2012 WINTER COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT (December 20, 2012-January 9, 2013)
FIELD COURSE IN PRIMATE ECOLOGY (PRE W-12).
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 http://www.itec-edu.org/index.html for
details. There are three species of non-human primates available for
study on Isla Colon.
INSTRUCTOR. Alain Houle, Ph.D., Associate Researcher, Department of
Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University,
[email protected]., [email protected]. Specialty: Primate
ecology and behaviour, canopy access techniques.
Course Description. The purpose of this course is to give the
student a foundation in primate ecology, primate behaviour, field
techniques and analytical tools in a tropical setting. The material
covered is equivalent to a university upper level field course in
primate ecology. The course is divided into five distinct
components: classroom lectures, classroom presentations by students
(based on assigned readings), discussions and exercises in the field,
one written exam, and one individual project based on data collection
techniques learned in the field and in the classroom. 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.
Midway through the course the entire station community will take a
3-day field trip to cloudforests of Boquete (see details below). On
returning to the field station, students work on their individual
research projects. Towards the end of the course students will
analyze their data, write a technical report and present their
findings orally during a station-wide symposium.
Lectures/Readings. There will be lectures on ecological concepts,
primate ecology, primate behaviour, field techniques, behavioural
sampling techniques, and analytical tools. Readings corresponding to
lecture topics will be assigned from selected papers.
Required Textbooks. Karen B. Strier (2010). Primate Behavioral
Ecology, 4th edition. Prentice Hall. A set of papers derived from
articles or book chapters will also be provided during the course.
Group Field Exercises. Students will learn the following field
techniques, which will assist them in setting up their own
independent field project:
Constructing habitat profiles
Plant phenology profiles
GPS exercise (Garmin 12XL)
Behavioural observations (behavioural sampling techniques)
Statistics (SPSS)
Individual Research Projects. With the assistance of the instructor,
each student will develop and carry out their own field research
project on a topic of their choice. Each topic must be approved by
the instructor prior to beginning data collection. Each student will
be required to write a research proposal, collect and analyze their
data, write up their findings, and present their results to the
class. A text about the art of publishing will be provided.
Grading. All assignments must be completed before leaving the field
station, so that a final course grade can be assigned. Course grades
will be calculated as follows (the proportion of each section is
negotiable, but an agreement must be concluded between the instructor
and students before the beginning of the course):
Individual Research Project - 40%
Written Exam - 30%
Classroom Presentation - 20%
Participation - 10%
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
exams, reports, proposals, attendance at lectures, as well as by less
tangibles such as personal attitude, motivation, and contribution to
the course. Course credit must be arranged through the student's
institution. Contact ITEC for details.
Course Schedule. The course schedule will be determined on site as a
function of student needs and preferences. It might be also
weather-dependant.
Boquete Cloud Forest Field Trip. This field trip will allow students
the opportunity to visit other areas of Panama, to experience
Panamanian culture, and to visit tropical cloud and seasonal forests
first-hand. We travel in ITEC boats to the mainland and then by
chartered bus to Boquete which lies at the base of 11,000 ft. Volcan
Baru. The bus trip will take us up and over the central Chiriqui
mountain range and through Palo Seco National Park. Several stops
will be made in route.
Course Length. ITEC Winter field courses are about three weeks in
length. The PRE W-12 course will run from December 20, 2011 through
January 9, 2013.
Tuition. $1850 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. November 20, 2012. The course is limited to
10 students and applications will be evaluated as they arrive. If
you believe that your application may arrive late, notify ITEC.
Contact: Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation, 2911 NW
40th PL, Gainesville, FL 32605, phone: 352-367-9128, email:
[email protected], web: http://www.itec-edu.org. Contact Dr. Houle
([email protected]) for course details.
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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
Boca de Drago, Isla Colon, Prov. Bocas del Toro
Republic of Panama
phn: 507-6624-9246
