Tupper 4pm seminar
Tue, Dec 18, 4pm seminar
speaker will be Frederick
Adler, University of Utah
Modeling biodiversity:  of
viruses and trees
Paleo-Talk
Wednesday, December 19,
Paleo-talk speaker will be
Carlos Cuartas, Geologist
Universidad Nacional de
Colombia, Eafit University.
The Colombian Pacific: Its
stratigraphy in a nutshell
Bambi seminar
For information on the next
Bambi seminar, please check
your e-mail. If you are
interested to give a Bambi,
please contact new Bambi jefe:
Maes, Femke at:
femke.maes@wur.nl
Arrivals
Charlotte Jander, Cornell
University, to study plant
sanctions and wasp pollination
behaviour in the fig tree-fig
wasp mutualism, on BCI.
Stephan Schnitzer, University
of Minnesota, to work on the
project "Do lianas cause
chronic disturbance and alter
successional trajectories en
tropical forests?, on BCI.
Erik Lindquist, to conduct
studies on persistent of
canopy amphibians on the
cloud forests of the Chiriqui
highlands on western Panama.
Paul Schaeffer, to study the
energetics and muscle
metabolism of clay-colored
robins, in Gamboa.
Participants to field course
Research Experience in
Panama from the University
of Wisconsin, Green Bay, in 
Gamboa. 
 STRI news
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá        www.stri.org        December 14, 2007
Corn... fuel... fire!
U.S. c o rn  s u b s id ie s  p ro m o te  Am azo n  d e fo re s tatio n
Amazon deforestation and fires
are being aggravated by US
farm subsidies, claims STRI’s
staff scientist William Laurance.
According to Laurance, whose
findings are reported this week
in Science (December 14), a
recent spike in Amazonian fires
is being promoted by massive
US subsidies that promote
American corn production for
ethanol. The ethanol is being
blended with gasoline as an
automobile fuel. 
"American taxpayers are
spending $11 billion a year to
subsidize corn producers—and
this is having some surprising
global consequences," said
Laurance.
The US is the world's leading
producer of soy, but many
American soy farmers are
shifting to corn to qualify for
the government subsidies. Since
2006, US corn production rose
19% while soy farming fell by
15%.
The drop-off in US soy has
helped to drive a major increase
in global soy prices, which have
nearly doubled in the last 14
months. In Brazil, the world's
second-largest soy producer,
high soy prices are having a
serious impact on the Amazon
rainforest and tropical
savannas. 
"Amazon fires and forest
destruction have spiked over
the last several months,
especially in the main
soy-producing states in Brazil,"
said Laurance. "Just about
everyone there attributes this to
rising soy and beef prices."   
High soy prices affect the
Amazon in several ways. Some
forests are cleared for soy
farms. Farmers also buy and
convert many cattle ranches
into soy farms, effectively
pushing the ranchers further
into the Amazonian frontier.
Finally, wealthy soy farmers are
lobbying for major new
Amazon highways to transport
their soybeans to market, and
this is increasing access to
forests for loggers and land
speculators.
Laurance emphasized that he
was not the first person to
suggest that US corn subsidies
could indirectly harm the
Amazon. "But now we're seeing
that these predictions-first
made last summer-are being
borne out. The evidence of a
corn connection to the Amazon
is circumstantial, but it's about
as close as you ever get to a
smoking gun."
Los fuegos y la deforestación
del Amazonas se agravan
debido a subsidios para la
agricultura en los EU, afirma el
científico de STRI, William
Laurance.
De acuerdo a Laurance, cuyos
hallazgos aparecen en la revista
Science de esta semana (14 de
diciembre), los subsidios
masivos de los EU para
promover la producción de
maíz para etanol tiene como
resultado el reciente aumento
de los fuegos en el Amazonas.
El etanol se mezcla con la
gasolina para combustible de
automóviles.
"Los contribuyentes al fisco de
los EU están gastando $11
billones al año para subsidiar a
los productores de maíz—lo
que tiene algunas consecuencias
globales sorprendentes,” afirma
Laurance.
