Projects
A full list of the numerous projects, publications and presentations delivered by Las Cuevas since becoming operational in 1995 is presented below. Researchers: if your project is not listed below and you would like it to be, plese contact us.
The list reflects the great diversity and depth of work undertaken at Las Cuevas, and demonstrates that Las Cuevas has become a thriving and internationally important centre for biodiversity research. You will see that there has been a steady increase in the number of Scientists and Students working at Las Cuevas, with people from Belize, USA and Canada studying alongside those from Britain. Whilst there have been are many significant achievements in the last 5 years, we would highlight these in particular:
- Between 2001 and 2003 staff at Las Cuevas played a leading role in providing objective and informed data to the international debate surrounding a proposed dam at Chalillo on the Macal River. The wildlife impact assessment field work and report carried out by Las Cuevas provided the most respected and valuable basis for decision making. Uniquely, Las Cuevas was able to provide unbiased, accurate and valid information to all parties including the Government of Belize, NGOs, campaigners, media and developers.
- The Harpy Eagle Project, based at and supported by Las Cuevas, is an exciting programme aimed at re-introducing one of the world’s largest eagles into part of its former range. The successful release of the first 4 eagles has taken place at a ‘hack’ site run by Las Cuevas. This has been a flagship project for the Meso-American Biological Corridor.
- Important studies of Jaguar and Ocelot abundance and behaviour have been based at Las Cuevas, using innovative photo-trap technology.
- Other pioneering work has involved the development of live web-casts from Las Cuevas to the Darwin Centre in London and to the Exploratorium in San Francisco.
- Finally, it is worth noting that Las Cuevas has been responsible for environmental impact assessments for other protected areas of Belize and thus plays a wider role in promoting professional conservation efforts throughout the country.
| Principal Investigators | Project Title | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Alastair Rogers | New Millennium Expedition to the Upper Raspaculo, Maya Mountains. | NHM |
| Alex Hayward | Tank bromeliads in Chiquibul Forest: their associated diversity and conservation value | NHM |
| Alex Monro | Botanical Collections | NHM |
| Allan Warren | Studies on the use of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment | NHM |
| Andrew Jackson | Parasitoid wasp collection | University of Oxford |
| Andy Englis | Small mammal survey | University California Davis |
| Andy Polazek | Whitefly collections | NHM |
| Angel Mula | Harpy Eagle Release Project | Peregrine Fund |
| Angela Newton | Floristic studies of neo-tropical mosses | NHM |
| Anna Watson | Automated hawkmoth identification using resting position images | University of Wales |
| Barry Fox | Entomological Collections | Independent |
| Barry Meatyard | Student Group Visit | Brathay Expeditions |
| Bill Dubbin | Mineralogical controls on long-term soil organic carbon storage and partitioning | NHM |
| Bradley Kropp | Macro-Fungi of Belize | Utah State University |
| Brian Holland | Geological review of Macal Valley | Belize Minerals |
| Bruce Miller | Bat Soundings | Wildlife Conservation Society |
| Caroline Whitefoord | Botanical Collections | NHM |
| Cecilia Sanchez | Population dynamics of Brysonomia Classifora (Breadnut) | NHM |
| Charles Godfray | Leaf miner studies | Imperial College |
| Charles Yaculik | Leaf miner studies | University of Oxford |
| Chris Bowls | Macal River Flow Monitoring Project | PWA |
| Christine Taylor | Leaf-cutter ant study | NHM |
| Craig Weatherby | Herpetological site visit | Michigan University |
| Daegan Inward | Dung Beetle Collection | Imperial College |
| David Allsop | Student Group Ecology Course | Edinburgh University |
| David Sutton | Diversity and Dynamics of forest communities | NHM |
| Deirdre Doherty | Abundance of frugivores mammals | University College Davis |
| Elizabeth Wilder | Agro ecosystems as refuges for forest butterfly | Imperial College |
| Emily Fitzgerald | Project Anuran Phase II | University of Edinburgh |
| Erika Elswick | Geological survey | Indiana University |
| Esther Kamau | Population structure of Schizolobium parahyba in Belize | Cambridge University |
| Eve Dyson | MSc Study | Imperial College |
| Forrest Davis | Avifauna studies | HLT |
| Francis de la Santos | Radio tagging Brown Capped Warblers | University of York |
| Fred Rumsey | Allozyme invariability in Hepatics | NHM |
