Overview

A two-week field course to an environmentally diverse area. This will alternate between tropical environments in collaboration with consortia partners (e.g. Costa Rica (hosted by CATIE), French Guiana (hosted by ENGREF)). Students will be taken to a variety of sites which demonstrate a range of natural and managed vegetation, and a range of conservation and sustainability issues. Some of these will involve meeting and discussion with local experts. In the second week, students will work in small teams on a project evolved in discussion with the teaching staff.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -(C) Basic knowledge of subject and ability to write descriptive reports

-good -(B) Sound knowledge of subject, ability to contribute constructively to debate, ability to write perceptive and well-argued reports

-excellent -(A) Sound knowledge of subject and ability to pull together various elements of the course material. Evidence of background reading. Lively, frequent and pertinent contributions to group discussions

Learning Outcomes

• Be able to critically apply principles to locally-specific knowledge/conditions

• Design and execute a research project and draw appropriate conclusions from the data collected

• Identify and discuss the key social and political influences on the management of natural resources by different groups of people in particular environmental contexts.

• Identify key plants and ecosystems