Maurice in Panama - page 1

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About the expedition

In autumn 2003, Maurice Leponce left to San Lorenzo, Panama, with scientists from all over the world, for the IBSCA (Investigating the BIodiversity of Soil and Canopy Arthropods) expedition. This expedition was financed by Solvay and SolVin. It is the first time that such a large scale study on the different insect and other arthropod varieties in the rainforest is carried out. This study was conducted horizontally (i.e. a comparison between the various research sites in the same forest) as much as vertically (i.e. a comparison between the soil and the canopy). At present, we still ignore whether of the soil, undergrowth or canopy sustains the most different species of arthropods.

Maurice explains :« You have to know how a rainforest works and then, you can settle strategies for the protection of the forest’s biodiversity. To find an answer to this question we have set this expedition up in collaboration with researchers from all over the world. Everybody’s skills were complementary. A very good experience ! »

« Social insects, such as ants and termites, are a real passion for me. When I was a child, I already used to study ants in the garden and during my teenage years, I used to set exhibitions up about the protection of nature. I visited the Galapagos Islands at 17 and there I got fascinated by the tropical biology. Then I started tropical agronomy studies. During an expedition with the ULB in Papua New Guinea, I was infected by an “insectomania”. Today I’m still fascinated by the social insects’ diversity of form and incredibly interesting behaviour. »

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What is biodiversity?

The word “biodiversity” is made up of ”bio”, which means “life” and “diversity”. Consequently, biodiversity includes every living organism and their variability (plants, animals, microorganisms...).

Why is biodiversity so important?

The loss of biodiversity can disrupt the ecosystems’ ecologic functions (on land and on sea) and reduce the availability of resources such as water, energy and foodstuffs. The preservation of biodiversity is indeed extremely important, all the more so since it represents a priceless heritage for the next generations.