SFS3740: Tropical Forest Ecology and Resource Management

The Principles of Resource Management (PRM) course in the Tropical Island Biodiversity Studies (TIBS) program introduces students to the tools required to understand and manage tropical forest ecosystems. The course covers basic principles in forest structure and dynamics, biodiversity patterns, relationships between different organisms, interactions between biotic and abiotic factors, and the importance of neotropical forests worldwide. These concepts will set the fundamentals to understanding the ecological processes in soil productivity, nutrient recycling, tropical biodiversity and climatic cycles. This component of the academic program links some principles of tropical ecology and resource management with the Tropical Coastal Ecology (TCE) course as well. Conceptual material focuses on biodiversity, tropical resources, evaluation of water and soil resources, habitat modification, terrestrial protected areas and pollution. Throughout the course, lecture materials, extensive field activities and laboratories will present local issues in resource use, resource exploitation, and resource management, which are important to the environmental and social well-being of the Bocas del Toro region. Gaining an appreciation for the ecology, resource management, and environmental policies of the Bocas del Toro region should provide students with a working knowledge on a broad range of approaches to conservation and research of tropical natural resources. During the semester, discussions and analyses will then be framed by two major subjects, each of which will address using specific local examples: 1) Principles of tropical ecology and 2) Principles of resource management.

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