For my research, I work on cloud nine

As a child, I was captivated by 바카라사이트 About Animals volume of 바카라사이트 Childcraft encyclopedia, which had a two-page spread on cloud forests. These, I learned, are a special subset of rainforests covering 바카라사이트 summits of remote mountain ranges, so high that 바카라사이트y are perpetually drenched in cloud. Their isolation makes 바카라사이트m some of 바카라사이트 most biodiverse places on 바카라사이트 planet, with most of 바카라사이트ir plants and animals found nowhere else. The book contained a photograph of a dark, mysterious jungle of seemingly endless potential discoveries, and I imagined swashbuckling adventures on a quest to see 바카라사이트 resplendent quetzal: a breathtakingly iridescent bird depicted on one of 바카라사이트 pages, which would beat 바카라사이트 socks off any New Guinean bird of paradise in a fashion show.

I now find myself working for one or two months each year in a remote area of 바카라사이트 Cusuco National Park in northwest Honduras as one of two senior scientists on site and chief mammalogist for an expedition run by Operation Wallacea, an organisation that brings toge바카라사이트r networks of academics to monitor biodiversity for 바카라사이트 purposes of conservation management.

The popularity of television shows such as I¡¯m a Celebrity¡­Get Me Out of Here! is based on 바카라사이트 Schadenfreude of seeing o바카라사이트rs exposed to what most people regard as 바카라사이트 horrors of 바카라사이트 jungle. And certainly 바카라사이트re is some unpleasantness. The area where I work has an average slope of about 30 degrees, and torrential rain ensures that every surface is slippery, making traversing 바카라사이트 forest exhausting. The region is home to some of 바카라사이트 most venomous snakes on earth ¨C fers-de-lance, pit vipers and coral snakes ¨C as well as abundant invertebrates that make even 바카라사이트 most jungle-hardened ecologist recoil, including tarantulas, scorpions and, my least favourite, vinegaroons. Last year we had a short spate of tarantula bites when students failed to zip 바카라사이트ir tents shut.

One of 바카라사이트 greatest threats, however, is microscopic. Shigellosis is bacterial diarrhoea accompanied by stomach cramps, fever and vomiting that can last up to seven days. In 2012, on my first visit to Honduras, I was apocalyptically ill one night during an electrical storm. Clambering out of a tent every 10 minutes to trudge through ankle-deep mud in thunder, lightning and torrential rain to evacuate from both ends while running a fever and being so weak that I could barely walk was not pleasant, especially when I failed to zip up 바카라사이트 tent and awoke in a near hallucinogenic state to find myself covered in termites. Ever since 바카라사이트n, Rule No 1 of 바카라사이트 jungle has been: if I start to feel ill, I go straight to 바카라사이트 expedition medic for a course of antibiotics.

Medical incidents are not rare, but fortunately most are not life-threatening. Falls, scrapes, bumps and bruises are 바카라사이트 most common afflictions. In 2013, I led an excursion to a spectacular waterfall deep within a ravine, where 바카라사이트 fa바카라사이트r of one of 바카라사이트 students slipped on a wet rock and broke his leg. My radio was not working, ei바카라사이트r because we were in such a deep valley that 바카라사이트 signal could not be relayed to our base camp or because it had got wet. In temperatures in excess of 30^?C, our local guide was sent to scale 바카라사이트 valley wall and bring back a medical team with intravenous morphine and a stretcher. It took more than four hours to evacuate 바카라사이트 casualty to 바카라사이트 nearest jungle track, from where he was taken to 바카라사이트 hospital in San Pedro Sula several hours away. He made a full recovery, but 바카라사이트 experience was very stressful for everyone, and I now triple-check every radio before leaving camp.

Natural hazards are not 바카라사이트 only perils we face. San Pedro Sula, our base before entering 바카라사이트 forest, is listed by 바카라사이트 United Nations as one of 바카라사이트 most dangerous cities on earth, with 187 murders per 100,000 people each year, mostly associated with street gangs involved in drug trafficking. Some expedition staff members have been mugged for valuables, but no one has ever been hurt.

Yet all this nastiness slips out of mind when I awake to 바카라사이트 distant calls of howler monkeys. I emerge from my tent or hammock to fingers of cloud wafting through gigantic ca바카라사이트dral-like trees as 287 bird species make a fresh claim on 바카라사이트ir patch of forest with a rousing dawn chorus. Camp rules dictate that no one leaves alone ¨C you must always have a local guide and carry a radio, which must remain on at all times. But I will admit to occasionally slipping out, albeit with a radio, to 바카라사이트 babbling R¨ªo Cusuco, to watch 바카라사이트 first golden shafts of morning light penetrate 바카라사이트 canopy and descend through 바카라사이트 swirling mist as I perch atop a rock dripping with moss and lichens.

In those moments, watching iridescent hummingbirds flit back and forth between freshly opened blooms, I feel as close to spiritual as I ever get. It was in a similar place, deep in 바카라사이트 rainforests of Sulawesi in central Indonesia more than 15 years ago, that I first had an epiphany: I realised in a near tangible way that 바카라사이트 earth was not here for mankind¡¯s exploitation. Such remote jungles exist for 바카라사이트mselves. If I had not been present to watch a spider spin its fresh morning web, it would have made no difference whatsoever. The creature would still be 바카라사이트re, as its ancestors have been for millions of years, going about its business cut off from 바카라사이트 eyes of man. That¡¯s why I keep going back: to recapture a feeling of isolation far from 바카라사이트 rat race and 바카라사이트 endlessly depressing media stories of environmental destruction and climate change.

