Tropical Ecology & Conservation         Course Info         Winter Term 2 – 2021


In this course we will explore fundamental ecological and evolutionary principles using tropical landscapes as our geographic template. We will assess the factors that make tropical systems both unique but also vulnerable to degradation, drawing from comparisons across geographic regions. While we learn about the structure, function and biological history of the tropics, we will address the myriad challenges these regions face in biodiversity loss and conservation practice.
This course is best suited for 3rd and 4th year students with a basic background in ecology, evolution and geography. Each week, we will introduce a course theme with a lecture, to provide a sound conceptual foundation, followed by discussion based on studies in the primary literature. Students are expected to read, evaluate and discuss scientific literature relevant to these course topics.

Instructor: Jill Jankowski                                Teaching Assistant: Jenny Munoz
Office hours: By appointment online            Office hours: By appointment online
Email: jankowsk@biodiversity.ubc.ca            Email: jmunoz@zoology.ubc.ca

Learning Outcomes in this Course:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1.    Apply principles of ecology to understand the structure and function of tropical ecosystems.
2.    Understand the fundamental ecological, evolutionary and biogeographic processes that influence patterns of diversity       
       within the tropics, historically and contemporarily.
3.    Assess the anthropogenic threats to tropical systems and the conservation initiatives for biodiversity protection.
4.    Read and evaluate scientific literature and provide critical reviews and commentary of published studies. 
5.    Use available data from published studies to test hypotheses generated through discussion of conceptual ideas in tropical
       ecology and conservation.
6.    Integrate findings from research of scientific literature into a written and oral review of a tropical ecosystem and the
       challenges involved in its conservation.

Marking Breakdown:
1. Intellectual contributions (participation in class and group discussions)    15%
2. Assignments                                                                                                  25%
3. Group presentations                                                                                     20%
4. Final research paper: review & synthesis                                                    40%
 
1. Intellectual Contributions & Participation: Peer evaluation and feedback is central to scientific investigation, particularly in the development and refinement of ideas and written projects, reports or assessments. The lectures and the tutorials of this course are geared to allow you to ask questions, explore ideas, constructively criticize, and seek out answers through further investigation and inquiry. This full participation is expected in class. Intellectual contributions, including participation in class and in group discussions, will help you to gain confidence in articulating ideas in front of an audience and in assimilating and making inferences from information in scientific papers. Marking will be based on the guidelines outlined in the rubric for participation shown below. Addresses learning objectives 1-4

2. Assignments (journal article discussion and reports): We will read and discuss papers published in the primary literature, which relate directly to the major themes explored in the course. During discussion days, assigned groups will provide a brief overview of the paper, followed by a seminar-style discussion. Students should come to class having read the paper, with at least three of their own questions to facilitate discussion. Following discussion students will submit short assignment answering posted questions or problems developed in the discussion. Students can work on ‘Discussion Report’ assignments in groups. See the marking rubric below for a breakdown of the assessment criteria. Addresses learning objectives 1-5

3. Group Presentation: As part of the final research project, students will assemble a presentation that highlights each of the main components of their review and synthesis (see below). The aim of the presentation exercise is to help students verbally formalize their outlined projects as they write the first complete drafts of their paper. Presenters are offered feedback from their student peers, to evaluate the depth and quality of content for each section of their project, or to identify potential gaps and areas for improvement.  The group component of this assignment encourages idea sharing and evaluation of alternative ideas in the design and composition of the oral (and written) project, including the importance of maintaining a supportive environment for group contributions, an important skill for scientific collaboration. Presentations will be assessed following the rubric shown below. Addresses learning objectives 4-6

4. Final Research Paper - Review & Synthesis:  You will choose a tropical locality to research in a review and synthesis article, following the manuscript style of the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. In your assessment, you will assimilate information on four components that describe this region: biological diversity, historical biogeography, anthropogenic threats and conservation strategies. This report is designed to be similar to a “Rapid Assessment” style composition, using data and information gathered from published sources and primary scientific literature. Students submit drafts of their research paper to be exchanged for peer-review, with feedback from the teaching team, prior to the final submission. This assessment is centered on developing research and critical thinking skills, as well as sound writing, information assimilation and critique. See the marking rubric below for a breakdown of the assessment criteria. Addresses learning objectives 1-6

Goals and learning outcomes by Topic:
Below is a list of the themes we will touch on in this course using lecture and discussion
(the order of these topics might be switched)

Climate, diversity of communities and classification:

Understand how climates vary across the globe and the factors that determine these patterns – use this to explain why tropical forests are found where they are.

