Global Arc

This intensive field course, at various sites in Panama, examines the origins, maintenance, and major interactions among elements of the tropical-terrestrial biota. Study topics include identification of common orders and families of neotropical organisms; tropical climate and hydrology; biotic interactions; and contemporary and historical factors in shaping tropical landscapes, with emphasis on the Isthmian Landbridge and subsequent floral and faunal interactions. Two hours of lecture/discussion, six hours of laboratory, and two hours of data analysis daily. Limited to students in the Tropical Ecology Program in Panama. Prerequisite: 321.

Resilience theory provides a framework for understanding the dynamics of complex social-ecological systems in order to assess and promote sustainability. This course will apply key concepts from resilience theory (e.g., feedbacks, thresholds, regime shifts, adaptive cycles, panarchy) as we investigate the hydrological, ecological, and social dynamics that characterize the social-ecological systems of African pastoralists in water-limited landscapes. Topics will include: ecohydrology of land degradation, ecological interactions in dry savannas, human ecology of pastoralism, and challenges in common pool resource management.

This course covers the ecology and conservation of tropical savanna communities and ecosystems. Focused on Serengeti as the classic African savanna and studies from other parts of Africa. Lectures will highlight the ecology of key groups of organisms and their interactions in Serengeti. We also look at the geological and human history of Tanzania and East Africa. We'll conclude the course by examining the central issues in the conservation of Serengeti and other savanna grasslands. We use a wide range of historical and contemporary movies; books and scientific papers to develop an intensive understanding of this iconic ecosystem.

This intensive field course provides an in-depth introduction to the biology of tropical coral reefs, with an emphasis on reef fish ecology and behavior. Students learn to identify fishes, corals, and invertebrates, and learn a variety of field methods including underwater censusing, mapping, videotaping, and the recording of inter-individual interactions. Two hours of lecture/discussion, six hours of laboratory, and two hours of data analysis daily. Snorkeling in open ocean and walking in wild terrain is common. Limited to students in the Tropical Ecology Program in Panama. Prerequisite: 321.

This intensive field course addresses the life-history characteristics of tropical vertebrates and the physiological traits that underlie them. Students will learn how tropical life histories differ from those in the temperate zone and will use eco-physiological techniques while conducting experiments and observations at a Smithsonian Institute field station. Two hours of lecture/discussion, six hours of laboratory, and two hours of data analysis daily. Limited to students in the Tropical Ecology Program in Panama. Prerequisite: 321.

Open cast mining causes severe environmental damage, and regulating this process is difficult, especially in developing countries. Students will study the role of corporate responsibility in managing mining to achieve economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The course will highlight principles of ecological rehabilitation for restoring ecological functions while enhancing economic value. Topics include: biological and environmental controls of vegetation; community composition and succession; and restoration of ecological functions, biological diversity and ecosystems. Students will gain an in-depth view of the economics involved.

In this course we will develop an appreciation for the landscape-scale diversity of the tropical forests in Panama. We will examine the climate, geology, soils and hydrology, and explore the implications of landscape diversity for plant and animal communities, with a special focus on vertebrates (mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles) and how and why different groups vary across the landscape with different habitats. We will use GIS and remote sensing and analyze aerial photos and satellite images of local forests, focusing on the anthropogenic changes in the landscape, and analyze how these changes affect vertebrate communities.

An introduction to the basic principles and methods of studying evolution using molecular approaches, with examples taken from organisms in the Panamanian tropics. Topics covered in lectures include: population genetics, basic principles of molecular evolution, and molecular phylogenetics. The laboratory component will involve the collection of molecular data taken from specimens in the tropical forest, and the analysis of those data using the latest computer software. Students will pool their data to answer larger biological questions.

Only six percent of Africa's land area (containing a fraction of its biodiversity) is protected, and these areas are rarely large enough to sustain 'charismatic megafauna'. Mostly, wildlife must share land with people also facing survival challenges. This course will explore how wildlife and people interact in the Ewaso Ecosystem in central Kenya where new approaches to conservation are being developed. Lectures will cover the ecology of tropical grasslands and first principles underlying the forces shaping biodiversity patterns. Field trips and projects will examine the dynamics between human actions and biodiversity patterns.

Kenya has some of the most diverse set of crops and farming systems in Africa allowing students to compare productivity, diversity, and ecological processes. Students will spend their time exploring the varied agro-ecosystems, crops, livestock, climates, and soils under which agriculture is practiced in Kenya. The course includes key readings and discussions, intensive field sampling, GIS applications, and modeling. In addition, students will be exposed to the various ecological processes and ecosystem services provided by or interfered with by agriculture. Limited to students in the Tropical Biology and Sustainability Program in Kenya.