Research in the Preserve
To give back to the Valley in benefit of its biodiversity and carbon offset, we encourage researchers to gather data and establish field studies.
The Mamoní Valley is a biological haven for researchers. The MVP Alliance members have been hosting researchers and their projects for over two decades.
One notable recent achievement is the recognition of Mamoní Valley with an AICOM (Area of Importance for the Conservation of Bats) by the Latin American and Caribbean Network for the Conservation of Bats (RELCOM), in acknowledgment of its abundant diversity of bat species.
RELCOM identifies Mamoní Valley as Panama’s prime location with 63 bat species, highlighting its exceptional ecological importance. As the second AICOM designated in Panama and the first private reserve to receive this recognition, Mamoní Valley Preserve demonstrates leadership in conservation efforts. Its reforestation initiatives have positively impacted biodiversity, including various bat species, solidifying its role as a vital hub for sustainable conservation and community engagement.
Interested in conducting research in the Mamoni Valley Preserve?
Please complete a Scientific Research Proposal (English version, Spanish version) and send the completed form to research@mvp.ngo.
Limited grant funding is available to support Panamanian and Indigenous researchers.
Researchers
The MVP Alliance members have engaged with researchers, cataloging the allie’s land holdings and collecting data on the various species throughout the Valley. These include:
CREA (Conservation through Research, Education, Action) is a non-profit organization registered in the United States and Panama, operating the 780-acre Cocobolo Nature Reserve in the Valley. For over 18 years, it has been cataloging species on its reserve, and it now has an extensive master list of the many species found in the Valley. CREA is a recipient of Rainforest Trust support.
Kaminando, whose research focuses on jaguar populations that have become increasingly threatened by deforestation and habitat fragmentation, has partnered with the MVP for over six years, placing on average 60 camera traps annually at 45 stations along the Continental Divide, cataloging the Valley’s jaguar population and identifying a large variety of other mammals.
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, whose Mamoni Valley Harlequin Limosa (Atelopus Limosus) Frog reintroduction trials have been taking place in the MVP since June 2017. Two sets (a group of 90 and a second group of 58) of Harlequin Limosa Frogs have been released in the Mamoní Valley. Scientists return to conduct field studies on the reintroduced populations. This aims to inform the successful reintroduction, in Panama and worldwide, of other frog species affected by the chytrid fungus.
Harvard’s Mamoni Valley Natural History Project that started in 2016, is a biennial expedition by Biology graduate students from Harvard University who come to document the extraordinary biodiversity in the Valley. In 2018, along with colleagues from the University of Texas Austin, a small publication of their findings was produced. A third expedition is soon to be underway.
Redlands University’s Panamapping project is a multi-year project beginning in 2017 in which field research and drones were used to map watershed boundaries, stream courses and riparian habitat, and trails and to classify habitats according to vegetative structure and potential for carbon sequestration. Redlands, Forests of the World, and Geoversity data collected since 2016 were used to create a report called: Land Cover Change and the Mamoni Valley Preserve. Deforestation and Reforestation in the upper Mamoni Valley.
BioMundi is an initiative begun by University of Panama Biology students to catalog Panama’s biodiversity and educate people about its importance. It began to host field studies in 2020 to catalog flora and fauna found in the MVP. This is an ongoing, long-term partnership. BioMundi scientists have now hosted three field studies and compiled reports for each visit.
