{"id":2559,"date":"2016-01-11T16:15:31","date_gmt":"2016-01-11T21:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.nybg.org\/science-talk\/?p=2559"},"modified":"2016-04-11T16:34:30","modified_gmt":"2016-04-11T20:34:30","slug":"myanmar-by-the-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/science-talk\/2016\/01\/myanmar-by-the-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Myanmar by the Numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kate Armstrong, Ph.D., is Myanmar Program Coordinator in the New York Botanical Garden\u2019s Institute of Systematic Botany<\/a>. Damon P. Little, Ph.D.<\/a>, is Associate\u00a0Curator of Bioinformatics in the Botanical Garden’s Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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Myanmar is a major biodiversity hotspot, yet its flora is probably the least studied in the Northern Hemisphere. As the country emerges from decades of isolation and political upheaval, The New York Botanical Garden is working to document Myanmar\u2019s undiscovered plant life, build the country\u2019s capacity to carry out plant research, and promote the sustainable use of its forests.<\/p>\n

We recently returned from a collecting expedition to Hkakaborazi National Park in Kachin State, which borders China. The park, in the far northern part of the country, covers nearly 1,500 square miles of mountainous forest.<\/p>\n

To reach it, we first flew to Yangon, Myanmar\u2019s largest city. From there, we took a turboprop to Putao, the northernmost town in Kachin State, and then motorcycles to a small village. After that, we walked.
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\nThis is our\u00a0trip in numbers:<\/p>\n

Days in the field: 28<\/p>\n

Days traveling to and from the field: 8<\/p>\n

Minimum number of miles traveled by jet aircraft: 19,660<\/p>\n

By turboprop aircraft: 2,271<\/p>\n

By motorcycle: 168<\/p>\n

On foot: 125<\/p>\n

Minimum altitude, in feet, ascended without mechanized transport: 32,835<\/p>\n

Scientists on the expedition: 4 (the two of us from NYBG and two researchers from Myanmar)<\/p>\n

Myanmar Forest Department personnel: 2<\/p>\n

Cooks: 2<\/p>\n

Porters: 35<\/p>\n

Ratio of males to females\u00a0among porters: 3 to 1<\/p>\n

Among scientists: 1 to\u00a01<\/p>\n

New York Yankees hats worn: 2<\/p>\n

By residents of New York: 0<\/p>\n

Number of substances carried by one scientist to repel terrestrial leeches: 16<\/p>\n

Number that were effective: 0<\/p>\n

Pounds of Myanmar currency (kyat) used to pay cooks and porters: 6.2<\/p>\n

Pounds of rice: 1,485<\/p>\n

Packets of instant noodle soup: 1,001<\/p>\n

Smart phones carried: 6<\/p>\n

Days on which cellular service was available: 0<\/p>\n

Inches of newspaper (stacked) used to protect and dry specimens: 72<\/p>\n

Plant presses: 8<\/p>\n

Articles of clothing consumed by marauding mithun (a semi-domesticated bovine): 6<\/p>\n

Number of plants collected: 749<\/p>\n

Number of herbarium specimens (roughly six specimens of every plant): 3,538<\/p>\n

Pounds of excess baggage upon returning from the field: 317<\/p>\n

Dr. Armstrong is one of three Garden scientists who lead the Garden’s Myanmar program<\/a>. She and her colleagues\u00a0will discuss their recent expeditions to Myanmar at\u00a0the upcoming Andrew Carnegie Distinguished Lecture, “NYBG Scientists in Myanmar: Tackling 21st-Century Challenges,”\u00a0on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, at Christie’s in Rockefeller Center. You can get more information about the lecture here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

This research was made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation (award 1457702) \u201cFloristic inventory of a neglected biodiversity hotspot: Myanmar’s Northern Forest Complex.\u201d\u00a0Dr. Armstrong is the Principal Investigator on this grant.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Garden\u2019s Myanmar Program is also supported by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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