Module 33.5 (Former Module 17)

McMaster University
Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology

Course Title : Tropical Ecology
Instructor(s) :

Dr. J. Kolasa                             905-525-9140 Ext.23100 
Department of Biology              FAX  905-522-6066
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ont., L8S 4K1

Course website
Date(s) :

NEW Dates: August 16 to August 29 ± 2 days, 2010
Location : Selous Game Park, Tanzania (http://www.go2africa.com/tanzania/map)
Cost :

Approx. $2,100.00
[deposit $250.00 CAD deposit payable to student's home University;
balance $1,850.00 payable to McMaster University, c/o Kathy McIntosh, Biology,
by  March 30, 2010.]
Includes:  local transportation, food supplies, park fees, armed rangers
Excludes: airfare (to be arranged by student, estimated at US$1,260-1,500); tuition at home University
Prerequisites :

Students should normally be entering the 3rd or 4th year of a Biology Honours (Zoology, Ecology, or Botany) program, have at least one ecology course beyond the fundamental level and must have taken an introductory biometry or statistics course.
Description :

By analogy to ecotourism, we can call the course ecolearning as it involves 24 hour exposure to African nature and a minimal footprint. The course components will include sightseeing and team projects on ecology of vegetation and wildlife of East Africa. Emphasis will be on linking animal species to their natural environment and will involve observations of behavior, age structure, foraging patterns, impacts on vegetation in typical or frequently used areas, landscape features conducive to high mammal diversity and density, and others (see potential projects on the course website). Sightseeing exposes students to an astounding diversity of African animals, including elephants, hippos, crocodiles, lions, wild dogs, leopards, giraffes, wildebeests, and many others, in their natural settings. The course is intended for experienced hikers with experience in international travel, or those who are prepared to gain hiking/camping experience the hard way (two hikes of 25km and many over 10km; sleeping in your own tent, cooking on fire). This course offers an experience that goes well beyond a tour safari or a typical field course.  You can see excerpts from the 2007 trip on YouTube.
Enrollment : Limited to 10 students, minimum 10 students. 
Evaluation : Research proposal        10%     (due April 30, 2010)
Participation & tests      30%
Presentation                 20%
Final report                   40%     (due one month after return)
                                 100%
Assignment(s) :

Students will submit a two-page research proposal by April 30, 2010 after consultation with the instructors. The instructors will work with students to develop a good proposal. Students will present their proposals during evening seminars if feasible.  Four weeks (deadline adjustable to individual circumstances) after the field module students will submit final reports  in the format of a paper for the journal of ECOLOGY.

Additional Information: