5/9/2025 8:42:47 AM	BIO 31 Course Outline as of Summer 2007	New Course (First Version)
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  BIO 31	Title:  TROPICAL BIODIVERSITY
Full Title:  Tropical Biodiversity and Conservation
Last Reviewed:10/11/2021

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	2.00	Lecture Scheduled	1.50		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	26.25
Minimum	2.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	.50			Contact DHR	8.75
		Contact Total	2.00			Contact Total	35.00
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  52.50

Total Student Learning Hours: 87.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

This course will survey the diversity of tropical rainforests.  It is designed from a natural history perspective and is typically taught abroad.  Topics will include ecology, flora and fauna of rainforests, cloud forests and dry forests.  Emphasis will be placed on the effects of deforestation, balancing the needs of wildlife and people, establishment of park and preserve systems, and sustainable resource use.  Countries such as Costa Rica are used to illustrate both the current extinction crisis and conservation efforts.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL 1A or equivalent

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

This course will survey the ecology, flora and fauna of rainforests, cloud forests, and dry forests.  Countries such as Costa Rica are used to illustrate both the current extinction crisis and conservation efforts.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL 1A or equivalent
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Fall 2016	Inactive:
Area:	C	Natural Sciences
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	B2	Life Science		Fall 2016
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	5B	Biological Sciences		Fall 2016
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Summer 2007	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Summer 2007	Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Major Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

 1.  Apply the scientific method to problem solving.

 2.  Explain the principles of evolution including natural selection and

     speciation.

 3.  Describe the geological history, climate, and principle weather

     features of tropical rainforests.

 4.  Explain the patterns of biodiversity and species interaction found

     in tropical biomes and compare them to other geographical biomes.

 5.  Contrast the historical and contemporary rates of rainforest

     clearance.

 6.  Evaluate the immediate and underlying causes of tropical rainforest

     destruction.

 7.  Explain the economic, political, culture, and ecologic value of

     intact rainforests.

 8.  Explain the impacts of indigenous forest cultures on disturbances to

     the forest flora and fauna.

 9.  Use case studies of conservation progress in different countries to

     describe the potential solutions to worldwide tropical

     deforestation.

 10. Identify common species of flora and fauna found in the tropical

     rainforests of a particular country.

Topics and Scope

Topics will include but not be limited to:

I.   Scientific method versus other methods of decision-making

    A.  What is science and how is the scientific process conducted?

    B.  Science versus pseudoscience

II.  Principles of evolution

    A.  Natural selection

    B.  Speciation

    C.  Adaptations

    D.  Relationship to biodiversity and extinction crisis

III. What are tropical rainforests?

    A.  Geological history

    B.  Climate and weather patterns

    C.  Moist versus dry forests

IV.  Biodiversity

    A.  Species richness and measurements of diversity

    B.  Tropical rainforests compared to other biomes

    C.  Carrying capacity

V.   Species interactions

    A.  Niche partitioning

    B.  Competitive exclusion

    C.  Trophic relationships

    D.  Pollination and dispersion

    E.  Co-evolution

    F.  Keystone species

VI.  Threats and changes to rainforests

    A.  Historical versus contemporary versus projected rates of

        destruction

    B.  Extinction

    C.  Succession

VII. Causes and processes of clearance

    A.  Fuel wood gathering

    B.  Shifting cultivation

    C.  Land distribution

    D.  Resettlement

    E.  Commercial logging

    F.  Plantations and cash-cropping

    G.  Cattle ranching

    H.  Development projects

VIII.Value of intact forest and costs of destruction

    A.  Ways to assign value

    B.  Loss of biodiversity

    C.  Loss of resources

    D.  Loss of environmental services

    E.  Local, regional, and global change

IX.  Indigenous cultures

    A.  Tribal forest populations

    B.  Threats and pressures

    C.  Impact on biodiversity

X.   Potential solutions

    A.  Immediate action

    B.  Constraints

    C.  Protection and conservation

    D.  Restoration and reforestation

    E.  Sustainable use

    F.  Tropical timber trade

    G.  Debt for nature swaps

XI.  Species identification

    A.  Dominant plants

    B.  Common animals

Assignments:

Assignments may include:

 1.  Assigned reading from texts and other reading, 20-30 pages per

     class meeting

 2.  Response papers and other written homework

 3.  In class work: excercises, presentations, class discusssions

 4.  Fieldnotes

 5.  Attendance and participation, in class and field trips

 6.  Formal assessment: quizzes and 2-4 exams including objective and

     essay questions

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 20 - 40%
Written homework, Field notes
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 5 - 20%
In class exercises
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 50 - 70%
Multiple choice, True/false, Matching items, Completion, Essay, Quizzes
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 5 - 20%
Attendance, participation, oral presentations, and class discussions

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

An Introduction to Tropical Rain Forests, 2nd edition, Whitmore, T.C.,

Oxford University Press: 1998

Breakfast of Biodiversity: The Political Ecology of Rainforest Destruction

Vandermeer, John and Perfecto, Ivette, Institute for Food and Development

Policy: 1995

Rainforest Destruction: Causes, Effect, and False Solutions, World

Rainforest Movement: 1990

The Diversity of Life, Wilson, Edward O., W.W. Norton and Company: 1999

The Rainforest Book: How We Can Save the World's Rainforests, Lewis, Scott

Living Planet Press: 1990

The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction,

Quammen, David, Touchstone: 1996

Tropical Rainforests, Park, Chris C., Routledge: 1992

Tropical Rainforests: Diversity and Conservation  (Memoirs of the

California Academy of Sciences, Volume 12), Almeda, Frank and Pringle,

Catherine, editors,  California Academy of Sciences: 1988

Foundations of Tropical Forest Biology, Chazdon, R.L. and Whitmore, T.C.,

University of Chicago Press: 2001

Travellers' Wildlife Guides: Costa Rica, Beletsky,L.,Interlink Publishing:

2005

Instructor prepared materials

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