Los EU son los mayores
productores de soya en el
mundo, pero muchos
New publications
Cernusak, Lucas A., Winter,
Klaus, Aranda, Jorge, Turner,
Benjamin L., and Marshall,
John D. 2007. "Transpiration
efficiency of a tropical pioneer
tree (Ficus insipida) in relation
to soil fertility." Journal of
Experimental Botany 58(13):
3549-3566.
Laurance, William F. 2007.
"Forest destruction in tropical
Asia." Current Science 93(11):
1544-1550.
Rakotonirina, Benja,
Jeannoda, Harimanga
Vololoniaina, and Leigh, Jr.,
Egbert Giles. 2007. "Impacts
on tree diversity in a malagasy
lowland rainforest of soil type,
a devastating cyclone and an
invading pioneer." Revue
D'Ecologie (Terre et Vie) 62:
363-368.
From the Secretary
I want to wish every member
of the Smithsonian community
a joyous holiday season and a
happy and healthy New Year.
This has been a remarkable
year of challenge and
accomplishment, and I want
to thank each of you for your
support, dedication, and
commitment to the Institution.
I am happy to announce that
the Smithsonian will grant a
day of leave for December
24th, following guidelines to
be issued by the Office of
Human Resources.
Cristián Samper
Washington DC
December 11, 2007
productores de soya de los EU
están cambiándose hacia la
producción de maíz, para
acceder a los subsidios del
gobierno. Desde 2006, la
producción de EU de maíz
subió 19% mientras que la
producción de soya bajó el
15%.
La caída de la soya de EU ha
ayudado a promover el alza de
la soya, que casi se ha duplicado
en los últimos 14 meses. En
Brasil, el segundo país de mayor
producción de soya, los altos
precios del grano están
teniendo un serio impacto en
los bosques y sabanas tropicales
del Amazonas. “Los fuegos en
el Amazonas y la destrucción de
los bosques han aumentado
mucho durante los últimos
meses, especialmente en los
estados de mayor producción
de soya en Brasil,” asegura
Laurance. “Casi todo el mundo
atribuye este aumento a los
precios de la soya y la carne
vacuna.
Los altos precios de la soya
afectan al Amazonas de varias
formas. Algunos bosques
desaparecen debido a la
producción de soya. Los
agricultores también compran y
convierten las tierras de ganado
en áreas de cultivo de soya, lo
que empuja a los ganaderos
mucho más adentro de la
frontera del Amazonas.
Finalmente, los productores de
soya ricos piden nuevas
autopistas en el Amazonas para
transportar sus granos al
mercado, lo que aumenta el
acceso de los madereros y
especuladores de tierras a los
bosques.
Laurance enfatiza que él no es
la primera persona que sugiere
que los subsidios de los EU a la
producción de maíz puede,
indirectamente ocasionar daños
en el Amazonas. “Pero ahora
estamos viendo que las
predicciones que se hicieron el
verano pasado, son una
realidad. La evidencia de la
conexión entre el maíz y el
Amazonas es circunstancial,
pero es lo más cercano que se
podrá llegar a una pistola
humeante.”
Course in
Histology
Techniques
STRI postdoctoral fellow
Aaron O'Dea working at the
Center for Tropical
Paleoecology and Archaeology
hosted an advanced six-weeks
course in Histology Techniques
for Marine Animals aimed at
students from the University of
Panama and STRI technicians,
with funds from Panama's
Secretariat for the
Advancement of Science and
Technology (SENACYT).
Andrei Ostrovsky, from the
University of St. Petersburg, led
the course following a
combination of fieldwork,
lectures and laboratory classes,
to include the entire process of
scientific research. The students
were offered the fundamental
basic experience to begin
leading-class anatomic research
on marine invertebrates.
STRI's Félix Rodríguez and
SENACYT's Liza Romina
Pinzón M., coordinator of the
Incentive Program, helped with
the coordination and
administration of the course.
