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A partially eaten leaf displays the intricate pattern of its vascular system on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, home to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. The leaf's normally hidden internal structure has been exposed by leaf-cutting insects, revealing a delicate lattice of veins that resembles stained glass. This natural architecture serves as the plant's lifeline, transporting water, nutrients, and sugars throughout its surface. The 3,850-acre island, created when the Panama Canal was built and Lake Gatun flooded the surrounding valley, now serves as one of the world's most important tropical forest research sites. Here, scientists study everything from these minute leaf structures to broader ecosystem dynamics, unlocking secrets of biodiversity in one of Earth's most complex environments.
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Jonathan Kingston
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Contained in galleries
PANAMA WILDLIFE AND NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY – FLORA FAUNA AND LANDSCAPES, TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | RAINFOREST AND JUNGLE DOCUMENTATION
A partially eaten leaf displays the intricate pattern of its vascular system on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, home to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. The leaf's normally hidden internal structure has been exposed by leaf-cutting insects, revealing a delicate lattice of veins that resembles stained glass. This natural architecture serves as the plant's lifeline, transporting water, nutrients, and sugars throughout its surface. The 3,850-acre island, created when the Panama Canal was built and Lake Gatun flooded the surrounding valley, now serves as one of the world's most important tropical forest research sites. Here, scientists study everything from these minute leaf structures to broader ecosystem dynamics, unlocking secrets of biodiversity in one of Earth's most complex environments.