Current course offerings

Please Note: Course profiles marked as not available may still be in development.

Course description

Rainforests are a focal point of the global conservation movement, because of their exceptional biodiversity and alarming rates of deforestation. Although rainforests occupy only a small fraction of the planet's surface, (around 7% of land area) they are the habitat for more than half of all the species on Earth. Clearly, rainforest conservation is a critical matter in its own right, but understanding the scientific and socio-economic drivers at the core of rainforest conservation also provides insight into broader issues of deforestation, conservation and revegetation that can be applied to other habitats as well. This course will cover: the biological features of rainforests that give these ecosystems such unique conservation importance; the global socio-economic factors causing rainforest deforestation; opportunities for rainforest conservation including traditional protected area management and alternatives based on sustainable economic use (such as plantations and carbon trading); and the ecology of secondary forests and reforestation. This course will include extensive field work in local rainforests and secondary regrowth, as well as lectures, readings and assignments.

Archived offerings