This course is being proposed to fulfill an Area 7 course. Briefly, the course is designed to study the similarities of Appalachian and Costa Rican cultures and their attitudes toward the environment, and some of the ecology of the Southern Appalachians and Costa Rica.
Tropical ecosystems have the richest species diversity of any ecosystem known. Scientists are concerned about the rapid loss of species due to human activities. They believe that the current loss of species rivals the massive extinction events observed in the geologic record. However, these two types of extinction events differ. In geologic time, extinctions have been correlated with major events, such as asteroids hitting the earth's surface. Today, humans make decisions about which species will become extinct and which ones are saved by deciding which activities we allow to continue. We will look at the different factors that affect environmental conservation and preservation.
A portion of this course will be taught at Va Tech. While at Virginia Tech, we will meet daily from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 to 4:00 pm or later as needed. While at Va Tech we will study a diversity of topics including the biology, ecology and culture of the Southern Appalachians and Costa Rica. This will be accomplished by lectures by invited speakers, readings, discussion and local field trips. Also, students will work in groups.
In Costa Rica we will travel by bus to observe and study unique tropical ecosystems. Students will see first hand the effect of climate and elevation on specific tropical ecosystems. We will study unique relationships among the flora found in rain and dry forests, cloud forest, and savannas. In Costa Rica we will experience the culture and diet of the people. Our Costa Rican guides will participate in discussions on the culture and societal attitudes toward the environment.
Group Projects
While at Va Tech, students will work in groups. Each group will be given a list of species and they will prepare their own taxonomic key for the common flora and fauna of the Southern Appalachians and Costa Rica. Each group will also construct a probable food web of the dominant life forms found in an assigned ecosystem. Each ecosystem must contain at least 25 species from different trophic levels. Each group will need to justify why they chose each species and why each species is important to their food web. Each student will receive a copy of every food web to take into the field.
In Costa Rica, we will visit each of the unique ecosystems with a Costa Rican naturalist. After visiting each ecosystem and talking with the naturalist, each group will refine their ecosystem guide noting additions and deletions to each group report. Changes will be shared with the class during evening meetings. An electronic copy of this report will be due at the end of the course.
Field Research Paper
In addition to visiting ecosystems and validating our ecosystem guides (see above), we will study five habitats in more detail: Appalachian-Oak-Hickory forest, tropical dry forest, tropical cloud forest, tropical lowland forest, carribean coastal forest and subalpine forest. In these forests, we will conduct a diversity study using transects through the forests. We will then compare the Costa Rican forests types to the life zone studies conducted by Holdridge and others in the 1960s (Holdridge 1967, 1971).
A digital paper will be due at the end of the course that includes a comparison of the: 1) results of the forest studies to those of Holdridge and others, with a discussion of why our results may differ from those of Holdridge and others, 2) Costa Rican savanna with other studies conducted in the Serengeti. (Serengeti data will be provided), and 3) Appalachian forest and Appalachian secondary succession forest.
Culture Paper
We will read about the Appalachian and Costa Rican culture from the mid 1800s until present. We will have speakers knowledgeable in Appalachian coal culture and rural landscapes. After a discussion of Appalachian culture, we will tour some rural areas of SW Virginia making observations of the cultural landscape.
We will begin with a speaker talking about Latin culture. In addition we will read a book on Tico (Costa Rican slang for a Costa Rican) culture and social life. While in Costa Rica we will have evening discussion to compare what we have read with what we observe and learn from our discussions with Ticos.
After you experience these two cultures, you will write a short (3-5 page typewritten) final paper comparing the culture you were raised in to the culture that you live in, to the local Appalachian culture and the culture of Costa Rica. Most important, this paper must contain a discussion of how each of these cultures affect our use of environmental resources and our attitudes toward conservation and preservation.
Field Journal
Students must maintain a field journal using the Rite-in-the-rain notebooks). Every day of class you must record information on the following three (3) topics: 1) ecological measurements and observations about what you learned in that particular ecosystem; 2) observations of the culture and how this might affect their relationship with the environment; and 3) your reaction to the environment we visit and recommendations that citizens of both countries can use to mitigate environmental alterations or prevent environmental destruction.
Class Participation
Class participation is defined as attending class and participating in discussions, group activities and field projects. Students who do not actively participate will receive a reduced course grade.
Termination of Student Status
Under certain circumstances, students may be terminated from the course without a refund and an F grade. Possible reasons for termination include
Students must sign and turn in the course contract the second day of class.
Submission of Final Reports
All papers, except the field journal, must be submitted in electronic form unless noted otherwise in class. For students remaining in Costa Rica, all papers are due at the end of the course with the possible exception of the final culture paper which will be accepted late if permission is given by the instructor. Students returning to Blacksburg at the end of the course may have until the following Monday to turn in their documents.
Grading
|
Taxonomic Key |
20% |
|
Food Web |
10% |
|
Field Research Reports |
25% |
|
Field Journal |
25% |
|
Culture Paper |
10% |
|
Class Participation |
10% |
|
Total |
100% |