In the canopy with wheelchairs: A model for teaching field biology

Abstract

Forest canopies are often called the “eighth continent of planet Earth” (Wilson 2005) due to their complexity and enormous biodiversity. With the explosion of canopy exploration over the last two decades (Lowman 1999; Lowman and Rinker 2004b), made possible by the simultaneous development of safe single- and doubled-rope tree climbing techniques (SRT/DRT), canopy researchers have confirmed that a large portion of global biodiversity inhabits the treetops (Lowman and Rinker 2004b). Ascent into the treetops is critical to answering scientific questions about forests, biodiversity, and ecology.