Describe the diversity of ecosystems within the tropics and identify unique features of different tropical environments across the globe (what are the differences between tropical dry and wet forests, or within tropical montane regions).

Historical biogeography:

Review major geological events and their potential impacts on biodiversity patterns (e.g., continental drift, mountain building

Understand how such events have generated a diversity of ecosystems within the tropics

Community structure and trophic structure:

Understand how tropical forests are structured and how this may promote diversity

Explore the complexity of tropical systems based on species interactions and unique relationships – start to reflect on how such interactions can generate and lead to higher diversity in the tropics

Species interactions:

Review the kinds of species interaction there are, and understand how this relates to concepts such as niche partitioning and negative density dependence.

Explore some of the interactions that are especially well developed or unique to the tropics (plant-pollinator interactions and networks, frugivory, including seed shadows and animal dispersal)

Biodiversity patterns:

Understand the different spatial components of diversity and how they are quantified and interpreted (including alpha, beta and gamma diversity)

Explore how these different aspects of diversity contribute to the latitudinal gradient in diversity

Consider variation in diversity across tropical systems – why are some areas more or less diverse than others within the tropics?

Rarity in the tropics:

Identify the different forms of rarity in numerical abundance and distribution on multiple scales, explore the consequences of correlations of rarity (in topics of extinction risk)

Understand what endemism is and where endemics species are concentrated

Consider these metrics in developing priorities for conservation.

Maintenance of diversity:

Understand and evaluate different hypotheses that may maintain local diversity in tropical communities (including Janzen – Connell effects, negative density dependence)

Discuss the fragility or stability of mutualistic relationships in the tropics, and explore the spectrum of biotic interactions in tropical systems that may influence diversity

Evaluate patterns of niche partitioning in tropical systems and the evidence that this mechanisms maintains diversity in the tropics

Functional Tropics – productivity and biomass:

Understand what productivity is and how it can be measured
 
Become familiar with some of the major factors affecting nutrient cycling in the tropics and some of the key players (e.g., Mycorrhizae, roles of Phosphorus, overview of ‘leaf economics’)

Coevolution in the tropics:

Explore some of the complex biotic interactions that make tropical systems unique
(e.g., fig-wasp systems, leafcutter ant societies, specialized frugivory and seed dispersal)

Discuss how these relationships can influence evolutionary patterns, and how this can in turn influence tropical diversity

Origins of diversity:

Assess rates of speciation and extinction across latitudes, and explore the evidence for how this may contribute to the diversity of tropical systems.

Explore how the high diversity of the tropics relates to geological periods of time. Discuss how regional or continental-level factors might be important for the origins of diversity in the tropics (e.g., patterns of drift, mountain building, refugia and isolation).

Extinction and species loss:

Step through different threats to tropical forests (e.g., deforestation, invasive species, bushmeat, pathogens), and how these vary across geopolitical boundaries and geographic regions. Explore this using different case studies.

Evaluate threats to tropical systems with climate change. What are the forecasts (and uncertainty surrounding predictions) for species loss and how tropical communities will respond to climate change?

Discuss synergistic effects of climate change and anthropogenic pressures on tropical systems.

Sustainable use in the tropics:

Explore different ecosystem services in the tropics and their local, regional and global implications.

Investigate REDD and PES programs and their potential successes and pitfalls

Successes in tropical conservation:

Discuss cases of restoration or rehabilitation for tropical systems

Review the history of protected areas in the tropics, including their establishment and maintenance, and the cases that have generated successful (or unsuccessful) conservation practice.


The following edited volumes and textbooks are great references for course material:

Kricher, J. (2011) Tropical Ecology. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ

Laurance, W. F., & Peres, C. A. (Eds.). (2006). Emerging threats to tropical forests. University of Chicago Press.

Terborgh, J., van Schaik, C., Davenport, L., & Rao, M. (Eds.). (2002). Making parks work: strategies for preserving tropical nature. Island Press.

Malhi, Y., & Phillips, O. (Eds.). (2005). Tropical forests and global atmospheric change. Oxford University Press on Demand.


Plagiarism: There is zero tolerance for plagiarism in any form. Writing will be a major component of work in this course, through your assignments and term paper. It is critical that you generate your own ideas and give proper credit for the ideas of others. Please refer to the following UBC website for information regarding plagiarism and academic integrity: http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/resource-guides/avoiding-plagiarism/