Instructor:
Dr. Peter Curtis
Dept. Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology

Course facilitators:
The Organization for Tropical Studies
San Pedro de Montes de Oca
Costa Rica

Overview and objectives.
This course is intended to give students a firsthand knowledge of tropical biology and the issues surrounding conservation of biodiversity in a third world country. It does so in the context of an intensive foreign study tour in Costa Rica. The course includes travel to three distinct tropical forest habitats, independent field experimentation and oral presentation of results, guided natural history exploration, and interaction with local and international agricultural and ecotourism concerns. The three sites and major associated activities are:

The La Selva Biological Preserve (lowland wet forest).
§ Introduction to tropical flora and fauna.
§ Field projects and oral presentations.
§ Tour of a banana plantation and a local women's medicinal plant collective.

Palo Verde National Park (seasonally dry forest).
§ Visit to Volcan Arenal National Park (enroute)
§ Field projects and oral presentations.
§ Co-evolution between plants and animals.

Monteverde Cloud Forest (high elevation wet forest).
§ Canopy ecology.
§ Community engagement in tropical conservation.
§ Discussion of ecotourism in the Monteverde cloud forests.

Enrollment.
Honors standing and permission of instructor. 3 credit hours, EEOB 413.01 prerequisite. This course is limited to 15 students. Participants will enroll in IS 697 (International Studies) for Spring Quarter and course credit will be transferred to EEOB H557. Enrollment in IS 697 requires a $100 dollar registration fee paid to the Office of International Education. Additional costs are ca. $500 that will be added to the student's Spring Quarter fee statement covering room, board, and travel in Costa Rica, and ca. $800 for round trip airfare from Columbus, Ohio to San José, Costa Rica.

Course structure.
There will be three mandatory class meetings during Winter Quarter, in the third, ninth, and tenth week of classes and two class meetings during Spring Quarter, in the second and fifth week of classes. All other formal class meetings will take place in Costa Rica, between Wednesday of Winter Quarter finals week and Sunday at the end of spring break (12 days total). In addition to activities taking place in Costa Rica, students will complete two scientific reports of field experiments following their return to Ohio. Final grades will be assigned based on level of participation in Costa Rica (35 pts possible) and on the two project reports (65 pts possible).
Grading scale (%): 100 - 92 = A, 91-90 = A-, 89-87 = B+, 86-83 = B, 82-80 = B-, 79-77 = C+, 76-73 = C,
72-70 = C-, 69-67 = D+, 66-63 = D, < 63 = E.

Textbook:
Terborgh, J. 1992. Diversity and the tropical rain forest. Scientific American Library, NY.

Independent Field Projects. The following are field exercises that have been tested in the field in Costa Rica and can be undertaken by students. However, students will be free to suggest new projects.

La Selva:
1. A comparitive study of treefall dynamics in tropical primary forests. I.
2. Diurnal mammal populations at La Selva.
3. Protection against invading vines: a study of palm defense mechanisms.
4. Palm diversity as a measurement of regeneration for a tropical rainforest in Costa Rica.
5. Deceit mimicry among Begonias of La Selva.

Palo Verde:
1. A comparitive study of treefall dynamics in a primary tropical forests. II.
2. Foraging behavior of Howler Monkeys in relation to body mass.
3. Acacia collinsii defense by two ant species.
4. Inter vs. intra-specific aggression among ants.
5. Migratory bird habitat preference in the Palo Verde marsh.

Additional course readings:

(For projects at the La Selva Biological Preserve)

Denslow, J.S., and G.S. Hartshorn. 1994. Tree-fall gap environments and forest dynamic processes. In: La Selva. Ecology and natural history of a neotropical rain forest. L.A. McDade, K.S. Bawa, H.A. Hespenheide, G.S. Hartshorn, eds. pp. 120-127. Univ. Chicago Press, Chicago.

Fishkind, A.S., and R.W. Sussman. 1987. Preliminary survey of the primates of the Zona Protectora and La Selva Biological Station, northeast Costa Rica. Primate Conserv. 8: 63-66.

Putz, F.E. 1984. The natural history of lianas on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Ecology 65: 1713-1724.

