Primate Behavioral Ecology and Conservation (Syllabus session #3 La Suerte, Costa Rica) Instructor: Dr. Giuseppe Donati Oxford Brookes University Nocturnal Primate Research Group Department of Anthropology and Geography Oxford OX3 0BP United Kingdom  Mobile: ++39 3477368095 Email: gdonati@brookes.ac.uk If you wish to speak to me by telephone, then please email me to arrange a time. Introduction: This course will integrate lectures on primate behavioral ecology and conservation with the opportunity to practice field methods in a tropical forest environment. After an introduction on what a primate is, the course aims to give you an overview ranging from ecological aspects such as the importance of forest structure and food availability/quality for the primates to specific behavioral adaptations. Primate societies will be presented through an ecological perspective to highlight the strict interaction between the forest and our order. You will also learn what the primary threats are to primates, how to assess levels of threats and what actions are best taken for heir conservation. This course will be an excellent opportunity to train yourself in behavioral and ecological data collection techniques and to have a “real” experience on what primatologists do in the field. The theoretical and practical background during the first part of the course will prepare you for intensive data collection towards the second part. During the execution of your individual projects you will learn how to plan, collect, analyze, and interpret the results relevant to your research. During the first part of the course days will generally be structured as follows: There will be a method introduction in the morning followed by the practice of these methods until mid-day. Lectures will be held in the afternoon. During the second part of the course (individual projects) the students are expected to work in the forest for 6 up to 12 hours a day for intensive data collection. Each day we will meet before the evening meal to discuss the day’s experience and share any tips for good data collection, as well as ways to overcome difficulties in the field. Learning outcomes: understand how primate anatomy and behavior relate to their environments, as well as an understanding of the evolutionary processes that shaped primate adaptations recognize the role of primates within the forest ecosystem knowledge the conservation status of primates, and their potential importance in the preservation of human impacted environments understand field methods as well as the different phases of a research project Grading: Your final mark will be based on the following, and determined out of a total of 310 points: * one exam (100 points) – 30% * field exercises (10 points each, 70 points) – 25% * a written report of your project (100 points) – 30% * an oral presentation of the project (25 points) – 10% * co-operation, participation and ability to work with others (15 points) – 5% Coursework marking can be moderated to accommodate non-US marking systems. Textbooks: The following books are important (but not required) for good understanding of primate behavior and ecology, as well as field techniques in primatology. They should be accessible through your university bookshop, and also on the internet at www.amazon.com or www.amazon.co.uk. Strier, Karen B., Primate Behavioral Ecology, Allyn and Bacon Publishing, 2000 Patterson, J.D., Primate Behavior, Second Edition, 2001 The following books are suggested for students who would like to get a deeper understanding of the primate radiation, as well as updated field and lab techniques for primatologists. Campbell, C., Fuentes, A., MacKinnon, K., Bearder S., Stumpf, R., Primates in Perspectives, Oxford University Press, 2010 Curtis, D.J., Setchell, J.M., Field and Laboratory Methods in Primatology: A Practical Guide. Cambridge University Press, 2011 Syllabus: Tentative course schedule (subject to change). Attendance is mandatory at all lectures, methodology talks and field exercises. 20 July Lecture: Orientation regarding safety, procedures and behavior at La Suerte, course goals, and course requirements Method: use of maps of the forest around the field station, get acquainted with the trail system Introductory talks: by students, TA and lecturer 21 July Lecture: Introduction to the Primates Method: discussion on the preparation for a field study (climate data-loggers, habituating, trapping, handling and marking primates etc.) Field exercise: GPS, compass, and binocular use in the forest (mapping) 22 July Lecture: Primate Social Organization Method: what is an ethogram? Case study of the Costa Rican Primates Field exercise: observe an animal species of your choice, and construct a basic ethogram 23 July Lecture: Primate Locomotion and Positional Behavior Method: conducting behavioral observations Field exercise: practice observation methods in the field 24 July Lecture: Non-human Primate Diet and Nutrition Method: determining primate home ranges and travel pattern Field exercise: home range determination exercise with compass, GPS and a computer programme 25 July Lecture: Primate Communities and Community Ecology Method: botanical sampling for primate studies Field exercise: practice techniques in habitat description and phenology 26 July Lecture: The Primates of Costa Rica Method: censusing primate and mammal populations Field exercise: census walk and survey of the diurnal mammals of La Suerte 27 July Lecture: Primate Conservation 1: Hunting and habitat disturbance Method: studying animals at night Field exercise: census walk and survey of the nocturnal mammals of La Suerte 28 July Lecture: Primate Conservation 2: Conservation strategies Small group activity: analysis and discussion of selected research papers. Group discussion of project titles, preparation of research proposals and data sheets for data collection 29 July Lecture: Data analyses for primatologists background reading for research project; finish research proposals and data sheets for data collection 30 August preparation for the exam 31 August exam 1 August intensive data collection for final project; additional field method instruction will be incorporated throughout the next week in small groups 2 August data collection 3 August data collection 4 August data collection 5 August data collection 6 August data collection 7 August data collection 8 August data collection 9 August data collection 10 August work with instructor and teaching assistant(s) and co-operate with students to write up final project 11 August finish writing up and hand in final project at 6pm 12 August presentation of the results of the field project 13 August discussion on what we have learnt during the course

Primate Behavioral Ecology and Conservation (Syllabus session #3 La Suerte, Costa Rica)

Instructor: Dr. Giuseppe Donati

Oxford Brookes University

Nocturnal Primate Research Group

Department of Anthropology and Geography

Oxford OX3 0BP

United Kingdom
Mobile: ++39 3477368095

Email: gdonati@brookes.ac.uk

If you wish to speak to me by telephone, then please email me to arrange a time.

