Module 36

University of Windsor
Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology

Tropical Ecology of Costa Rica

Neotropical Dry Forest, Premontane Rainforest, and Montane Cloud Forest in Guanacaste Conservation Area northwest Costa Rica

A university course in either organismal biology or introductory ecology. We recommend but do not require introductory statistics. Open to both graduate and undergraduate students.

This two-week field course is a hands-on exploration of the flora and fauna of Costa Rica with an emphasis on ecology, evolutionary adaptations, and community relationships in the tropics. Field research will involve identifying birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and plants; studying the ecology of neotropical animals in four different ecosystems; capturing and banding birds; monitoring the social behaviour of three different species of monkey; observing leaf-cutter ants, termites, ant/acacia mutualisms; assessing different conservation practices; and much more. Independent studies will be conducted individually or in small groups; reports must be written individually and must be submitted one month after returning from Costa Rica. The course will be offered in the Guanacaste Conservation Area. This conservation area spans an elevational gradient from Pacific beaches and mangroves, to lowland rainforest, to tropical humid forest, to elfin montane forest. It contains the world’s largest remaining stand of Neotropical Dry Forest. The field course will take place at three different field stations within or near Santa Rosa National Park. In the first part of the course, we will stay in sector Santa Rosa (a low-elevation site) where we will focus on the tropical dry forest ecosystem, the behavioural ecology of dry forest mammals and birds, ant/acacia mutualisms, and monkey behaviour. In the second part of the course, we will stay in sector Pitilla (a middle-elevation site) where our research will focus on a comparison of Pacific versus Caribbean flora and fauna, riparian ecosystems, and the ecology of rainforests. In the third part of the course, we will stay in Las Bromelias field station (another middle-elevation site) where we will focus on the montane forest ecosystem, forest bird and mammal communities, patterns of tropical forest succession, and leaf cutter ant ecology.

On this field course we will be living and working in rugged field conditions. We will routinely get very hot and very dirty and spend long days outdoors in a variety of weather conditions (awake at 5:00 or 6:00 AM; to bed at 9:00 or 10:00 PM). You must be in good physical condition and you must be willing to hike for many hours each day, often over challenging terrain in hot tropical weather. You must be prepared to deal with the presence of bugs, snakes, and the many other organisms that make the tropics unique.  A valid passport is required. All students will be required to contact their physician regarding inoculations, allergies, medication, and other health issues. Living in remote conditions means that access to emergency medical care is more challenging than in North America; students with potentially life-threatening conditions (such as severe allergies to insect stings) should consider other courses. Both professors are certified in advanced wilderness first aid.

1. Each student will be responsible for researching an assigned topic in advance of the course and delivering a 20 minute presentation during the course. 
2. Each student will keep a notebook of their field observations. 
3. Each student will conduct an independent research project, either individually or in small groups. Each student will individually write a scientific report on their project. Reports are due 6 weeks after we return from the course.