ENVS6424 - 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 (such as 1918 Puerto Rico Tsunami) to produce a rich diversity of ecological systems (see 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 (see map by 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 trip over spring break during which we will review the literature and learn from Penn researchers about the ecological systems of the island, especially in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (see Harris et al., 2012). Students will work collaboratively on a specific system or location that we will visit and present to the class before we leave. Upon our return, students will work individually on a research topic of interest related to the field trip and present findings and analysis in class and in a paper