Oxford University Exploration Club

Trinidad’s forests are the most biodiverse in the southern Caribbean and part of one of the top five ‘hottest biodiversity hotspots’ in the world, but due to the island’s rapid economic growth they are being destroyed at nearly 1% a year. The capacity to manage and conserve this biodiversity is currently compromised by poor baseline habitat and population data. Information for identification and mapping of plant communities is vital. A UK Government Darwin Initiative grant has allowed surveying to commence in a collaboration between Oxford University, the University of the West Indies and other institutions in Trinidad, but this has been almost exclusively ground-based. Over 30% of tropical plant diversity is to be found in the canopy in the form of epiphytes, and it is here that this expedition will be based. Industry-standard tree climbing techniques will be used to collect epiphytes, which will subsequently be identified with the assistance of the Trinidad National Herbarium. This expedition, the first of its kind to take place in Trinidad, will contribute information to an ongoing program that to date lacks significant canopy data. Currently only 5% of Trinidad’s land area has protected status and this expedition will be contributing to a wider body of data that will assist in the assigning of conservation priorities to protect the island’s valuable habitats.