Course announcement: Harvard University/CTFS-AA Field Biology Course: `The
Biodiversity of Borneo' 2008
The Harvard University Summer School, the Arnold Arboretum, and the Center
for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS-AA) will offer a field biology course to
be held in Sarawak and Sabah (East Malaysia) from 1 July to 5 August 2008.
Ten US students will join 10 Southeast Asian students to study terrestrial
and marine biodiversity, ecology and conservation, with instructors from
Harvard University and other institutions (including Sabah Parks, Sabah
Forest Research Center, Sarawak Forestry Corp., Univ. Malaysia Sabah,
Yayasan Sabah).
The forests and reefs of northwest and north Borneo have some of the
highest levels of alpha-diversity in the world. The forests are home to
orang-utans, hornbills, rhinos and as many as 5,000 tree species, and the
reefs offer some of the best diving in the world. We will visit
world-class parks and reserves (e.g., Lambir, Kinabalu and the Maliau
Basin), to gain a thorough understanding of abiotic controls on species
composition, and will contrast processes that maintain biodiversity in
forests with those operating on coral reefs. Throughout Borneo, intensive
logging and marine harvesting have occurred for many years. Our course
will explore the complexities of conservation today, including trips to
sustainably-managed, carbon-traded, and restored forests. We will also
provide opportunities for the students to meet people living in and off
the forest, to understand their motivations for forest conversion and
conservation, and to consider the human health dimensions of forest
change.
A key feature will be the development of skills in research project
design, execution and analysis, based around the statistical platform `R'
The students will complete two independent projects, from conception to
presentation, and participate in a group project on the coral reef. The
students will gain database and web publishing skills by developing a
community digital record of the trip.
The course is aimed at advanced undergraduates, recent graduates currently
active in biological research, and postgraduate entry-level students. For
more information on the course (including instructions for application),
see:
http://www.summer.harvard.edu/2008/programs/abroad/borneo/
Queries and completed application materials should be directed to Cam
Webb, c/o <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. The deadline for US applicants
is 3 March 2008.