Putz, F.E., P.D. Coley, K. Lu, A. Montalvo, and A. Aiello. 1983. Uprooting and snapping of trees: structural determinants and ecological consequences. Can. J. For. Res. 13: 1011-1020.

Rich, P.M., S. Lum, L. Munoz, and M.A. Quesada. 1987. Shedding of vines by the palms Welfia georgii and Iriartea gigantea. Principes 31: 31-40.

Schemske, D.W., J. Agren and L. Le Corff. 1997. Deceit pollination in the monoecious, neotropical herb Begonia oaxacana. In. D. Lloyd and S.C.H. Barrett, Floral Biology. Chapman and Hall.

Timm, R.M. 1994. The mammal fauna. In: La Selva. Ecology and natural history of a neotropical rain forest. In: La Selva. Ecology and natural history of a neotropical rain forest. L.A. McDade, K.S. Bawa, H.A. Hespenheide, G.S. Hartshorn, eds. pp. 229-237. Univ. Chicago Press, Chicago.

Vandermeer, J. 1983. Welfia georgii. In: Costa Rican natural history. D.H. Janzen (ed.). Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Vandermeer. J. 1993. Successional patterns of understory palms in old cacao plantations on the carribbean coast of Costa Rica. Principes 37: 73-79.

(For projects at Palo Verde National Park

Davidson, D.D., J.T. Longino, and R.R. Snelling. 1988. Pruning of host plant neighbors by ants: an experimental approach. Ecology 69: 801-808.

Denslow, J.S., and G.S. Hartshorn. 1994. Tree-fall gap environments and forest dynamic processes. In: La Selva. Ecology and natural history of a neotropical rain forest. L.A. McDade, K.S. Bawa, H.A. Hespenheide, G.S. Hartshorn, eds. pp. 120-127. Univ. Chicago Press, Chicago.

Glander, K.E. 1983. Alouatta palliata. In: Costa Rican natural history. D.H. Janzen (ed.). Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago. pp. 448-449.

Janzen. D.H. 1985. Pseudomyrmex ferruginea. In: Costa Rican natural history. D.H. Janzen (ed.). Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago. pp. 762-764.

Janzen, D.H. 1966. Coevolution of mutualism between ants and acacias in Central America. Evolution 20: 249-275.

Janzen. D.H. 1985. Pseudomyrmex ferruginea. In: Costa Rican natural history. D.H. Janzen (ed.). Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago. pp. 762-764.

Lubin, Y.D. 1985. Nasutitermes. In: Costa Rican natural history. D.H. Janzen (ed.). Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago. pp. 743-745.

Mendel, F. 1976. Postural and locomotor behavior of Alouatta palliata on various substrates. Folia Primatol. 26: 36-53.

Putz, F.E., P.D. Coley, K. Lu, A. Montalvo, and A. Aiello. 1983. Uprooting and snapping of trees: structural determinants and ecological consequences. Can. J. For. Res. 13: 1011-1020.

Syllabus of Class Meetings at OSU

Winter Quarter

Meeting 1 (3rd week of classes, 1.5 hr, time TBA).
§ Course organization, preparations, discussion of itinerary and other concerns.
§ Begin reading textbook (this must be completed before students arrive in Costa Rica).

Meeting 2 (9th week of classes, 1.5 hr, time TBA).
§ Further discussion of course details.
§ Lecture: Introduction to tropical forest ecology.
§ Obtain permission to enroll forms.

Meeting 3 (10th week of classes, 2 hr, time TBA).
§ Joint meeting with coordinators from the Office of International Education.
§ Go over planning checklist and conduct final planning activities.
§ Lecture: Costa Rican culture and history.

Spring Quarter

Meeting 1 (2nd week of classes, 1.5 hr, time TBA).
§ Post-course discussion, criticism.
§ Break into project groups to discuss organization of reports, data analysis and presentation.

Meeting 2 (5th week of classes, 1.5 hr, time TBA).
§ Oral presentations by research teams.
§ First draft of project reports due. Final draft after editting by Dr. Curtis will be due in week 10.
§ Collect photos from group for course book.

Meeting 3 (optional, end of finals week).
§ Social gathering to go over course book.