Historical Background of Cerro Pelado

For more than 70 years, the US Army used this place as a pilot site for materials, equipment, medicines and other for evaluation compared to the conditions in a humid tropical forest.

 

On September 23, 2002, by Resolution No. 115-02, (Autoridad de la Región Interoceánica) ARI attached to the Universidad de Panamá (UP) and the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP) be extended for 20 years, the use and administration of former Gamboa Tropical Test Center, covering an area of 751.45 hectares for the development of scientific and technological research on a tropical environment.

 

During 2004-2005 Jan Hendrickx (NMT) and Fred Ogden (UW) installed a tropical hydrology observatory in Gamboa, along with equipment for measurement of hydrometeorological parameters.

 

On January 2007 began the Project COL07-013: "Calibration of a hydrological model for determining the volumes of water flowing in a humid tropical forest: Panama Canal Watershed" by Centro de Investigaciones Hidráulicas e Hidrotécnicas (CIHH) of UTP.

 

As for October 22, 2007 is launch of the second tropical research project developed by the CIHH of UTP Called project COL07-011: "Quantification of Carbon Flow through a Humid Tropical Forest in the Panama Canal Watershed."