ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë

Ecuador, reported as one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, harbors an incredible array of landscapes within a remarkably small area. This course will provide a hands-on exploration of the unique biodiversity found in the tropical Andes and the Galápagos Islands, while studying ideas of how this great diversity came to be, and learning about the current conservation efforts in place that aim to protect this diversity.

3 Credits. Provides a hands-on exploration of the unique biodiversity found in the tropical Andes and the Galapagos Islands, while studying ideas of how this great diversity came to be, and examining conservation efforts employed to protect it. Prerequisites: BCOR 1400 and BCOR 1450 or BIOL 1400 and BIOL 1450; Instructor permission. Catamount Core: GC1, SU.

Please visit our for more information regarding this course!

The overall goal of the course is to study tropical flowering plant diversity as it relates to variety of forest types in Costa Rica. Our activity in each of the forests will be as follows: We will survey the forest for flowering-plant and fern diversity, assembling a list of plants to the genus level. We will dissect flowers and fruits on site  to teach the morphology and taxonomy of tropical flowering plants; from this activity, we will build a working knowledge of the field recognition characters useful for identifying tropical plants. We emphasize field recognition of flowering-plant families, because this training is transportable to any other tropical forest in the world.

We provide additional insight into the flowering plants and ferns of Costa Rica in the following disciplines: 1) the historical biogeography of tropical American plants, with emphasis on the migration of northern and southern elements in the origin of the Costa Rican flora; 2) the vertical structure of the tropical forests that we encounter using a life-forms approach, through training in the recognition and  classification of the plants we encounter into different life forms; 3) the pollination and dispersal ecology of the flowering plants we encounter, and 4) the economic significance of the these plants and the families to which they belong.

Many students choose to collect small fragments for reference: these are taped into a loose-leaf notebook (particularly artistic types simply draw the plants).  Digital photographs have become a major tool in learning the overwhelming diversity in these forests.   We may also do short-term group research projects at some sites. 

2 Credits. Intensive field trip to Costa Rica with the goal of comparing the diversity of flowering plants and ferns in four distinct tropical American forests. Emphasis on field recognition of floweringplant families, with an appreciation of the relationship between the Costa Rican people and their landscape. Prerequisites: PBIO 2090; Instructor permission.

Please reach out to Weston.Testo@uvm.edu for more information regarding this course!