2014 Interterm Field Trip to Costa Rica - BIOL-454
The students enrolled in this spring’s “Seminar in Tropical Biology” (BIOL-454, Professor Clotfelter) got a head-start in their studies with an Interterm field course in Costa Rica. While in Costa Rica they studied the biota of three terrestrial habitat types (lowland tropical forests, montane cloud forests, and tropical dry forests) as well as the invertebrates of the rocky intertidal zone. Learning alongside local specialists, the students learned more about taxonomic groups that are particularly significant in the tropics, such as bats, ants, and epiphytic plants. Students conducted independent research projects on herbivory, pollination, butterfly activity patterns, and the community ecology of decomposers. They will build upon these independent projects, and pursue new research topics, in the seminar to follow in the spring semester.
