Course Topics

This is a three-credit course built around five modules. The course is designed to be taken over a single term.

Module I: What and where are the tropics and tropical forests?

Topic 1.1: Characteristics of tropical forests?

Topic 1.2: The driving forces behind tropical forest ecosystems

Module II: The tropical forest environment

Topic 2.1: The landforms, climate, hydrology, and soils of tropical forests

Topic 2.2: The biogeography of tropical forests

Topic 2.3: An extreme tropical forest environment

Module III: Tropical forest vegetation

Topic 3.1: Tropical forest plants

Topic 3.2: Floral characteristics

Topic 3.3: Fungi and microorganisms

Module IV: Vertebrates in tropical forests

Topic 4.1 Introduction to vertebrates in tropical forests

Topic 4.2: Mammals

Topic 4.3: Birds

Topic 4.4: Amphibians

Topic 4.5: Reptiles

Topic 4.6: Fish

Module V: Invertebrates in tropical forests

Topic 5.1: Overview of tropical invertebrates

Topic 5.2: Spiralia, gnathifera and nematoida

Topic 5.3: The arthropods

Topic 5.4: The insects