OTS-IRES International Research Experience for Graduate Students July - September 2006 Wetland Restoration and Water Resource Management at Palo Verde Biological Station, Costa Rica from July to September 2006 Mentors: Dr. Jorge A. Jiménez Dr. Eugenio González Dr. Julio Calvo Dr. Mahmood Sasa M.Sc Monika Springer Application Deadline: June 1 - July 3, 2006 Selections Announced: by July 7, 2006 (a rolling admissions basis) ORGANIZATION FOR TROPICAL STUDIES Box 90630 Durham, NC 27708-0630 Phone: (919) 684-5774 Fax: (919) 684-5661 Email: The Program Other Important Documents Program prerequisites IRES Research Lines Recruitment IRES Mentors Brief Biographies What does the IRES award cover? IRES Application Form Application deadline     Research Areas: Integrated Watershed Management The group of researchers have promoted the integrated management of the Tempisque River Basin since 1998. The goal is to achieve equilibrium among agricultural production, water resources management and conservation of services and functions provided by the natural ecosystems of the Basin. Tempisque River Basin: General Characteristics Largest hydrological system in Costa Rica Located in Guanacaste, in the Pacific Northwest of Costa Rica Covers 10% of the national territory (594,807 ha). Provides a variety of environmental, social, cultural and economical assets and services Supplies water for human use, irrigation, electrical generation, fishing, tourism and agro industrial activities for approximately 300,000 inhabitants Comprises the largest wetland complex in the Central American Pacific plain with over 17,182 ha of protected swamps, marshes and wetlands, within the 100,000 ha of flood plain areas Includes 73,000 ha of protected areas, including a wetland Ramsar site of international importance and the last patches of tropical dry forest in Central America Main Research Lines are: Restoration of wetlands and stream corridor Hydrologic and land use changes have favored the expansion of invasive aquatic plants and the loss of open water areas. Since 2001, an active management program has been implemented to achieve the hydrological rehabilitation of wetlands and the elimination of invasive species. Through this program, more than 450 hectares of the Palo Verde Wetland have been restored, resulting in an increase in waterfowl. More than 65 thousand individuals from more than 60 waterfowl species were reported in early 2005. The promoted changes are being simultaneously monitored through biological and water-quality analyses as well as aquatic fauna censuses. Training and technological transfer to farmers, agricultural, technicians and women's organizations in the region Reduction of agriculture impacts on aquatic ecosystems is being achieved through training programs that promote new production technologies. Towards this end, a Bio Lab was built for the production of fungi used for biological control. Mechanical transplanting has been introduced as a new technology. Water Balances and Environmental flow determination for the Tempisque River Basin The bio-physical and hydrological conditions are analyzed in the Tempisque River to determine the environmental flow for the watershed. Analysis of water demand, water quality, dynamic of aquatic species are being conducted