SFS3831: Tropical Ecology of the Amazon

The term biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems. Ecology is the scientific study of interactions of organisms with one another and with the physical and chemical environment around them. In this course Tropical Ecology of the Amazon we will be looking at the biodiversity of the region and the processes that originate and sustain it at multiple scales: regional, landscape, ecosystem, habitat, communities, and species. The overarching goal of this course is for students to be able to identify and characterize the diversity of non-human life in the Amazon region, and to understand the patterns and processes that support this diversity. Students will learn the fundamental principles of ecology through studying a diverse mosaic of ecosystems, habitats, and species along elevation gradients, succession gradients, and geomorphic features.

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