see also:
Syllabus: Natural History of Costa Rica
Syllabus: Tropical Ecology
Syllabi: Spanish

Biodiversity & Conservation

Objectives

One of the greatest wonders of our world is the diversity of life forms produced through billions of years of biological evolution. This diversity of life forms can be appreciated at various levels of organization. At the ecosystem level, we can look at the diversity of the biota and recognize different biomes. Biodiversity can also be estimated in terms of species richness or species diversity. We can also evaluate the degree of distinctness of evolutionary lineages. At a genetic level, we can measure the amount of genetic variation within species.

This diversity of life forms has been increasingly reduced in recent times. Large number of species have gone prematurely extinct. Genetic diversity of many species has been eroded. lt appears that we are now experiencing a new era of mass extinction, this time caused by our own species. The earth has already experienced several mass extinction, usually when a new life form takes over and disrupts the stability of natural ecosystems, sometimes at the expense of its own future survival. The rate of growth of the human population and the destructive standards of consumption of western societies have resulted in a rapid decline of biodiversity.

Conservation of biodiversity is essential for the stability of natural ecosystems and ¡t is, therefore, essential for assuring our own species survival. Thus, we need an immediate solution to the problem of maintaining biodiversity. The epilogue of a book produced by the National Forum on Biodiversity states that this immediate solution seems to "depend on the collective behaviors and perceptions of people towards their habitat .... controlled rational exploitation may be the answer if the surviving humans have the foresight and sensitivity to carry ¡t out"

The objectives of this course are

to introduce the student to the study of biodiversity on the tropics, describing and measuring biodiversity at various levels

to inform students about the major threats to biodiversity and document their impact

to introduce basic concepts of conservation biology and discuss strategies for biodiversity conservation

to inform about the efforts that are carried out in Costa Rica on the area of conservation

Introduction

General introduction to biodiversity and conservation

Biological Diversity:

• Definition of biological diversity
• Measurement of biological diversity
• Distribution of biodiversity
• Number of species worldwide
• Estimates and examples of recently discovered communities
• Abundance of species in the tropics
• Comparison of tropical rainforest and coral reef diversity
• Examples of biodiversity in the tropics, especially in Costa Rica

Loss of Biodiversity:

• Past rates of extinction
• Extinction caused by human activities
• Estimates of extinction rates
• Endemic species and island biogeography
• Vulnerability to extinction

Conservation Biology:

• Definition of the field of conservation biology
• Minimum viable populations
• Definition of rare and endemic species
• Endemism in tropical plant communities
• Commonness and rarity in neotropical forest
• Strategies for tropical trees conservation

Habitat Destruction, Fragmentation & Degradation:

• Habitat destruction in the tropics: deforestation problems in Central America with emphasis on Costa Rica
• Land usage in Costa Rica
• Habitat fragmentation: edge effects, microclimatic changes
• Habitat degradation and pollution: problems caused by use of pesticides in agriculture in Costa Rica

Conservation at the Population Level:

• Problems of small populations
• Loss of genetic variability
• Effective population size
• Population fluctuations and bottlenecks
• Population biology of endangered species
• Methodologies used on conservation and management studies

Protected Areas Design & Management:

• Establishing, designing and managing protected areas
• National Park System in Costa Rica

Ex Situ & In Situ Conservation Strategies:

• Definition of conservation strategies
• Results of works done in Costa Rica

Human Societies & Setting Priorities:

• General overview of all the aspects related with biodiversity and conservation and conclusion

Reference Books

PRIMACK, R.B. 1998. Essentials of conservation biology. Mass. Sinauer Ass. MEFFE, G., C. R. CARROLL AND CONTRIBUTORS. 1997. Principles of Conservation Biology. 2nd Edition. Sinauer Ass. Publ. U.S.A. 729P.

SOULE, M.E. (editor). 1986. Conservation Biology. The Science of Scarcity and Diversity. Sinauer Assoc, Publs. USA. 584.

WILSON, EO. and F.M. Peter (eds). 1988. Biodiversity. National Academic Press, Washington D.C., 521 pp.

REAKA, M.L., D.E. WILSON and E.O. WILSON. (eds). 1997. Joseph Henry Press, Biodiversity II. Washington D.C., 551 pp.

Evaluation

Midterm Exam: 25%

Final Exam: 25%

Reports on Field Trips: 50%

The exams will include class lectures, lectures given by invited professors and aspects covered during field trips.

see also:
Syllabus: Natural History of Costa Rica
Syllabus: Tropical Ecology
Syllabi: Spanish