Course Description
This course provides a description of the main ecological processes occurring in tropical forests. It is designed to be taken following a course that introduces you to the components of tropical forests (FRST 5xx – Structure and composition of tropical forest ecosystems). It covers both tropical rainforests and tropical seasonal forests. You will learn about the diversity of tropical forests, and the processes that have created this diversity important in understanding their remarkable diversity. You will also learn about the ecological processes found in tropical forests, an understanding of which is essential to judge the potential effects of a management intervention on a forest. You will apply knowledge gained through online presentations, videos, reading assignments, self study and a field trip to assess the potential impacts of an anthropogenic intervention in a tropical forest. Exercises will be used throughout the course to provide a deeper understanding of the complexities and challenges faced by tropical forest managers and stewards in maintaining the ecology of tropical forests.
Various hypotheses have been put forward to explain the diversity found in tropical forests and these are examined in Module 1. We then move on to examine the way that tropical forests function, with Module 2 dealing with ecosystem processes and Module 3 dealing with plant reproduction. The majority of tropical trees are pollinated by animals, and animals (especially vertebrates) play an important part in the subsequent dispersal of seeds. The relationships amongst organisms are further examined in Module 4, which looks into processes such as herbivory, predation, parasitism and facilitation.
A final module (Module 5) looks at case studies from the five tropical forest regions. It is important to be familiar with the tropical forests in one of these regions, but equally important to have some knowledge of the tropical forests in the other regions, as there are substantial differences.
Target Audience
This course is intended for students working towards a Master’s degree in tropical forestry. However, it may be of interest to anyone wishing to learn more about tropical forest ecology. It assumes a certain amount of ecological knowledge, and also that you have completed the prerequisite, but will point you to areas where you can gain further information on particular subjects if you are unfamiliar with them.
Those with a more advanced knowledge of tropical forest ecosystems may find sections of interest to them. Each presentation has been extensively referenced enabling follow-up through further reading.
Course Authors
Dr. John Innes, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Canada
Dr. Terry Sunderland, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Canada
Dr. Su See Lee, Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, Malaysia
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