Tropical Ecology in Peru

18 May-4 June 2008

Below is the syllabus for the summer course in Peru.  The course is open to undergraduate and graduate students from all universities and can be taken for credit from Central Connecticut State University.  Please contact Dr. Doan about how to apply if you are not a CCSU student.

Application deadline: Extended to 12 March 2008

CCSU Students: apply for the $500 scholarship by 13 February 2008.  

Cost: $2195 plus tuition.

See photos from last year's trip here.

Professor:

Dr. Tiffany M. Doan, Department of Biology, Central Connecticut State University

(860) 832-2676 or e-mail DoanTiM@ccsu.edu

Application Website

Courses:

BIO 170: Introductory Field Studies in Biology: Tropical Ecology in Peru, 3 credits; or

BIO 470: Field Studies in Biology: Tropical Ecology in Peru, 3 credits; or

BIO 571: Advanced Field Studies in Biology: Tropical Ecology in Peru, 3 credits

Prerequisites for BIO 170: Permission of instructor.

Prerequisites for BIO 470: Biology 200 or 202, or permission of department chair.  Permission of instructor is required of all students.

Prerequisites for BIO 571: Graduate student standing, or permission of department chair.  Permission of instructor is required of all students.

This course is a chance for students to gain an in-depth, hands-on experience in conducting biological research in the Peruvian rainforest.  In association with the Natural History Museum of Cusco, Peru and the nonprofit organization Oicos Habitare, the program was developed for biology majors and other students that have a background in biology and wish to increase their knowledge of field biology and ecology.  The aim of the program is for students to learn about, practice, and conduct original biological research in one of the most species diverse areas of the world.  Participants will learn ecological methods for the study of plants, mammals, insects, birds, and reptiles and amphibians. 

Before the departure date, students will indicate which organismal groups that they have the most interest in: a) plants, b) insects, c) mammals, d) birds, e) reptiles and amphibians.  Five different instructors (four Peruvian plus Tiffany Doan of CCSU) will be in charge of the different organismal groups.  The first two days of the course will have lectures by Dr. Doan and Mr. Nuñez about general rainforest ecology.  For the remaining time students will be divided into organismal groups.  Each day one instructor will give a general lecture regarding their organismal group to the entire class.  Later that day all instructors will give more specific lectures to their group.  Students will go out in the field once with each instructor and multiple times within their own group.

For the group projects introductory students will be teamed with biology majors.  The biology majors will be in charge of creating most of the design of the group projects and will be the team leaders.  The introductory students will be able to participate in the research as full members of the teams under the leadership of the biology majors and faculty.

At the end of the program students will participate in a cultural excursion the city of Cusco, in the Peruvian Andes, the former capital of the Incan Empire.  We will tour the Incan/Spanish city and visit the ruins of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Grading: Students will be graded on a) participation and b) quality of the final project (experimental design, conducting the project, analysis, written paper, and presentation).

Costs: $2195 (plus tuition).  The fee includes all transportation from Hartford, all accommodations, all entrance fees, all airport taxes, and meals while at the research station.  Not included are meals while traveling (three days) and textbooks.   

Readings: All students will be required to do readings out of three books:

1. Kricher, J. 1997. A Neotropical Companion, second edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
2. Dytham, C. 2003. Choosing and Using Statistics: A Biologist’s Guide, second edition. Blackwell Publications. Malden, MA.
3. a book specific to their organismal group (a different book for each group, announced later).

Students will also receive copies of relevant articles and will have access to other books for reference material.

Schedule:

The following schedule has daily activities for morning, afternoon, and night.  In between activities students will have free time and other free time segments will be granted at the discretion of the group instructor during time listed for “group lecture” or “group projects”.

Dr. Doan's Home Page

Photo Credits: Tiffany M. Doan, Edwin Salazar Zapata