Search

The article deals with a rapid biological inventory expedition organized by the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois which involves a group of scientists from various countries to survey flora and fauna in the upper Amazon and Andean foothills regions of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Aggressive economic development efforts have affected forests in the Amazon basin. Each inventory uses satellite images, geological maps and video footage taken from the air.

The article reports on the controversies generated by the arrest and imprisonment of primatologist Marc van Roosmalen on charges of biopiracy in Brazil. The scientific community in the country has issued a statement that they are considering to launch a strike or a civil disobedience in another form to protest van Roosmalen's imprisonment. Moreover, they claim that van Roosmalen's case reflects the government's crackdown on scientists working in tropical areas. Meanwhile, the Brazilian authorities relate that the country is facing a serious problem on biopiracy and it cannot afford to overlook violations such as those committed by van Roosmalen.