BIOL 487H Tropical Field Biology (4 credits) Syllabus Spring 2020 - Spring ...
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BIOL 487H Tropical Field Biology (4 credits)
Syllabus ‐ Spring 2020
Course objectives:
Through intensive, first‐hand experience in the classroom and overseas in tropical lowland
rainforest and marine ecosystems in Belize, we pose three challenges for you to meet.
Primary is that you learn what it is to be a field biologist: how to design, justify, carry out,
analyze, interpret and present ecological research by doing independent research projects,
in this case in the rainforest. Second and equally important, is to become conversant in the
basics of tropical biodiversity, in particular the ecology, behavior, taxonomy, physiology and
conservation of tropical organisms, combining your classroom experience with close
observation of living organisms in nature. And third, we challenge you to synthesize the
diverse facets of your UMass educational experience by integrating the scientific aspects of
the course, the cultural diversity of your overseas experience and your own future goals,
and by taking advantage of the numerous opportunities to discuss these ‘big questions’
among yourselves and with your instructors.
Instructors:
Paul Sievert (birds/population biology/biostatistics) psievert@eco.umass.edu
Tristram Seidler (plant diversity, ecology, and conservation) tseidler@bio.umass.edu
Christiane Healey (aquatic ecology/evolution/animal behavior) cihealey@bio.umass.edu
Adam Porter (insect ecology/computational biology/evolution) aporter@bio.umass.edu
Time and place:
We will meet each Tuesday and Thursday, 4:00‐5:15 P.M. in Morrill 2, Rm 319
Course structure:
The course has three main components: 1) Twice‐weekly pre‐trip lectures, 2) ten days of
field study in Belize, and 3) twice‐weekly post‐trip meetings, which will be used mainly for
student presentations.
Course expectations and grading:
1. Homework. You will have five homework assignments before the field trip; you will have
a week to finish each one. Each assignment will be graded on a 10‐point scale, and the
points you accumulate over the pre‐trip lectures will account for 20% of your final grade. In
addition, we expect that you will read all assigned reading material.
2. A field notebook. We expect that you will keep a field notebook containing a daily record
of your observations during the field trip. Your notebook should document the species that
you observe each day; your observations of biological patterns, processes, and behaviors;
and ideas and scientific questions that come to you during your days and nights in the field.
Your field notebook will account for 10% of your final grade.
13. A course project. You will devise, propose, and design an ecological research project, and
then collect your data in the Belize rainforest. Draft proposal worksheets are due on
Thursday, February 13th, and complete, fully detailed proposals are due before we leave on
March 13th. When we return, you will analyze your data and (most importantly) identify
how your results fit into the broader context of published scientific research on that and
related topics. You will then develop a 15‐minute oral presentation to the class, and a
written scientific paper detailing your research in a more precise way. The presentations
will begin two weeks after we return, so we expect the earlier presentations to be “works in
progress” and later presentations to be complete. The research proposal, oral
presentation, and paper will together account for 60% of your final grade.
4. Attendance. We expect each course participant to attend all pre‐trip and post‐trip course
meetings. Attendance will account for 10% of your final grade.
5. Grades. Final grades will be assigned based on the number of points you have earned
throughout the semester. We may adjust the grade ranges in your favor if the overall
median is relatively low.
Highest Lowest Letter
100.00 % 93.00 % A
92.99 % 90.00 % A‐
89.99 % 87.00 % B+
86.99 % 83.00 % B
82.99 % 80.00 % B‐
79.99 % 77.00 % C+
76.99 % 73.00 % C
72.99 % 70.00 % C‐
69.99 % 67.00 % D+
66.99 % 60.00 % D
59.99 % 00.00 % F
Some project advice:
Developing and justifying a topic for your project is one of the primary goals of the pre‐trip
portion of the course, and it’s surprisingly hard to do well alone. But there’s a competing
surprise: it’s the rare scientist who tries to do this without talking out their thoughts and
eventually their experimental designs with their own colleagues and students. So, be
normal and take advantage of the course instructors and your peers throughout the
development of your project idea. Read widely as ideas emerge. A good project typically
combines a simple experiment or two, or easily collected observations, that you can
complete in the short time we have in the field, with follow‐up research when we return.
We will share with you a list of project ideas; you may use one of these ideas as the basis of
your project or you may develop an idea of your own.
2Final grades will be assigned based on the number of points you have earned throughout
the semester. We may adjust the grade ranges in your favor if the overall median is
relatively low.
Things you absolutely must have:
1) VALID PASSPORT (& if you are not a US citizen, a Visa for Belize)
2) A waterproof notebook for your field journal (Amazon or Hastings Bookstore in Amherst)
3) Mask, fins, and snorkel
4) A good understanding of: Orientation to Belize and BFREE‐2020.pdf
Web site:
This is a paperless course. We use Moodle to host the course website, where we post all
assignments and course resources, and where you should upload your completed
assignments.
