TROPICAL FIELD BIOLOGY
BIL 335 - Spring 2009
BIOTA AND
LAND USE ALONG AN ELEVATION GRADIENT IN COSTA
RICA
All photos in Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo,
Sector Volcán Barva (unless noted otherwise)
Brief Description
Prerequisites
Credits
Costs
Hazards
Instructors
Pre-trip Preparation
How to Apply
Brief Description
This course is
designed to provide students interested in the tropical environment with a brief
but intense experience in a variety of tropical habitats. The course involves
background lectures on tropical habitats and organisms that may be encountered,
land use, and conservation as well as safety and equipment preparation, and
culminates in an eleven day field trip to
Prerequisites
This course is
designed for Biology and Environmental Science majors, but no prior familiarity
with tropical biology is assumed. Some non-majors who were avidly interested in
natural history, land-use, and conservation in the tropics have been allowed to
participate, and have successfully completed the course. The nominal
prerequisite for this course is BIL 160, but
Field and backpacking experience is not absolutely necessary, but willingness to meet the wilderness on its own terms, a strong back and legs, and a willingness to endure some discomfort for the sake of a unique experience are!
Credits
This is a three credit
course. It will meet twice weekly, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:25 - 7:40 pm
until the spring break trip. There will be just one meeting after the
trip. Most time post trip may be devoted
to final preparation and editing of trip journals for submission at the end of
the semester. It is reasonable for very good students who can obtain their
advisor's and Dean's permission to register for a credit overload to enroll in
this course, bringing their total load to 18 credits for the semester (this in
effect makes this course more than "pay for itself" because tuition
for three regular credits would exceed the cost of the trip).
Photo: La Selva Biological Station
Costs
There is a $1200.00 course fee that is assessed to cover the actual costs of transportation (international and local), lodging, meals, and supplies. It will be due in three installments: $400.00 upon acceptance for the course, $400.00 at the first class meeting in January, and $400.00 two weeks before the trip. These payments are not refundable should the student withdraw from the course for any reason. The total fee is based upon ten participants, and the loss of a fee would jeopardize remaining participants (i.e., the cost of renting a vehicle to transport five persons is the same as that for ten, but the per person cost increases). The course instructor reserves the right to eliminate students from the course just before the trip if in his judgment they are too ill to participate. Should it prove necessary to eliminate someone from the course, their international airfare (but no other trip costs) will be refunded to them.
In addition to the fee for this course, you may anticipate some personal
expenses that can be substantial. All food and lodging in
Hazards
Based upon
prior experience with this course and others similar to it, one is probably no
less safe than usual (and indeed may be safer than when walking or driving in
Miami!), although significant hazards that are probably unfamiliar do exist.
The greatest potentially life-threatening hazard is the bite of a poisonous snake.
Unrelenting caution is required, but snakebite is avoidable. Disease is a
possibility, but you can be inoculated against most diseases to which you might
be exposed, and there are few of these. Hymenopteran
stings should be a concern to anyone who is allergic to them. Minor falls,
bruises, scrapes, thorn puncture wounds, and blisters commonly occur.
Photo: La Selva
Biological Station
The seriousness of a medical emergency or accident in the national park would depend both upon its nature and upon where in the park it occurred. Road access to the park is very limited, and in places trails are impassable to horses. At night, some trails would not be possible to follow on foot without danger of becoming lost or injured. Under the worst of conditions, medical help might not be obtained for 24-48 hours. It must be emphasized that this trip involves true wilderness hiking and so demands a high level of personal responsibility and exercise of caution.
Instructor
Dr. Dave Janos is a tropical biologist,
ecologist, and mycologist who has conducted research
in Costa Rica
Photo: Florianopolis , Brazil
Inoculations and Pre-trip Preparation
No
specific immunizations are required to enter Costa Rica, but I strongly
recommend tetanus, and typhoid. Because it may take as long as twelve weeks to
obtain a U.S. passport, you may wish to apply for one immediately if you do not
have one (non-U.S. citizens must ascertain whether or not they require a visa
to enter Costa Rica, and should also make sure that they will have no problems
returning to the U.S.A. after the trip). Perhaps the
most important preparations you can make are to begin a regular program of
exercise and conditioning now, if you are not already engaged in such activity,
and to begin breaking-in boots should you require new ones.
Application
All students seeking permission to enroll in this course must submit an
application form (available outside room 166) and be interviewed by Dr. Janos
(Room 166A - Cox Science Building, 284-6300, djanos@umiami.ir.miami.edu). A
list of participants selected for the course will be posted at room 166 on Friday,
21 November. Shelter and transport limitations
restrict this course to an absolute maximum of ten participants who will be
selected from among all applicants to compose what it is hoped will be a
compatible and congenial group.
Copyright, 1996, David P. Janos
Last modified 26 October 2008
David P. Janos
Department of Biology
djanos@umiami.ir.miami.edu