Course Overview: The tropics are celebrated for their remarkable biodiversity. Indeed, tropical diversity inspired the travels of European naturalists like Alexander von Humboldt, Alfred Russel Wallace, and Charles Darwin, and such renowned artists as Maria Sibylla Merian; and tropical research seeking to understand the factors that underpin and maintain such spectacular biotic richness contributed to the emergence of modern ecology and evolutionary biology. However, tropical ecosystems are also highly threatened. Of the 36 identified biodiversity hotpots, most occur in the tropics within developing nations comprising about 1/3 of the global human population. By 2050, some 50% of the human population will live in tropical countries, bringing even greater pressures on these species and ecosystems. In this course, we will explore diverse tropical terrestrial ecosystems (e.g. mesophyll forests, flooded varzea forests, dry deciduous woodlands, cerrado) and keystone species within them. We will discuss factors that shape the distribution of tropical ecosystems and species and hypotheses for variation in species richness. Finally, we will consider the striking conservation challenges facing tropical countries, and evaluate proposed solution from scientific, policy, socioeconomic, and Indigenous Knowledge vantages.

BIOL_535_Tropical_Ecology_and_Conservation_Syllabus_2022

Learning Objectives: Biology 535 explores tropical ecology, the diversity of ecosystems and species that exist between roughly 23º N and S of the equator, the causes and consequences of the latitudinal gradient of biodiversity, conservation challenges in tropical countries (against an historical, socioeconomic and cultural backdrop), and the value of Indigenous Knowledge systems and land practices in conservation. The course also aims to promote critical thinking and improve students’ scientific literacy and writing skills. To these ends the course uses a mixture of lectures, open discussion, critiques of papers from the primary literature, group debates, and individual research essays. Students will explore papers from the primary scientific literature, as well as using reviews and other sources. After taking this course, the student should have:

  • A strong understanding of latitudinal gradient in species richness and the potential causes of it.
  • An appreciation for the diverse terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems that occur in the tropics.
  •  A knowledge of biodiversity hotspots and the challenges in conserving them.
  • Greater insight on the importance of Indigenous ways of knowing, relationships to the land and its inhabitants, and traditional practices of conservation and stewardship.
  • Improved writing, oral presentation, and critical thinking skills.

Grading Scheme:

Component Weight Dates
Critique of paper from the primary literature 15% January
Poster 20% February
Debate 25% March
Term Paper 30% April
Participation 10% na