Not only is the Costa Rican life pretty sweet – work actually gets done too! My two experiements (Leaf packs to measure decomposition rate, and communities to measure effects of diversity on predation and decomposition) are all up and running! I’ve claimed nearly every bromeliad within a 1 km radius of the station to stick experiments in. Now back to searching for more critters so I can replenish things in 2 weeks.
I was going to include a picture of my experiment, but it actually looks identical to the header photo of this blog! A common site here at Pitilla – bromeliads with plastic tubes with mesh hats sticking out of them. Field ecology is weird.
ALSO – I’m very curious about what is happening back in Vancouver! Have Jana and I suddenly become the sole members of the Srivastava lab?? Where are the posts from home?
I did some leaf decompomosition myself this afternoon. The rate was .06 seconds with my B & D mulcher . . . .does this count???? I don’t think I got any bromelaid, but I did a job on Longueuil mushrooms.
Cutting my lawn is weird . . . . and I really don’t want to do it anymore.
Take care.