Recommended resources (alphabetically):
Biodiversity of the Maya Mountains. Dourson, D. C. 2012
Birds of Belize. Jones & Gardner, 2004
How to do Ecology (2nd edn). Karban, Huntzinger & Pierce, 2014
JMP‐Pro statistical software (free download via IT, for UMass students)
New Neotropical Companion. Kricher, J. 2017
Reef Fish Identification – Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas (4th edn). Humann & Deloach, 2014
Reef Coral Identification – Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas (3rd edn). Humann & Deloach, 2013
Reef Creature Identification – Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas (3rd edn). Humann, Deloach &
Wilk, 2013
Students with disabilities:
If you have a disability, we are prepared and eager to try to accommodate it. However,
over spring break we will be spending a good deal of time in Belize in buses, boats,
rainforest trails, and on a rustic island on the barrier reef. So, to the extent that your
disability affects your mobility, significant preparations by our partners in Belize could be
necessary. In that case, please consult with us in the first week of the course so we can get
that sorted out.
Academic integrity:
Your academic integrity is important and you should value it highly! Scientific dishonesty
and plagiarism are not acceptable and it is your responsibility to understand these issues
(see www.umass.edu/honesty for more information). If in doubt, ask.
3Lecture Schedule ‐ BIOL‐487H Tropical Field Biology 2020
Meets Tues/Thus, 4‐5:15, Morrill 2, Room 319
Jan 21 Class photos, IPO guidance and a brief discussion of the class (Paul)
Jan 23 Introduction to Tropical Plant Ecology (Tristram)
Jan 28 Avian ecology (Paul)
Paul assigns homework
Jan 30 Neotropical terrestrial invertebrates (Adam)
Feb 4 Getting data in the field (Adam)
Adam assigns homework
Feb 6 Tropical forest plants (Tristram)
Paul’s homework due
Tristram assigns homework
Feb 11 International Programs Office Orientation
Adam's homework due
Feb 13 Stats I (Paul) ‐‐ Project worksheets due
Tristram’s homework due
Paul assigns homework
Feb 18 NO CLASS ‐ Monday Schedule
Feb 20 Fish Biology (Christiane)
Paul’s homework due
Assignment of Fish Blitz topics
Feb 25 Freshwater ecology (Christiane)
Feb 27 Climate, geography, and history of Belize (Tristram)
Mar 3 Behavioral ecology & sexual selection (Adam)
Mar 5 Fish Blitz (Christiane) ‐‐ Project Materials Checklist Due
Mar 10 Marine invertebrates (Sean Werle)
Mar 12 Neotropical herpetology (Al Richmond)
Mar 13‐22 Field trip to Belize
Field site lectures to be determined
Mar 24 Stats II (Paul)
Bring: JMP statistical software on your laptop
Mar 26 Presenting your data (Adam)
Assigned reading: Bates College scientific writing document
Mar 31 Student presentations (x3)
Apr 2 Student presentations (x3)
Apr 7 Student presentations (x3)
Apr 9 Student presentations (x3)
Apr 14 Student presentations (x3)
Apr 16 Student presentations (x3)
Apr 21 Student presentations (x3)
Apr 23 Student presentations (x3)
Apr 28 Course evaluation
4BELIZE ITINERARY: 13‐22 March 2020 (draft)
Day 1: Friday, 13 March (~1 AM, i.e., Thursday night after midnight) ‐ Depart UMass for Belize
• Depart Boston, MA, for Phillip W. Goldson International Airport, Belize City
• Join BFREE Group Leader Nelly Cadle for drive to Maya Center
• Visit market in Belmopan
• Stay in Maya Center overnight
Day 2: Saturday, 14 March ‐ BFREE Biological Field Station (rainforest)
• Following breakfast, travel to BFREE entrance road
• Hike to BFREE and have lunch
• Orientation, tour of the facilities, and project discussion
Day 3: Sunday, 15 March ‐ BFREE Biological Field Station
• Tour Hicatee and Cacao Projects
• Research projects & activities TBD by Instructors
Day 4: Monday, 16 March ‐ BFREE Biological Field Station
• Boundary line hike with BFREE rangers
• Research projects & activities TBD by Instructors
Day 5: Tuesday, 17 March ‐ BFREE Biological Field Station
• Early morning bird mist‐netting (pending availability of local avian technician)
• Research projects & activities TBD by Instructors
Day 6: Wednesday, 18 March ‐ Lime Caye
• Early morning breakfast and then hike out on BFREE Entrance Road
• Board bus to travel to Punta Gorda then take boat to Lime Caye
• Orientation and water safety lessons
• Snorkel
Day 7: Thursday, 19 March ‐ Lime Caye
• Snorkel & Marine Ecology Activities
Day 8: Friday, 20 March ‐ Lime Caye
• Snorkel & Marine Ecology Activities
Day 9: Saturday, 21 March ‐ Tropical Education Center
• Depart Lime Caye by boat in the morning for Mango Creek
• Travel north to the Tropical Education Center (TEC)
• Night tour of the Belize Zoo
Day 10: Sunday, 22 March ‐ Depart Belize for UMass
• Drive to Phillip W. Goldson International Airport for flight to Boston, MA
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