NOTE: This announcement about tropical field studies is being posted
on the ArcticInfo list serve because it has a strong component of
traditional ecological knowledge, which may have relevance for some
arctic researchers. Generally, messages posted on ArcticInfo are
expected to relate directly to arctic research.
Course Announcement - ITASCA FIELD BIOLOGY PROGRAM
Tropic Field Ecology
This is an exciting new ecology course being offered by the University
of Minnesota Itasca Field Biology Station. The course will be an
exploration of variation in tropic ecosystems along elevational
gradients of temperature and moisture, and include a component linking
Traditional Ecological Knowledge with current concepts in ecology. We
focus on landscape and ecosystem ecology, particularly environmental
controls on vegetation and biodiversity patterns and ecosystem processes
We will conduct one session this summer for three weeks on the islands
of Mona and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean.
The course will begin by camping for a week on the beaches of the
uninhabited island of Mona, off the west coast of Puerto Rico, exploring
the coastal and dry inland habitats known for their rich biodiversity
and cultural heritage. The second two weeks will be spent investigating
ecosystems along a transect on the island of Puerto Rico, from coastal
mangrove swamps, through lowland dry and moist forests to the rain
forests and cloud forest of El Yunque national park. The final week of
the course we will also meet with local residents who have some
traditional ecological knowledge of Caribbean ecosystems.
Puerto Rico is a mix of African, Caribbean, and Spanish cultures with a
large increase in U.S. influence in the last several decades. We will
look for traces of earlier cultures with strong ties to the tropic
landscape, and learn about traditional uses of these ecosystems for
food, medicine, and crafts, and how this knowledge relates to our
current understanding of ecology.
The course dates are May 21 to June 9, 2001. The course will be taught
in English and most Puerto Ricans speak English and Spanish, but it is
also a good chance to learn and practice a little Spanish. We will meet
in San Juan, PR to begin the course. Cost including tuition, course
material, food and lodging during the course is $2400. Four upper
division credits will be offered through the University of Minnesota
Itasca Field Biology Station.
The course is open to undergraduate and graduate students from around
the world and will be an exciting introduction to the Arctic and to
field research in the natural sciences. There is an information packet
you can download at http://muskox.com/acrobat/app.pdf.
For more information contact:
Dr. Bill Gould
NSF Postdoctoral Fellow
International Institute of Tropical Forestry
USDA Forest Service
PO Box 25000
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00928-2500
Phone: 787/766-5335 ext 114
Fax: 787/766-6302
ffwag [at] uaf.edu
http://muskox.com