Tropical Biology

Full course description

Tropical forests are amongst the most species-rich biomes of the world. Yet, our understanding of their evolution, functioning and development are far from complete. There are three main tropical rainforest areas, the Neotropics (Central and South America), Africa and Asia, but for this course you will mainly focus on the Neotropics. You will look at what defines the tropical region, the differences and similarities between the three large blocks of rainforest, and investigate the structure and biodiversity of tropical rain forests. Also, you will look at the development of tropical forests, how biodiversity changes over time (ecologically and evolutionarily) and how trophic levels work within these forests. Furthermore, the role of tropical forests in relation to climate change and global carbon cycling will be investigated, and a link will be made to tropical savannas and dry tropical forests. Finally, you will investigate the IUCN red list and will experience different dimension (e.g. biological, cultural, and political) of nature conservation in tropical areas.