Taught In English

There is no language prerequisite for courses at this language level.

LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION: English

AUDIENCE: ISA students

CONTACT HOURS: 60 academic hours (45 contact hours & 15 laboratory contact hours)

COURSE PRE-REQUISITES: None

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is an introductory course to Ecology, the study of the natural environment and of the relations of organisms to each other and to their surroundings, with emphasis on the tropical setting and Costa Rican natural history. The course covers: a description of different tropical ecosystems and their main problems, basic information about population ecology and landscape ecology, biological interactions, competition, predatory situations, community ecology, biodiversity, and biogeography. With a combination of lectures and assignments, students will be immersed in the ecology and evolution of neo-tropical forests.

This Tropical Ecology course seeks to provide students with:

a) An introduction to the ecological complexity of tropical forests, and to the natural history, evolutionary biology, and conservation status of the animals and plants found in the major ecosystems of the neo-tropics;

b) An understanding of the causes of the origin of the diversity of the Tropics in general, and Costa Rica in particular (basic biogeography and a general briefing on plate tectonics);

c) An understanding of present-day ecological factors affecting the distribution of tropical organisms (climatic and topographic heterogeneity);

d) An understanding of the wealth of life forms, regeneration strategies, and biological interactions (herbivores, seed dispersal, pollination, co-evolution);

e) An understanding of how a tropical forest functions (nutrient cycling, regeneration and response to disturbances);

f) An understanding of current threats to tropical biodiversity (deforestation, habitat fragmentation, agricultural and urban sprawling) and their consequences for the dynamics of tropical species and their conservation status.

g) The generation of alternatives to the destruction of tropical ecosystems (restoration ecology, ethnobotany, organic agriculture, tropical forestry, design of biological reserves and genuine ecotourism).

GENERAL OBJECTIVES SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
The student understands the basic ecological concepts The student is able to:
 Define ecology, species, population and community
 Describe the different biomes of the planet and the reasons why they exist
 Compare the different conditions and diversity present in tropical and temperate ecosystems
The student understands the evolutionary backdrop that defines and has shaped ecological relationships The student is able to:
 Describe basic concepts like evolution, adaptation, biogeography, natural history
 Understand the general patterns of geographical change and how they have influenced modern patterns of biodiversity
 Understand how speciation processes occur
The student understands the origin and scope of biodiversity The student is able to:
 Define the concept of niche
 Analyze the functioning of populations and communities
 Study different relationships between species: symbiosis, predation, competition
The student understands basic ecological relationships between plants, their environment and The student is able to:
 Explain what biodiversity is
 List the main biodiversity hotspots
 Explain how did biodiversity came to be
The student understands the value of ecology as a means to achieve the conservation of natural resources The student is able to:
 Analyze the importance of conservation
 Understand the effects of threats such as pollution and species invasion
 Explain the effects of fragmentation of forests and other types of ecosystem

REQUIRED READINGS: To be announced by the teacher

TEACHING METHODOLOGY

Classes will consist mainly of slideshows containing the information and images necessary for the clear understanding of the concepts treated. Other information will be presented using handout materials, and eventually questions will be asked prompting and motivating participation. The information discussed in class will be complemented by reading, and analyzing scientific papers and book chapters. It is expected that students will participate actively through questions, answers or comments during this class.

Students will learn by:
1. Active participation during class
2. Doing basic research to expand on some basic concepts
3. Analytical discussion of readings, videos and other multimedia material

On-site practicing exercises will allow students to open their minds for a better and deeper understanding of plant biology and the real world.

COURSE CALENDAR

Session Contents and activities
Session 1 UNIT 1- Macro-ecology
Course Introduction:
 Scope and explanation of the program
 Expectations and evaluation
 Introduction to the course
The Concept of Ecology:
 Why ecology?
 Definition of Ecology
 Different levels of study in ecology: species, population, and communities
 Relation with other sciences and fields:
 Introduction to Costa Rica's geography
Session 2 Macro-ecology:
 Biomes: Tundra, Taiga, Temperate forest, Chaparral, Grassland, Desert, Tropical rainforest
 Aquatic Biomes
 Climate zones
 Global climatic patterns
 Other factors that influence climate and biomes
Session 3 Tropical Zones vs. Temperate Zones:
 The seasons: Earth's rotation, Earth's journey around the sun
 Environmental differences imposed by the seasons in tropical and temperate forests
 Challenges met by organisms in both environments
Session 4 UNIT 2- Evolutionary and Historical Backdrop
Genetics and Evolution:
 Basic genetics
 Evolution: natural selection, adaptation
Historical Backdrop:
 Earth's natural history
 Plate tectonics
 Biogeography
Session 5 Speciation:
 Speciation events
 Allopatric vs. sympatric speciation
 Islands as speciation scenarios
 Island biogeography
Session 6 FIRST EXAM: Classes 1-6
Session 7 UNIT 3- Basic Ecological Concepts
Niches & Intra-specific Dynamics:
 Niche: the "job" a species performs in its environment
 Environmental conditions and their influence in an organism
 Intra-specific competition
 Population regulation
Intra-specific Dynamics:
 Intra-specific competition
 Dispersal and dormancy
 Meta-populations
 R strategies vs. K strategies
Session 8 Inter-specific Relationships:
 Inter-specific competition
Predation
Inter-specific Relationships:
 Detritivores and Decomposers
 Parasitism
Symbioses: mutualism, commensalism, parasitism
Session 9 SECOND EXAM: Classes 7-11
Session 10 UNIT 4- Diversity
Succession and Food Webs:
 Succession of natural ecosystems
 Food web structure
 Top-down and bottom-up regulation
Session 11
Biodiversity:
 The concept of "biodiversity"
 Levels of diversity
 Biodiversity hotspots
Session 12 Conservation:
 Effect on fragmentation on ecosystems
 Edge effect
 Loss of species
Session 13 Field Trip: Visit to Braulio Carrillo National Park
Session 14 Discussion of An Inconvenient Truth/The Eleventh Hour
Session 15 THIRD EXAM

EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

One fifth of the final grade will depend upon short weekly quizzes, which are designed to keep contents fresh in the students' minds. If special material like papers or book chapters are handed out, or movies or any other multimedia material is presented in class, the quizzes will be based on those contents predominantly.

Another fifth of the final grade will depend upon an oral presentation of a paper assigned to each student. The student will be responsible for reading, and summarizing the paper and explaining it to his/her classmates. The use of a PowerPoint slideshow is encouraged, as a means of promoting clarity when presenting new information.

Three exams will define the rest of the grade. The exams will be performed at the end of the content units, to maximize the time between each one and cover the same amount of lessons. These exams will be mostly composed of a few essay question in which the students will have freedom to come up with the most complete responses they are capable of.

EVALUATING STRATEGY PERCENTAGE
First exam
Classes 1-5 20%
Second exam
Classes 7-11 20%
Third exam
Classes 13-17 20%
Weekly Quizzes
5 quizzes at the start of every week will define together this aspect of the grade. Each quiz will be worth 8% of the final grade. 20%
Presentation of Paper 20%
TOTAL 100%

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Attendance is mandatory to all sessions. Classes begin punctually. If the student arrives more than 20 minutes late, this will be equivalent to an absence. Two tardy arrivals over 10 minutes are equivalent to 1 absence. With three unjustified absences the student automatically fails the course. Every absence must be formally justified with the professor.

LEARNING STRATEGIES

To promote the best teaching dynamic in the classroom, every new theme will be introduced taking into account previous lessons, so that there is a flow between old and new knowledge. The class itself will be presented in the most organized way possible, so that students can always understand the logical progression of the information presented. For the benefit of the student:

 The objectives and goals of each lesson will be quickly but clearly explained at the beginning, to map out the development of each class and its relationship to past and future classes.

 The contents of the lessons will be complemented with written or multimedia material to promote a deeper understanding of concepts learned in class..

 To achieve an open environment and the best development of each class, as well as the teacher-student relationship, every student will have opportunity to ask and/or contribute their own knowledge, point of view or opinion at any given moment of the class.

EDUCATION RESOURCES

The University has the following resources that allow a continuous support of the teaching-learning process:
1. On-line education platform Blackboard, which includes tools for synchronous and asynchronous communication between the professor and the students, as well as areas where files, WEB pages and evaluations can be uploaded so that they are available for the students.
2. Library Alberto Cañas Escalante
3. Virtual Library EBSCO, from where one can access the full text of scientific articles in various areas of knowledge.
4. Multimedia Center, with multimedia projectors, computers, cameras, slide projectors, recorders, televisions and VHS and DVD reproducers
5. Computer labs with access to Internet and computer applications that can be used for different tasks.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Atlas. 1995. Costa Rica and the Environment Rotterdam, Holland

Begon, M., Townsend, C.R. & Harper, J.L. 2006. Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems. Blackwell Publising. Oxford, England. Fourth edition. 738 p.

Boza, M. 1996. Costa Rican National Parks. INCAFO Costa Rica. San José, Costa Rica

Comisión Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo. 2002. Central American Policy on the Conservation and Wise Use of Wetlands. Comisión Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo. San José, Costa Rica. CCAD: URL site.

Cunnimgham, W.P. & Saigo, B.W. 2001. Environmental Science: A Global Concern. McGraw-Hill. New, York, USA. Sixth Edition. 646 p.

Hartl, D & Jones, E.W. 2000. Genetics: An Analysis of Genes and Genomes. Jones And Bartlett Publishers. Fifth edition. Massachusetts, USA. 858 p.

Janzen D. 1991. Historia Natural de Costa Rica. Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica. San José, Costa Rica.

Kricher, J. 1997. A Neotropical Companion. Second Edition. Princeton University Press. 451 pp.

Miller, G.T. 1999. Living In The Environment. Brooks/Cole Publishers. Eleventh edition. 900 p.