Aaron O'Dea, becario
postdoctoral de STRI quien
trabaja en el Centro de
Paleoecología y Arqueología
Tropical, organizó el “Curso
Avanzado sobre Técnicas
Histológicas de Animales
Marinos” diseñado para
estudiantes de la Universidad de
Panamá y técnicos de STRI, con
fondos de la Secretaría Nacional
de Ciencias y Tecnología de
Panamá (SENACYT).
Andrei Ostrovsky, de la
Universidad de San Petersburgo
ofreció capacitación a los
participantes con una
combinación de trabajo de
campo, charlas y clases de
laboratorio, para incluir el
proceso completo de la
investigación científica. A los
estudiantes se les ofreció una
experiencia básica fundamental
para empezar investigaciones
anatómicas de primera línea en
invertebrados marinos. A los
estudiantes se les ofreció una
experiencia básica fundamental
para empezar a hacer
investigaciones anatómicas
sobre invertebrados marinos, de
primera línea. Félix Rodríguez,
de STRI y Lisa Romina Pinzón
M., coordinadora del Programa
de Estímulos de SENACYT,
ayudaron con la coordinación y
administración del curso.
2008  
Marine Science Network 
Calls for proposals
From SI's Office of the Under Secretary for Science
The Smithsonian Marine
Science Network (MSN) is
a unique array of
laboratories and research
vessels spanning the
western Atlantic coastal
zone and across the
Isthmus of Panama,
facilitating long-term
interdisciplinary,
comparative research
between MSN sites. The
Network includes the
Environmental Research
Center in Edgewater,
Maryland (SERC), the
Marine Station at Fort
Pierce, Florida (SMSFP)
the Carrie Bow Cay
Marine Field Station
(CCRE Program-Belize),
and the Tropical
Research Institute (STRI)
in Panama.
The MSN invites
post-doctoral research
proposals that address
thematic marine research
questions related to
marine biodiversity (e.g.,
What are the major spatial
and temporal patterns in
distribution of
biodiversity? How does
biodiversity, and the loss
of biodiversity, affect the
functioning of
ecosystems? How are
humans changing the
magnitude and
distribution of
biodiversity? What are
the patterns and
consequences?),
reproductive biology,
behavior, paleobiology,
ecology, ecophysiology,
oceanography, and
ecosystem processes.
Stipends are $40,000 per
year with additional funds
available for group health
insurance, travel from
place of origin to the
Smithsonian host facility,
research travel and
research supplies, up to
a combined $48,000
maximum per year. 
Awards will be made for 
a maximum of two years,
pending review of
first-year progress report.
Proposals should focus
on comparative research
involving more than one
of the Network facilities
unless a single-location
project can be justified
by a unique research
topic. 
Proposals submission deadline is January 15, 2008 
Proposals should first be sponsored 
by a Smithsonian staff scientist, then 
submitted electronically to:
Michael Lang (langm@si.edu)
Office of the Under Secretary for Science.
For more information please visit:
http://www.si.edu/marinescience/msn_post_doc_fellowships.htm
Del Secretario
Quiero desearle a cada uno
de los miembros de la
comunidad del Smithsonian
unas felices fiestas y un año
nuevo de salud y buena
ventura.
Este ha sido un año de
grandes retos y logros, y
quiero agradecerle a todos y
cada uno de ustedes por su
apoyo, dedicación y
compromiso a la Institución.
Me alegra anunciarles que
para el Smithsonian, el día 24
de diciembre será un día
feriado, siguiendo los
lineamientos que publicará la 
Oficina de Recursos
Humanos.
Cristián Samper
Washington DC
11 de diciembre de 2007
The staff of the STRI news
wishes
 
Happy Holidays
all readers, STRI co-workers,
visitors and associates in
Panama and overseas.
The next STRI news will be
issued on January 4th, 2008.
El personal del
STRI news les desea
Felices Fiestas
a todos sus lectores, sus
compañeros de trabajo,
visitantes y asociados de
STRI en Panamá y el
extranjero. 
El próximo STRI news se
publicará el 4 de enero de
2008