Introduction:

This course will integrate lectures on primate behavioral ecology and conservation with the opportunity to practice field methods in a tropical forest environment. After an introduction on what a primate is, the course aims to give you an overview ranging from ecological aspects such as the importance of forest structure and food availability/quality for the primates to specific behavioral adaptations. Primate societies will be presented through an ecological perspective to highlight the strict interaction between the forest and our order. You will also learn what the primary threats are to primates, how to assess levels of threats and what actions are best taken for heir conservation. This course will be an excellent opportunity to train yourself in behavioral and ecological data collection techniques and to have a “real” experience on what primatologists do in the field. The theoretical and practical background during the first part of the course will prepare you for intensive data collection towards the second part. During the execution of your individual projects you will learn how to plan, collect, analyze, and interpret the results relevant to your research.

During the first part of the course days will generally be structured as follows: There will be a method introduction in the morning followed by the practice of these methods until mid-day. Lectures will be held in the afternoon.

During the second part of the course (individual projects) the students are expected to work in the forest for 6 up to 12 hours a day for intensive data collection. Each day we will meet before the evening meal to discuss the day’s experience and share any tips for good data collection, as well as ways to overcome difficulties in the field.

Learning outcomes:

1.understand how primate anatomy and behavior relate to their environments, as well as an understanding of the evolutionary processes that shaped primate adaptations
2.recognize the role of primates within the forest ecosystem
3.knowledge the conservation status of primates, and their potential importance in the preservation of human impacted environments
4.understand field methods as well as the different phases of a research project

Grading:

Your final mark will be based on the following, and determined out of a total of 310 points:

* one exam (100 points) – 30%

* field exercises (10 points each, 70 points) – 25%

* a written report of your project (100 points) – 30%

* an oral presentation of the project (25 points) – 10%

* co-operation, participation and ability to work with others (15 points) – 5%

Coursework marking can be moderated to accommodate non-US marking systems.

Textbooks:

The following books are important (but not required) for good understanding of primate behavior and ecology, as well as field techniques in primatology. They should be accessible through your university bookshop, and also on the internet at www.amazon.com or www.amazon.co.uk.

1.Strier, Karen B., Primate Behavioral Ecology, Allyn and Bacon Publishing, 2000
2.Patterson, J.D., Primate Behavior, Second Edition, 2001

The following books are suggested for students who would like to get a deeper understanding of the primate radiation, as well as updated field and lab techniques for primatologists.

1.Campbell, C., Fuentes, A., MacKinnon, K., Bearder S., Stumpf, R., Primates in Perspectives, Oxford University Press, 2010
2.Curtis, D.J., Setchell, J.M., Field and Laboratory Methods in Primatology: A Practical Guide. Cambridge University Press, 2011

Syllabus:

Tentative course schedule (subject to change). Attendance is mandatory at all lectures, methodology talks and field exercises.

20 July Lecture: Orientation regarding safety, procedures and behavior at La Suerte, course goals, and course requirements

Method: use of maps of the forest around the field station, get acquainted with the trail system

Introductory talks: by students, TA and lecturer

21 July Lecture: Introduction to the Primates

Method: discussion on the preparation for a field study (climate data-loggers, habituating, trapping, handling and marking primates etc.)

Field exercise: GPS, compass, and binocular use in the forest (mapping)

22 July Lecture: Primate Social Organization

Method: what is an ethogram? Case study of the Costa Rican Primates

Field exercise: observe an animal species of your choice, and construct a basic ethogram

23 July Lecture: Primate Locomotion and Positional Behavior

Method: conducting behavioral observations

Field exercise: practice observation methods in the field

24 July Lecture: Non-human Primate Diet and Nutrition

Method: determining primate home ranges and travel pattern

Field exercise: home range determination exercise with compass, GPS and a computer programme

25 July Lecture: Primate Communities and Community Ecology

Method: botanical sampling for primate studies

Field exercise: practice techniques in habitat description and phenology

26 July Lecture: The Primates of Costa Rica

Method: censusing primate and mammal populations

Field exercise: census walk and survey of the diurnal mammals of La Suerte

27 July Lecture: Primate Conservation 1: Hunting and habitat disturbance

Method: studying animals at night

Field exercise: census walk and survey of the nocturnal mammals of La Suerte

28 July Lecture: Primate Conservation 2: Conservation strategies

Small group activity: analysis and discussion of selected research papers.

Group discussion of project titles, preparation of research proposals and data sheets for data collection

29 July Lecture: Data analyses for primatologists

background reading for research project; finish research proposals and data sheets for data collection

30 August preparation for the exam

31 August exam

1 August intensive data collection for final project; additional field method instruction will be incorporated throughout the next week in small groups

2 August data collection

3 August data collection

4 August data collection

5 August data collection

6 August data collection

7 August data collection

8 August data collection

9 August data collection

10 August work with instructor and teaching assistant(s) and co-operate with students to write up final project

11 August finish writing up and hand in final project at 6pm

12 August presentation of the results of the field project

13 August discussion on what we have learnt during the course