Fund to restore ecosystems

From a simple taste for birds to studying them to learn about their role in the ecosystem, that was the transition experienced by the Cuencan and teacher at the School of Biology of the University of Azuay (UDA), Boris Tinoco, in the last 15 years. And the curiosity and the need to give answers has given him results.

A few days ago, Tinoco was awarded a $500.000 grant from the Swiss Science Foundation to develop the EXPER-NET project, whose objective is to find mechanisms for the restoration of Andean ecosystems through the pollination they carry out. the hummingbirds

The idea, which will begin to be applied from March 2022, is to identify, in the first instance, the plants that are most important for its interaction with the hummingbird.

Once the plants have been identified, they will be planted in degraded areas.

If the plants answer what the researchers are looking for, the next step will be to analyze if they really attract hummingbirds to start pollinating. If it occurs, the affected ecosystem will be restored with the support of the birds.

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"The problems of traditional ecological restoration projects in Ecuador is that they have always focused on restoring with trees, but if we want to have an ecosystem that works, that is self-sustaining, we have to start thinking about these interactions," Tinoco said.

The research and the series of experiments to develop the EXPERNET project will be carried out in two degraded areas of Azuay: in the parish of La Paz (Nabón) and the upper part of the Chordeleg canton.

The University of Azuay, the University of Cuenca, the National Polytechnic School and the Swiss WSL Institute will participate in this entire process, institutions that have collaborated with Tinoco to carry out the research.

In addition to the impact that the project will have, the funds earned will be invested, on the one hand, in Ecuador, and on the other, in the master's degree in Non-Renewable Natural Resources at the University of Azuay through the provision of scholarships to students who want to join the research.

Scholarship for researchers

The researchers are looking for three biologists, ecologists or related areas to award them a scholarship that will serve to carry out work that answers: the effectiveness of hummingbird pollination or the responses of seeds and seedlings to droughts. Those selected will receive funding for research, as well as a salary for the last two semesters of the master's degree in Non-Renewable Natural Resources.