Tropical Ecology
Biology 42
2007-2008

Professor: Me llamo Dr. Travis Perry.
Currently on sabbatical in New Mexico
Campus Phone:  Unavailable
E-mail instead of phone!:  Travis.Perry@furman.edu

Office Hours:  I will NOT be in my office but rather New Mexico   E-mail me for questions, comments, and concerns  I will be happy to make an appointment by phone if necessary.  You can always contact me via e-mail. 

Course Objectives:         
 
Required Materials:  
A Neotropical Companion..  1999. By Kricher, John C. 1997. 2nd edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. ISBN 0-691-04433-3;
A Brief History of Central America. 1992. By Hector Perez-Brignoli. Translated by Ricardo B. Sawrey and Susana Stettri de Sawrey. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles. ISBN 978-0-520-06832-2.
Ecology and Tropical Biology. 1986. By Ian Deshmukh. (ASIN: 0865423164).  This book is currently out of print but we will make readings available to you if they are assigned.  

Graded work:

Exams:
    Two exams consisting of identification, short answer, multiple choice, and essay questions covering lecture and required readings will be given during the course.  The first will be given at the end of our stay at Arenal and the second will be given at the end of the course poolside in Cahuita.

Field Journal:
        Daily field journal of all activities and studies.  Precise instructions for this journal will be given on this website. 

Group Research Project:
    Field research projects to be performed during the first week of the course at Palo Verde, primarily. Furman students will be divided into small groups of three or four for this cooperative effort.  Research projects will be assigned before departing for Costa Rica.  

Independent Research Project:
    Field research projects to be performed primarily during your stay at La Selva.  Faculty and assistants will provide guidance to students as they develop their own research questions and design experiments and studies to answer those questions.   Students are encouraged to help each other with data collection on independent research projects.

Participation:
     Maintaining a positive attitude, respecting the wants and needs of others, and a willingness to sacrifice personal desires for the good of the entire group are CRITICAL to the success of this course in terms of both personal and academic development for everyone involved.  

Grading Scheme:  Your grade in the course will be assessed based on the following items:
Item
 Percent
Exams
 35
Field Journal
 20
Independent Research Project
 20
Group Research Project
 20
Participation
 5

Letter grades will be assigned on a 10-percentage-point scale:

98-100 A+
 78-79 C+
 59 or below F
93-97 A
 73-77 C
90-92 A-
 70-72 C-
88-89 B+
 68-69 D+
83-87 B
 63-67 D
80-82 B-
 60-62 D-

Lectures:  You are expected to attend every lecture. If you do miss a class it is your responsibility to recover the information you missed. 

Other Policies:  E-Mail - Each student is required to maintain a university e-mail account and check it at least once a week, in case of
important announcements regarding the class. 

Academic Dishonesty (Don’t even think about it!) - General university policies regarding academic dishonesty will be strictly observed.
Integrity gives the educational enterprise its legitimacy.  Honesty, respect, and personal responsibility are principles that guide academic life
at Furman, in and out of the classroom.  Academic misconduct in any form (plagiarism, cheating, inappropriate collaboration, and other efforts
to gain an unfair academic advantage) threatens the values of the campus community and will have severe consequences,
such as failure in the course, and/or suspension or dismissal from the university.
If you have any question about what constitutes plagiarism or any other form of academic misconduct, it is your responsibility to consult with me
so that you will fully understand what I expect of you in this course.  If you have any doubts, ask!
 
Special Considerations  – Students who need academic accommodations should contact Donna Taylor, Coordinator of Disability Services at 294-2322.
 After a meeting with her, contact me during regular office hours.  DON’T procrastinate.

 Proposed Schedule
Date
 Location
 Event/Activity
3-6 January
 Furman University
 Lectures, 1st Exam, Final Preparations
6 January
 Ol' FU to GSP
 Fly to San Jose
7 January
 San Jose
 Drive to Palo Verde
8-10 January
 Palo Verde National Park
 Projects, Lectures, Mosquitos
11 January
 Palo Verde to Monteverde
 Travel to Monteverde
12 January
 Santa Elena Preserve
 Zip lines and canopy walks
13 January
 Monteverde to Arenal Lodge
 Lunch at Arenal and volcanic fireworks!
14 January
 Arenal to La Selva
 Lunch at La Selva
15-22 January
 La Selva Biological Station
 Lectures, Projects, Nightwalks
23 January
 La Selva to Cahuita National Park
 Lunch at Cabinas Atlantida
24-25 January
 Cahuita National Park
 Final Exam and DA BEACH!
26 January
 Cahuita to San Jose
 Final Dinner in San Jose
27 January
 San Jose airport
 Depart for Quito, Ecuador