BIO 321 - Tropical Ecology

Semester Hours: 3
This is an advanced, spring semester course in tropical forest and coral reef ecology that takes place primarily in Belize after the spring semester ends. The bulk of the course revolves around experiential learning in Belize along with formal lectures by both the Lakeland instructors and faculty on site in Belize. This course is designed to explore the fundamental properties of both terrestrial and marine habitats in the tropics with an emphasis placed on research projects conceptualized and carried out by students in a lowland tropical rainforest. The student research projects will provide for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of ecological data with a formal presentation of those results once back on Lakeland’s campus. The logistics of the Belize portion of the course will be handled by the Belize Foundation for Research & Environmental Education (BFREE) and several, mandatory, preparation meetings will take place.

Pre-requisites: any BIO or CHM course with a lab and/or instructor consent.

Offered: Spring, odd years.