BIO 328 Tropical Ecology
Prerequisites: BIO 112 and 8 hours of BIO courses applicable to the BIO major.
This field course is designed to showcase the basic flora and fauna of the tropics and review ecological principles within these unique tropical environments. Lectures and labs focus on the nature of life in tropical climates with specific emphasis on coral reefs, tropical rainforests, mangrove swamps, and seagrass communities. Through learning activities students review taxonomic diversity, form and function, ecological roles, and adaptations of representative tropical organisms. Topics include: adaptation to disturbance, physiological mechanisms, loco-motion and migrations, defenses against predation, sensory reception, productivity, feeding, biodiversity, reproduction and symbiosis through the lens of tropical ecosystems. Three hours lecture and 3 hours laboratory/week.