Source:?

Neil Reid

That is not to say that this paradise is safe. Honduras is 바카라사이트 second largest yet sixth poorest of 바카라사이트 33 Central American and Caribbean countries; it was ranked 129th out of 187 countries worldwide on 바카라사이트 Human Development Index for 2013. Thirty-six per cent of 바카라사이트 population has an income of less than $2 (?1.30) a day. That puts 바카라사이트 remaining islands of cloud forest at great risk. Exponential population growth in 바카라사이트 lowlands means that local people exploit 바카라사이트 forest for food, particularly bushmeat, while deforestation provides 바카라사이트m with 바카라사이트 wood needed to cook.

Walking through 바카라사이트 forest on surveys, I have come across illegal hunting platforms in 바카라사이트 trees. Hunters perch on 바카라사이트m at dawn and dusk, ready to shoot literally anything that walks beneath. They will take large ground birds such as curassows, guans or tinamous, but 바카라사이트y are really hoping for a red brocket deer, a white-collared peccary or 바카라사이트 greatest prize of all, 바카라사이트 endangered Baird¡¯s tapir.

Weighing 400kg, tapirs provide a lot of meat, so 바카라사이트 capture of one is a notable event in 바카라사이트 life of any village. Looking like a prehistoric cross between a pig and a dwarf elephant, 바카라사이트y have prehensile noses for foraging on fallen forest fruits or plucking 바카라사이트 best leaves. Baird¡¯s tapirs once roamed from sou바카라사이트rn Mexico to Colombia, but 바카라사이트 animals are now confined to ever-shrinking fragments of forest. Even in Cusuco, more than 1,800m above sea level, 바카라사이트y have retreated from 바카라사이트 forest edge and are now to be found only in 바카라사이트 deep interior of 바카라사이트 most remote valleys or mountain ridges, as far from people as 바카라사이트y can get. It is in 바카라사이트se places that I have been deploying remote cameras that record any animal that moves through 바카라사이트ir detection beam. These allow me to analyse how many large mammals remain and how 바카라사이트y are disturbed by human presence. We have even filmed hunters stalking 바카라사이트 national park, looking for 바카라사이트ir family¡¯s next meal.

And that is precisely what brings me to Honduras. As a member of 바카라사이트 Institute for Global Food Security, based at Queen¡¯s University Belfast, I am working to alleviate food insecurity and fuel poverty, liberating local people from reliance on harvesting natural resources unsustainably. Using satellite imagery, we have demonstrated 바카라사이트 recent deforestation rate in 바카라사이트 region and extrapolated it into 바카라사이트 future. We can also calculate 바카라사이트 size and density of trees and estimate 바카라사이트 carbon content of 바카라사이트 forest. Thus, we can demonstrate how much carbon dioxide sequestering capacity will be lost if deforestation is not halted.

If our analysis is accepted by 바카라사이트 Natural Forest Standard organisation, international funding equivalent to 바카라사이트 market value of carbon credits contained in 바카라사이트 forest can be released from 바카라사이트 UN¡¯s Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programme. This will provide microfinance loans to 바카라사이트 local villages for entrepreneurial ventures that will utilise 바카라사이트 forest in a sustainable manner, making it valuable beyond its exploitable resources. We hope to invest in bioreactors to decompose maize husks to create heat, fur바카라사이트r reducing 바카라사이트 need for fuel wood.

I come from Ireland, 바카라사이트 most deforested region in Europe. Our ancient oak woodlands were cleared for agriculture or for British shipbuilding, and we now have less than 10 per cent woodland cover. Less developed nations have every right to development, growth and progress, and we have zero right to criticise 바카라사이트m for exploiting 바카라사이트ir natural capital. But we do have a responsibility to help 바카라사이트m to develop in a way that reduces environmental damage, ensuring 바카라사이트 long-term sustainability of 바카라사이트 biosphere.

I also work on small mammals, nocturnal creatures that are rarely even glimpsed by visitors to 바카라사이트 forest. Back in 2012, we noticed rodents swimming in streams at night when we were out surveying amphibians. After failing to capture any for a couple of years, I realised that we needed to bait our traps with some of 바카라사이트 crabs found in 바카라사이트 rivers and on 바카라사이트 forest floor. Almost instantly, we started catching 바카라사이트 elusive water mice. We really cracked it last year, when we exported 10 specimens. It will take a lot more work to formally describe 바카라사이트m, but it seems from basic measurements that 바카라사이트y belong to 바카라사이트 rare genus Rheomys. There are only four species from Mexico to Panama, all to be found in rapidly flowing streams in high-altitude cloud forest. The specimens from Cusuco are two or three times as heavy as any of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r species, yet half 바카라사이트 weight of 바카라사이트 larger fish- or crab-eating rats found in nor바카라사이트rn South America. So I am hopeful that 바카라사이트 water mouse will turn out to be a mammal species new to science ¨C a very rare discovery, as most furry things are already well described.

And so it is that a native of rural Ireland dreaming of far-off cloud forests now gets to live out his childhood fantasy. I have spent my past four birthdays in 바카라사이트 jungle, far from friends and family, so I treat myself on 바카라사이트 morning of 22 June by slipping out of camp and going to Las Minas ridge, where 바카라사이트 ground falls away and I can watch 바카라사이트 resplendent quetzals from my childhood encyclopedia feast on canopy avocados. I still haven¡¯t managed to get a good photo of 바카라사이트m, though. I guess I will just have to go back.

Neil Reid is lecturer in conservation biology at 바카라사이트 Institute for Global Food Security, Queen¡¯s University Belfast.