Ecology and Conservation of Neotropical Rivers

This two-week course is oriented towards graduate students and early career conservation scientists from both U.S. and Latin American institutions with interest in applied research on current conservation issues for Neotropical rivers. The course will be held at La Selva Biological Station, with field trips to the surrounding Sarapiquí River basin. This region offers portunity to observe diverse river types and aquatic biota along elevational and longitudinal riverine gradients. Additionally, as in many parts of the tropics, rivers in the Sarapiquí basin are increasingly being altered as a consequence of human activities.

COURSE CONTENT
Through a series of lectures, discussions, and hands-on field exploration, students will gain greater understanding of some of the factors that pose particular challenges to conservation of tropical rivers. These include: hydrologic alterations, land use, water pollution, species introductions, and climate change. During the course, students will design and conduct short research projects that specifically examine the effects of these factors on tropical river ecosystems.

Additionally, we will analyze applications of monitoring and management tools—such as environmental flow assessments and indices of river ecosystem integrity—in the tropics. We will also discuss ways to
translate scientific research into guidelines for conservation and management of tropical rivers.

PARTICIPANTS
The course is limited to 25 students. We anticipate that half will come from Latin American institutions and half from U.S. institutions. All participants should be fluent in either Spanish or English, and should have a good working knowledge of the other language.

WHEN AND WHERE
La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica.
Curse dates: May 8 – 22, 2011.
Arrive May 7, depart May 23, 2011

TUITION
$2,100 OTS consortium applicants
$2,700 Non-member applicants
Partial need-based scholarships may be available to OTS consortium and Latin American applicants.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
February 1, 2011 for priority admission, followed by rolling admission until fully enrolled.

FACULTY
Elizabeth P. Anderson, Florida International University, Miami;
Andrea C. Encalada, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador;
Mary C. Freeman, USGS and University of Georgia;
Catherine M. Pringle, University of Georgia

Application Form can be found here