Today is our second "work day." The forest is so dense, there's no way we could walk in it without the staff. They are research assistants who have grown up in the villages of Borneo and are educated about the local ecology. Our work here is to collect data from the experimental plots, where dipterocarp seedlings have been planted. The researchers' goal is to assess the impact of several variables on seedling viability and ultimate growth. The photo below is of a dipterocarp seed. The dipterocarps only produce seeds about every 10-12 years, and this summer is one of those years. Scientists don't know what causes the seeds to fall but think it may be related to El Nino events. Yesterday it started pouring rain about halfway through the day. We all loved being in the forest during the rainstorm - it seemed fitting! Back at camp after lunch, we listened to a short tutorial from Glen about tropical forest biomes, ecosystems, and reforestation.
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