Tree frog friend!

This little guy is a red-toed tree frog, sitting on a leaf of a Pelliciera rhizophorae seedling. We don't usually see a lot of frogs in the mangrove swamps, but this is at least the second one I've blogged about!Isn't it cute?

Countdown to frustration

For the first few days after we arrived in Panama, everything was going swimmingly (with the exception of the aforementioned problems)...however, after five days here Panama is getting to me. It's hard to describe what it is, exactly, that is so frustrating. It's not just fieldwork and its many complications, because I have done fieldwork elsewhere without getting so frustrated. I think this is distinctly Panamanian...the bugs, the bugbites, the potholes in the road, driving in Panama City and their COMPLETE LACK of street signs, the honking and staring, the catcalls, the flat tires (probably due to so many potholes).

Driving in Panama City is not for those who are faint of heart or have high blood pressure, because it is a hair-raising experience. Very few street signs exist, and when they are present they are so small you can only see them when you're driving past them. Whose great idea was that? As my friend Julie says, it's a small town mentality where you just know your way around (but Panama City is a huge city with tons of people and it seems, more cars). None of the streets are straight or run parallel, and I'm just thankful I had a map and another person to navigate last night as we drove around and around during rush hour. The way Panama City street authorities deal with potholes is draw a bright yellow line around them.

Also, I got a flat tire, which is not surprising given that there are so many potholes and so much debris to drive over. This is not a big deal in Panama since it seems to be a common occurrence here and getting a tire fixed costs less than five dollars. However, when the tire was being changed (I of course did not change it myself), one of the wheel studs that holds the tire on the car BROKE! These are supposed to be strong, sturdy screws to hold the tires on a big SUV. I am told you can drive with only three screws, and this was one of six so once again, it's fine...

Sunset

Just wanted to share this beautiful sunset photo I took last night.

Problem 3

We managed to go out in a boat with a local boat owner, but when we went to look for more seeds we only found 10 more. The solution to not having enough? This will be a pilot study, or at least the beginning of a bigger study. I am setting up my experiment with the meager number of seeds I have, and hope that I can come back during a time when more are available and add more replicates.

Problem 4 (minor):
In Panama cell phones require a PIN to turn on. I'm not entirely sure why, or why they write down your passport number when you get one, but they do. The PIN is assigned with your SIM card, and apparently, at least for the phone I have (which cost $15), the SIM card or "chip" only lasts 6 months. The problem was that I forgot my PIN since I haven't used my Panamanian cell phone in a year, so I couldn't turn it on or use it.
Solution: I had to get a new chip for the phone, and problem solved! With a brand new phone number. This is weird, isn't it?

Also, we planted seedlings today! Now to see if the crab excluders work! On to the Pacific coast of Panama tomorrow...

Things that go wrong

This post is going to be a multi-part, ongoing list of things that go wrong as I attempt to do fieldwork in Panama. I haven't left the US yet, and am only going to be in Panama for 10 days. Because I know that obstacles always come up, I am mentally prepared to not freak out when these things happen and just take them in stride. So far:

Problem 1: I left my passport in another city. Luckily I realized this yesterday and am leaving tomorrow.
Solution: FedEx has a same-day courier service, and though it is expensive, at least I'm getting updates whenever the package changes hands (from the pick-up to the airport, etc). It should be arriving to me soon.

Problem 2: The boat at the research has motor problems. Not surprising; what is more surprising is that they actually have a boat for once. It is unlikely that the boat will be fixed in a week when I wish to use it.
Solution: Possibly go out with local boat owner. I have done this before and though it isn't ideal, it does allow me to get to populations of my plants that are inaccessible from a road.

Problem 3: I made arrangements to have 150 mangrove seeds collected for me from a location in Panama that is difficult and expensive for me to travel to. The seeds will be sent to a research station and waiting for me when I arrive. However, only 54 seeds were collected. Apparently they were not so easy to find.
Solution: Not sure yet. If there were a boat at the station (see problem 2), I could spend some time searching the forest for seeds. Now, however, my experimental setup is in jeopardy.

Ecology arts and crafts

As an ecologist, the equipment I use is not very high-tech. In fact, most of the tools I use in the field are regular everyday objects I adopt to serve some other purpose. When I was trying to capture mouse tracks on sand dunes, I made track plates using those disposable foil baking sheets with printer toner sprinkled on them...the mice (and other animals) walk across it and leave their little pawprints! Currently I am devising a cage of sorts to keep crabs from eating mangrove propagules that I will be planting...I started cutting up heavy duty plastic mesh but then realized that the quantity I need will weigh 100 pounds and I simply can't take that much mesh to Panama. I thought back to protecting lupine seeds from those hungry mice...bridal veil to the rescue! Bridal veil, or tuile, can be purchased cheaply at any fabric store and is lightweight and allows light to pass through. And, it can be punctured with barbecue skewers to make a semi-sturdy little plant protector. Here it is, with a small basil plant serving as my model:


Let's hope this keeps the crabs from eating my mangrove propagules! There are some voracious crabs in the mangrove forests.

Reading recommendations

The trees are fruiting, so I'm heading to Panama next week. In preparation, I re-read two of my favorite books today to my almost-five-year old cousin: The Great Kapok Tree and The Sea, the Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle. Both of these are by Lynne Cherry, with excellent illustrations and good environmental lessons. The first book takes place in the Brazilian rainforest, and features all the rainforest animals begging a sleeping logger to leave their rainforest trees standing. This was one of my favorite books as a child. I love the lush vegetation and rare animals depicted. The mangrove book shows the ecosystem that forms as one small mangrove seedling grows bigger and bigger. One of the prime threats to mangroves, shrimp farming, is mentioned but the book focuses on the resilience of these ecosystems to disturbance and shows how many different organisms depend on them.

Hybridization

Are hybrids bad? No, I'm not asking about the Prius or the Honda Civic. I was reading an issue of Nature from December (only 6 months old!) and there was an article about hybridization in Arctic species. Apparently there have been some polar bear-grizzly bear hybrids spotted, as well as a seal hybrids and whale hybrids. The authors were concerned that as climate change causes more Arctic ice to melt, species from the north Atlantic and north Pacific will come into contact more often and create more hybrids. Hybrids can threaten the genetic integrity of species and are worrisome when rare species get involved; a lot of hybridization can lead to the loss of a very rare species. However, what if hybridization is the only way for that species to deal with climate change? I don't have any concrete examples of a hybrid that is better adapted to climate change, but I can imagine that it could exist. I know it is troubling to think that human-induced climate change could cause the complete loss of certain species, such as polar bears. But I'm not sure that limiting hybridization or culling hybrids is the right answer. After all, we're not forcing the animals to mate. If they mate and reproduce, then let nature take its course. Hybridization can be important for making new species, and humans even find some hybrids useful. A lot of people depend on mules, after all!