrating sustainability research into the study of tropical biodiversity.

 The tropical biologists reached common consensus on course plans for graduate level field course in biodiversity science, draft documents detailing research exchanges among partnering organizations, an outline of a research proposal in biodiversity science.

A follow-up meeting will be organized by Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) and will take place in China in 2014. At that meeting partners will draft a strategic plan for long-term partnership, offer a proof-of-concept field course in biodiversity research for graduate students, and complete a report of recommendations for promoting sustainability research in the tropics.

After the workshop, the participating researchers visited the La Selva Biological Station and Las Cruces Biological Station affiliated to the OTS.

Dr. Chen Jin speaking at the workshop

XTBG scientists communicating wih colleagues from La Sleva Biological Station

Visiing Las Alturas Biological Station

Group photo of tropical biologists at the workshop

XTBG representatives pose  at OTS