2011 SUMMER COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT (May 15-June 9)
FIELD COURSE IN TROPICAL WETLAND ECOLOGY
COURSE LOCATION: Bocas del Toro Biological Station, Boca del Drago,
Isla Colon, Republic of Panama. The biological station is located
on a beach facing the Caribbean Sea. Coral reef and seagrass
ecosystems lie out in front of the station and lowland tropical rain
forests lie directly behind. This juxtaposition of the two most
biologically diverse ecosystems provides tremendous opportunities for
education and research. See Panama:
http://www.itec-edu.org/index.html for details.
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Tiffany Troxler, Florida International University,
Southeast Environmental Research Center, OE 167, 11200 SW 8th St.,
Miami, FL, 33199; [email protected]
Specialty areas: wetland ecology, ecosystem ecology, Everglades
ecosystems, ecohydrology, plant-soil interactions, estuarine ecology,
restoration and management
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will present and synthesize ideas and
concepts central to wetland ecology. It will emphasize aspects of
wetland structure and function of riverine, mangrove, mixed hardwood
and Raphia swamp forests and herbaceous bog wetlands of Bocas del
Toro. The material covered is equivalent to a university upper level
course in wetland ecology. The course is divided into three parts.
During the first few days students will become familiar with the many
ecosystems found in our area and with the trail systems during
"orientation" walks. The bulk of the first 10 days will be spent
learning field techniques and carrying out various group projects or
exercises (see below). Midway through the course the entire station
community takes a 3-day field trip to cloud forests of Boquete (see
details below). On returning to the field station, students work on
their individual research projects and continue to receive lectures
or other activities in the evening.
Formal lectures Formal lectures will take place in the classroom and
will include the use of PowerPoint presentations and chalkboard.
Lectures will generally be given in the evening so that more daylight
hours can be spent in the field. Lecture topics will include:
o Concepts in wetland ecology - populations, communities and ecosystems
o Regional climate and geology
o Hydrology
o Biogeochemistry
o Plant ecology and adaptations to the wetland environment
o Wetlands of Bocas del Toro including flora and fauna
o Wetland ecosystem services, management and environmental issues
Informal Lectures Informal lectures will be provided periodically
during orientation walks, during group field projects or in
discussion groups. These will cover a wide variety of topics and will
generally be prompted by what we encounter in the field, or by the
direction taken during group discussions.
Readings Readings corresponding to lecture subjects will be assigned
in the texts. We will also read and critique papers brought by
students and faculty and additional readings may be assigned from
time to time. In addition, each student will read, critique, and
provide oral reports on published papers brought to Bocas.
Required Text Mitsch, W.J. and J.G. Gosselink. 2007. Wetlands, 4th
ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York.
Field Book A field book will be required in the course. The field
book will contain all data related to group projects and independent
research project. The field book should also contain all other
incidental observations such as species lists, behavioral notes,
etc., and contain detailed location information. The field book must
be water-proof and either pencil or water-proof ink used to record
data.
Group Field Projects, Exercises, Demonstrations and Excursions These
projects designed by the faculty and worked on in groups of four or
six students. The purpose of these projects is to familiarize
students with an array of field sampling techniques and equipment
commonly used in field studies. With help from a faculty member,
students set up projects, collect data, and generally (depends on the
project) analyze data, present the results to the class, and write a
report.
Sample Group Project, Demonstration and Excursion Topics
o GPS and elevation survey techniques
o Experimental design and statistical analyses
o Vegetation survey techniques
o Techniques to quantify plant biomass
o Water quality measurements
o Characterization of wetland soil properties and soil respiration
o Spectrophotometric analyses of tissue, soil and water
phosphorus content
o Leaf tannin and nutrient quality assays
o Wetland plant communities and animal communities
Individual Research Projects Working closely with faculty, students
will be responsible for designing and completing an original wetland
research project selected from a number of possible projects. These
projects will be carried out during the second half of the course and
students will have about 10 days for data collection. A few days
before the end of the course students will analyze their data, write
a technical report, prepare a PowerPoint presentation of their work
and orally present their findings at a station-wide symposium on the
last day of the course.
BOQUETE CLOUD FOREST FIELD TRIP: This three-day field trip takes
place midway through the course and will allow students the
opportunity to experience other habitats of Panama including tropical
cloud and seasonal forests. We travel in ITEC boats to the mainland
and then by private bus to the town of Boquete which lies at the base
of 11,000 ft Volcan Baru. The bus trip will take us up and over the
central mountain range and through remote Palo Seco National Park.
Several stops will be made in route.
COURSE LENGTH: ITEC Summer field courses are four weeks in length.
The course will run from May 15 through June 9, 2011.
TUITION: $2050 USD. Tuition fee includes all lodging, meals and
airport transfers in Bocas del Toro. The tuition also covers
transportation and lodging during the 3-day cloud forest field trip
on the mainland.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 15, 2011. The course is limited to 15
students and applications will be evaluated as they arrive. If you
believe that your application may arrive late, notify ITEC.
GRADING and COURSE CREDIT: Up to 6 units of credit will be given, 3
for the lecture portion and 3 for the field portion. A letter grade
will be assigned based on an exam, group project reports, final
project, attendance at lectures, as well as contributions to the
course, attitude and motivation. Course credit must be arranged at
the student's institution. Contact ITEC for details.
CONTACT: Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation, 2911 NW
40th PL, Gainesville, FL 32605, 352-367-9128, [email protected],
http://www.itec-edu.org/index.html.
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Peter N. Lahanas, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (ITEC)
2911 NW 40th Place, Gainesville, FL 32605, USA
phn: 352-367-9128
web: http://www.itec-edu.org
Bocas del Toro Biological Station
Bocas de Drago, Isla Colon, Prov. Bocas del Toro
Republic of Panama
phn: 507-6149-7002
