US-Costa Rica Workshop: Developing the Las Cruces Biological Station as a Center for Research on Tropical Forest Conservation and Restoration in Multi-Use Landscapes

该奖项将支持2008年7月25日至8月1日在热带研究组织(OTS)、位于哥斯达黎加圣何塞的拉斯克鲁塞斯生物站(LCBS)举行的国际研讨会。研讨会由哥斯达黎加新热带基金会主任Rakan Zahani博士和David Morales博士共同组织，将包括讲座、实地考察研究项目和小组讨论。小组将集中讨论该区域和全球过去对热带森林恢复生态的研究，协调私营部门之间的研究，发展合作，并确定未来研究方向的优先顺序。研讨会预计将吸引50多人参加，其中包括学生(美国和哥斯达黎加学生)，他们将通过实地实践学习以及通过讲座、海报会议和小组讨论接触到当前的恢复生态问题。来自NSF资助的美洲原住民和太平洋岛民研究体验(NAPIRE)项目的15名本科生将参加研讨会。讲习班的许多参与者在该区域有正在进行的研究项目，一些人在哥斯达黎加其他地方或世界其他地方讨论了类似的问题，这将提供更广阔的视角，并建立新的合作。预计这次研讨会将促进热带森林恢复生态学的科学研究，并对教育产生影响，并加强区域保护规划。

This award will support an international workshop, July 25 thru Aug 1, 2008 at The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), Las Cruces Biological Station (LCBS) located in San Jose, Costa Rica. Co-organized by Dr. Rakan Zahawi, Director of LCBS and Dr. David Morales from Fundacion Neotropica, Costa Rica, the workshop will be a combination of lectures, field excursions to view research projects, and panel discussions. Panels will focus on discussions of past research on tropical forest restoration ecology in the region and globally, coordinating research among PIs, developing collaborations, and prioritizing future research directions. The workshop is expected to attract more than 50 participants, including students (U.S. and Costa Rican) who will be exposed to current issues in restoration ecology through hands-on learning in the field, as well as through lectures, poster sessions, and panel discussions. Fifteen undergraduate students from the NSF-funded Native American and Pacific Islander Research Experience (NAPIRE) program will participate in the workshop. Many of the workshop participants have ongoing research projects in the region and some have addressed similar questions elsewhere in Costa Rica or elsewhere in the world which will provide for a broader perspective and build new collaborations. This workshop is expected to further the science of tropical forest restoration ecology, and impact education and enhance regional conservation planning.