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Coordinator:
Dra.
Erika Deinert
Duke University, OTS
Application
Deadline:
October 13, 2006
Announcement of Selections:
November 10, 2006
ORGANIZATION
FOR TROPICAL STUDIES
Box
90630
Durham, NC 27708-0630 Phone: (919) 684-5774 Fax:
(919) 684-5661
Email:
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Tropical Biology is the Organization for Tropical Studies' (OTS') oldest course, offered every year since 1964. The course is an intensive, eight-week field introduction to tropical biology for 22 graduate students en¬rolled in degree programs at OTS member institutions.
The Course
Two full-time faculty teach Tropical Biology with assistance from 10 or more guest scientists who join the course for periods ranging from a single lecture to two weeks. A wealth of topics in tropical ecology are covered during the course, including:
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Introduction to the flora and fauna of Costa Rica
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Costa Rican geography and climate
- Forest
dynamics
- Biodiversity
- Demography
of plants and animals
- Herbivory
- Plant-animal
interactions
- Coevolution
- Conservation
biology
- Ecology
of the high elevation tropics
- Ecology
of dry forest and wet forest
- Ecology
of mangroves
- Frugivory
and seed dispersal dynamics
- The
history of conservation in Costa Rica
Course activities include orientation walks, faculty-led group field-problems, taxonomy workshops and independent research projects.
Sites
Visited
Tropical Biology is a highly mobile course that travels by bus, boat, taxi and occasionally on foot in hikes of up to 25 kilometers to approximately six field sites throughout Costa Rica. The field sites represent most of the major ecosystem types in the country and range from very well studied to almost unexplored.
Along the way, the course will visit all three OTS field stations, including La Selva Biological Station, a large and well-developed research station in the Caribbean lowlands. La Selva has over 1,500 hectares of old growth and second growth forests with an extensive trail system and well-equipped laboratories. Las Cruces Biological Station located at 1,200 meters elevation has a world-class plant collection in the Wilson Botanical Garden and an associated 160 hectare tract of old growth rain forest. The station maintains shade houses and a laboratory. Las Cruces is located in the southern part of the country near the Panamanian border and La Amistad National Park. Palo Verde Biological Station is in the heart of Palo Verde National Park, located in dry forest in the northwestern province of Guanacaste. The seasonally wet (May to November) ecosystem includes freshwater marshes that attract an array of waterfowl.
The course also visits a high elevation site with oak forest and páramo (Cerro de la Muerte), a coastal dry-moist forest and tidal lagoon (Cabo Blanco National Park) and a site that constitutes one of the largest and most diverse tracts of lowland Pacific wet forest remaining in Central America (Corcovado National Park). Some sites are in remote areas with no electricity or telephones. Living conditions are cramped so students need to be flexible in their personal needs.
Orientation
On the first day at each of the several locations, orientation walks introduce small groups of students to this site. The walks focus on the plants and animals of the habitat and include discussion of major ecological factors, such as biotic interactions, climate, and soils, that shape local ecosystems. The history of the site and local conservation issues are also explored.
Group
Field Problems
Beginning on the second day at each site, students break into small groups to participate in short (usually 2-day) field problems designed by faculty in consultation with students. These problems employ field observations and experiments to test hypotheses, and are followed by data analysis and presentation of results. The faculty lead one or two field problems in areas of their own expertise at each field site. Examples from recently completed courses include:
- Flower
morphology and the prevalence of hummingbird flower
mites
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Fruits at La Selva: A study of fruit pulp characteristics
and effects on disperser choice
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Ectoparasite load as a function of feeding guild in
bats at Palo Verde
- Body
condition, parasite load, and female coloration in
the convict cichild, Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum
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The birds and the trees: Seed dispersal and forest
regeneration
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An island biogeographical approach to Cynipid wasp
gall richness and abundance on oak trees (Quercus
copayensis) at two elevations
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Density, prey-capture success, and aggressive behavior
of araneid spiders at different prey levels
- Land
crab densities and seed predation along a beach-to-forest
gradient
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An examination of the enemy release hypothesis: fungal damage in exotic and native plants presence
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Peter Price picked a peck of Piper: testing
the “plant vigor” hypothesis
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Altitudinal variation in stomatal and trichome density
- . Sex, lies and dart frogs: do male Dendobates pumilio advertise honestly?
The faculty
field problems give students a through introduction
to the major ecosystems of Costa Rica, and to research
design and implementation.
Independent Research
Tropical Biology students undertake extended independent research on a topic of their choice and present their results to their peers. In a recent course, student research included:
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Brood retrieval and removal by Pseudomyrmex spinicola:
Friend or foe?
- Who pays the Piper? Resource overlap
and exclusivity in La Selva bats
- Relationship between soil nutrient
availability and fine root biomass
- Ontogenetic changes in aggression
and foraging behavior in damselfish
- Leaf decomposition rates and benthic
invertebrate community development: A comparison of
two small neotropical streams
- Feeding behavioral ecology and spatial
distribution of capuchin and howler monkeys
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Managing cattail monocultures in a tropical wetland:
the effect of water depth on stem density
After the course
concludes OTS publishes a compilation of all research
reports generated in a coursebook.
Post-course
Opportunities
Course participants are eligible for small grants to support post-course research. Grants support short term research projects at OTS field stations that begin either immediately following the course, or up to a year after the course ends.
Also following the course, some students may visit the Barro Colorado Island research station of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panamá, with station fees covered by STRI.
Eligibility
Applicants must be enrolled in, or accepted to, a graduate degree program. Selection of participants is highly competitive; enrollment is limited to 22 students. Preference is given to students enrolled in OTS member institutions.
Preparation
The course is taught in English. However, Spanish is very useful both on the road and at the field stations, and participants are strongly encouraged to develop at least rudimentary Spanish language skills.
Costs
Total course cost exceeds $7,500 per student. In effect, all students from OTS member institutions receive a scholarship of $5,000. Students from Latin American universities that are members of OTS may apply for limited scholarships up to $1,500.
| (1)
Application fee: |
$25 |
| (2)
Course fee: |
|
|
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OTS-
members' students |
$2,500 |
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Non-OTS
member students |
$7,500 |
| (3)
Personal expenses are additional |
|
| (4)
Transportation to Costa Rica is additional |
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(1)
A processing fee of $25 must accompany the completed
application.
(2)
The course fee covers room, board, and field travel
during the course, and must be paid prior to the course.
(3) Personal expenses such as laundry, mail, entertainment,
visas, insurance, medical expenses, gifts, etc. are
not covered. Also, students planning additional time
in Costa Rica before or after the course should allow
$30-40 per day extra.
(4)
Students are to make their own travel arrangements.
The cost of airfare varies tremendously, so local travel
agents should be consulted. Advance-purchase and student-fare
discounts are often substantial.
Application
Submission
Applications
should be submitted to your OTS Delegate. There are
two Delegates at each OTS-member institution and their
names can be found on the OTS home page http://www.ots.duke.edu/en/about/delegates.php
or by contacting OTS [Tel. (919) 684-5774; fax (919)
684-5661; E-mail:ots@duke.edu
. Provide the OTS Delegate with an addressed envelope
with postage: OTS, Box 90630, Durham, NC 27708-0630;
(Street address: 410 Swift Ave.).
Applications should be submitted to your OTS representative with sufficient lead time so applications can be reviewed and mailed to arrive at OTS by the application deadline date. See your OTS delegate for requested date of submission.
Four applications, preferably ranked by the OTS Delegate(s), may be submitted per course from each institution and a maximum of two students may be accepted.
Orientation
Material
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