SUPPORTED PROJECTS

Cambridge-Royal Holloway & Bedford Amazon 1992: A Cambridge-Royal Holloway & Bedford expedition to Colombia 1992

Tigga Kingston

5 British students worked with 3 Colombians from Universidad Nacional de Colombia to produce the first records of the birds, bats, invertebrates and plants of the white sand rainforests of the Serrania de Naquen, a mountainous region in the Amazon of eastern Colombia. This information was then to be used to assess the conservation value of the Serrania. The Serrania was found to be floristically unique, and supported five threatened mammals. In addition it was confirmed as belonging to the Imeri zone of endemism, as 8 of the 11 endemic bird species were found. The Serrania is thus an area of considerable biological value. Gold mining on the Serrania has resulted not only in habitat destruction but also local depletion of large mammal populations as a result of hunting for food. However, this threat is localised and, as much of the gold has now been removed, is likely to diminish.

Project update: 21/8/96. The multi-university team inventoried the plants, invertebrates, bats and birds of the Serranía de Naquén in the Amazon of eastern Colombia.