| Geoff Martin | Lepidoptera Belize: DNA methods for collecting, preserving and storing. | NHM |
| George McGavin | Membracidae: The Art and Science of Treehopper Disguises. | University of Oxford |
| Hans Klompen | Soil – Micro mites | Utah State University |
| Holly Porter Morgan | Study of the flowering phenology and pollination ecology of Camaedorea (Palmae) | NYBG |
| Ian Menzies | Project Anuran IV | University of Edinburgh |
| James Churchill | Frog Study | Acadia University |
| Jeffrey Maurer | Student Group Visit | Sierra Institute |
| John Martin | Host-correlated inventory study of whiteflies and other sternorrhynchous Heiptera | NHM |
| John Shuey | Entomological Collection | TNC |
| K. Sidwell | Curators Collecting Trip | NHM |
| Karen Allen | Student Group Ecology Course | SI |
| Kate Finlinson | Project Anuran Phase III | EU |
| Kris Kaiser | Frog Study | Cleveland State University |
| Malcolm Beasley | The Belize Bibliography Project | NHM |
| Malcolm Penn | Spatial analysis of forest composition, productivity and micro environmental | NHM |
| Mamen Pena | Aboreles de Mundo Maya | NHM |
| Marcella Kelly | Jaguar abundance | VTU |
| Martin Kellman | Forest refuge in the MPR | University of York |
| Mathew Barnes | Moths of Belize | Independent |
| Mathew Miller | Student Group Ecology Course | Monkey Bay Sanctuary |
| Matt Kaplan | Science Communication to Darwin Building | NHM |
| Meg Krawcnuk | Beetle Collections | Acadia University |
| Meg Yeadon | Beetle ecological interactions | Acadia University |
| Melissa Alexander | Live Web Casts | SFE |
| Miriam Kahlil | Student Group Visit | International Field School |
| Nancy Garwood | Variation in morphology and life history traits of Trema micrantha | NHM |
| Nancy Garwood | 50 ha Forest Dynamics Plot at Las Cuevas, Belize | NHM |
| Neil Stuart | Geo-reference mapping | University of Edinburgh |
| Nick Arnold | Herpetological studies | NHM |
| Nick Wicks | Xate study | NHM |
| Nigel Gibbens | Veterinarian Studies | Independent |
| Noel Wanner | Live Web Casts 2 | San Francisco Exploratorium |
| Osmany Salas | Belize Bird Count | Belize Audubon Society |
| Owen Lewis | Coexistence of competitors in a fragmented landscape: insect and parasitoids | University of Oxford |
| Paolo Alfonso Pedata | Whitefly collection | CNR |
| Pat Murphy | Preliminary site visit for joint NHM/SFE webcast | San Francisco Exploratorium |
| Paul Davis | Palaeobotany of the Cretaceous period | NHM |
| Paul Kenrick | Palaeozoic palaeobotany and Cretaceous and Tertiary palaeozoology of Belize | NHM |
| Paul Waring | Entomological Studies | British Ecological Studies |
| Peter Furley | Soil and Plant relationships in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve | University of Edinburgh |
| Peter Stafford | Ecology and population status of Morelet’s crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii). | NHM |
| Phil Taylor | Winter Avifauna of Las Cuevas | Acadia University |
| Philip Balderamos | Belize Bird Count | UNDP |
| Phill Walts | Reconnaissance visit for future Tropical Ecology Course | Carson Nature Centre |
| Rebecca Morris | Experimental community ecology using tropical host-parasitoid assemblages | Imperial College |
| Richard Harbord | Chiropteran mammal species abundance and diversity | NHM |
| Rimantis Puplesis | Taxonomy and Systematics of Microlepidoptera | NHM |
| Rob Knell | Student Group Ecology Course | QCL |
| Ronald Cave | Pine Forest regeneration project | Independent |
| Sally Bradden | Bryophytes Ecology | University of York |
| Sandy Knapp | Arboles del Mundo Maya | NHM |
| Sarah Metcalf | Tephra chronological studies of Northern Yucatan | University of Edinburgh |
| Seyoha Harris | Frog Studies | University of Pennsylvania |
| Sharon Matola | Scarlet Macaw Studies | Belize Zoo |
| Stacy Smith | Bee pollination studies | Reading University |
| Stephan Helfler | MSc Botanical Taxonomy | RBGE |
| Stephen Alvarez | Photographic expedition of Chiquibul Cave System | National Geographic |
| Stephen Reichling | Herptelogical Study | Memphis Zoo |
| Steve Blackmore | Palonological Studies of Belize | RBGE |
| Stuart Longhorn | Genetic evaluation of CITES II protected spiders of the genus Brachypelma | NHM |
| Suzanne Kelly | Whitefly Collection | University of Arizona |
| Tim Caro | Mammal abundance and diversity in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve: | University California Davis |
| Toby Gardner | Project Anuran Phase I | University of Edinburgh |
| Tom Miller | Spediological studies of the Chiquibul Cave System | University of Puerto Rico |
| Tony Shelly | The Simuliidae of Belize | NHM |
| Venetia Briggs | Frogs | University of Miami |
| Viveca Peerson | Historical vegetation of Belize | NHM |