Nature Reserve & Biological Station
Pollination Ecology
In tropical ecosystems the interactions between flowering plants and their pollinators are very important. On the one hand pollinators often use flowers as their sole energy resource and on the other hand the reproductive success of flowering plants depends on the visitation of pollinators. Therefore, an emphasis of the biological research work at Un poco del Chocó lies on pollination ecology.
 One very important pollinator group in the neotropics are hummingbirds. They often visit a wide array of different food plants and create a complicated network of hummingbird-plant-interactions. |  Since the beginning of 2017 we are part of the EPHI project which investigates the ecology of those networks on different altitudinal levels in the Northwest of Ecuador. In 2019 the EPHI research project expanded to Costa Rica and Brazil. |  We are researching the resource availability for hummingbirds over the year and the array of flowers they use. The variety of flower visitors is investigated by observation and using time-lapse cameras. |
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 Each month we do a transect count of all available hummingbird-pollinated flowers in the transect. |  We record new flowers and also take samples for identification by our botanist in Quito. |  We place time-lapse cameras in front of flowers and record the interactions with hummingbirds. |
 All data is georeferenced. |  Another method to reconstruct pollination networks is through pollen samples collected from hummingbirds. Hummingbirds can be caught in mistnets or special feeder traps. |  The pollen on the hummingbird's bill and body is collected with a fuchsin gel. |
 The fuchsin gel is put on microscope slides. |  The pollen grains collected on the hummingbirds can then be counted and identified |  In order to study the resource availability for hummingbirds we take nectar measurements. |
 The daily nectar volume of flowers is measured with microliter syringes and the sugar concentration is measured using a refractometer. With this data we can calculate the energy offered to pollinators. |  Field assistants and researchers of the EPHI Ecuador team |  The international EPHI research team with colleagues from Ecuador, Brazil, Costa Rica and Switzerland |
EPHI-Project
Ecology of Plant-Hummingbird-Interactions
One very important pollinator group in the neotropics are hummingbirds. They often visit a wide array of different food plants and create a complicated network of hummingbird-plant-interactions. Since the beginning of 2017 we are collaborating in a broader study, led by Dr. Catherine Graham (WSL, Switzerland), which investigates the ecology of those networks on different altitudinal levels in the Northwest of Ecuador (and now also in Costa Rica and Brazil). The goal of the EPHI project is to quantify how interactions between hummingbirds and plants vary across elevation and land-use gradients. By evaluating these mutualistic interactions we will be able to better predict how diversity of hummingbirds and plants will be influenced by anthropogenic activities.
Therefore, the Un poco del Chocó reserve is one of many other research sites where the availability of flower resources and the interaction networks are being studied. The abundance of flowers is counted once per month on a 1,5km long transect and hummingbird-plant-interactions are investigated by observation and using time-lapse cameras. Daily nectar production of flowers is measured with microliter syringes and the sugar concentration is measured using a refractometer. This data enables the calculation of the energy offered to pollinators.
In collaboration with:
Hummingbird Feeder Project
In the Ecuadorian rainforests artificial hummingbird feeders are used to attract hummingbirds and observe them easily. Especially ecotouristic facilities often employ many feeders. Yet, the possible effects on the visitation and reproductive success of surrounding hummingbird-pollinated plants, on hummingbird populations and on intra -or interspecific behavior of hummingbirds have not been studied in detail.
With further scientific research at Un poco del Chocó we hope to examine the possible consequences of hummingbird feeders on their environment.
