BIOLOGY of the RAIN FOREST: ECOLOGY, ANIMAL BEHAVIOR & CONSERVATION in COSTA RICA

This course is designed to provide the student with a sound foundation in ecological concepts and field ecological census techniques as applied to tropical rain forest environments. It will also introduce students to methods of studying animal behavior in the field, and a special emphasis will be given to conservation issues.

There are no prerequisites for the tropical rain forest course, other than having an open mind and a strong motivation to learn. The course is equivalent to a university upper level or graduate course in tropical ecology and conservation. The course is divided into five distinct categories: formal classroom lectures, seminars on field techniques, field excursions, group field projects and individual research projects.

FORMAL LECTURES

Approximately 13 lectures will be selected from the following titles:
  1. Introduction to Costa Rican geography, weather patterns and life zones
  2. Tropical botany: plant morphology and forest characteristics
  3. Introduction to rain forest fauna
  4. Evolutionary ecology: symbioses and mimicry
  5. Productivity and nutrient recycling in rainforests
  6. Community structure and competition in the tropics
  7. Tropical biodiversity: why are the rain forests so full of species?
  8. Pollination ecology and nectar feeding
  9. Seed dispersal and frugivory
  10. Predator-prey interactions in the rain forest: eating and avoiding being eaten
  11. Ecology and behavior of Costa Rican primates
  12. Population dynamics and life history studies in the tropic, with a focus on birds
  13. The pros and cons of group living
  14. Sex in the rain forest: unusual breeding strategies of tropical species
  15. Deforestation in the tropics: the impact on biodiversity and the importance of conservation.

BACKGROUND READING

No textbook is required for this course. During the course students will have the opportunity to read various journal articles and books available in our library. In addition, students may find it useful to carry out some background reading prior to arrival - tropical ecosystems can seem overwhelming at first (and even later!), so it is a good idea to come with some knowledge of what to expect.

Good, general introductions:

INFORMAL LECTURES

"Brown-throated three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) are frequently spotted at the edge of the forest"

Informal lectures will be provided periodically during orientation walks, group field projects or discussion groups. These will cover a wide variety of topics and will be prompted by what we encounter in the field, or by the direction taken during group discussions. These talks will broaden your knowledge of neotropical natural history and will be particularly helpful in developing ideas for individual research projects.

FIELD TECHNIQUES AND METHODOLOGY

Seminars will be held in which students will be taught how to study the ecology, behavior, population size and diversity of organisms in the field.

These will be supplemented with group field tasks, whereby there will be opportunity to practice the various techniques. Data collected will be analyzed and presented to the rest of the class by students organized in to pairs. Past group projects have looked at population sizes of poison dart frogs and wolf spiders, species diversity of butterflies, dragonflies and birds, behavior (time-budgets) of northern jacanas and howler monkeys, and at habitat characteristics of different forest types at La Suerte.

INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PROJECTS

Working closely with faculty, and usually in pairs, students will be responsible for designing and completing an original research project of their choosing.

The project may deal with any topic related to the behavior and ecology of tropical organisms.

By the second week of the course, students will have developed their independent projects and will present their ideas to the faculty and class for evaluation in terms of conceptual validity, analytical design and ability to complete within the time scheduled. In the final week of the course, students will write and orally present their final report to the class.

Past research projects have included:

  1. Nasutitermes termite path construction: learned response in the construction of pathways
  2. The effect of drip tips on water runoff and epiphyll accumulation
  3. Hummingbird foraging patterns, food plant recognition and nectar production of heliconias
  4. Population size, density, activity patterns and diet in the giant tropical ant, Paraponera clavata
  5. A comparison of the positional behavior of howler and capuchin monkeys
  6. Foraging behavior of leaf-cutter ants in the genera Atta and Acromyrmex
  7. Activity patterns and social behavior in the neotropical bat, Rhynchonycteris naso
  8. Effect of ultraviolet light on egg survivorship in the leaf-breeding frog, Agalychnis callidryas
  9. Song behavior of two species of wren at La Suerte

COURSE SCHEDULE

Please endeavor to arrive in San Jose THE DAY BEFORE THE STARTING DATE FOR THE COURSE, and stay overnight in a local hotel/guest house. Suggested places to stay are given on the La Suerte web pages, or I can send you names and telephone numbers by request.

DAY 1: We will arrange to meet late morning either at the airport or at a hotel, and will then travel to La Suerte Biological Field Station. A brief stop will be made at Braulio Carillo National Park, to view cloud forest habitat. In the evening you will be given talks on the background to the field station, and on rules, regulations, course content, etc.

DAY 2: Orientation walks and lectures, to familiarize students with field station and forests.

DAY 3-10: Further forest walks; learning of field techniques; group project.

DAY 11: Work on independent research proposal, leading to presentation of proposal in evening.

DAY 12-14: Trip to Tortuguero.

DAY 15-22: Data collection for the independent research projects.

DAY 23-24: Analysis and write-up of project.

DAY 25: Presentation of project, and end-of-course party.

DAY 26: Departure from La Suerte.

For more information on the course #1 please contact:
Eric van den Berghe

during class dates May 25 to June 19, 1999,
please contact Dr. Van den Berghe in Costa Rica at ometepe@sol.racsa.cr.co

For more information on the Course #2, please contact:

Nigel Mann, Ph.D.
Room E48, Bute Building
School of Biology
University of St. Andrews
St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, UK
Tel: 011-44-1334-476161 ext. 3499
Fax: 011+44-1334-463600
E-mail: nim@st-andrews.ac.uk

during course dates May 20th 99 to Aug 14th 99,
please contact Dr. Mann in Costa Rica at Ometepe@sol.racsa.co.cr

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