Field Study of Puerto Rico's Ecology

Puerto Rico has a varied climate, geology, and topography that combine with periodic disturbance from earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, floods, and the occasional tsunami to produce a rich diversity of ecological systems (Miller and Lugo, 2009). Human use of the island’s mineral and biological resources together with agricultural production, military operations, industrial, commercial, and residential development and tourism have greatly reduced the area of intact systems and put pressure on surviving remnants. Fortunately, there are protected natural areas (Gould et al., 2011) that provide the opportunity to observe and come to understand important ecological patterns and processes of tropical areas. The course will include regular classes leading up to the required spring break trip to the island, during which we will review the literature and learn about the ecological systems of the island with students researching a specific system or location that we will visit and presenting findings to the class before we leave. Upon our return, students will research a topic of interest related to the field trip and present findings and analysis in a class presentation and paper.