ENSC 295/ENVS 295/FOR 295/NR 295
Ecological and Socio-Economic Aspects of
Tropical Forest Carbon Projects (3 credits)
UVM Study Abroad Course in Costa Rica
Summer Session, Saturday, May 21-Sunday, June 5, 2016
http://learn.uvm.edu/study-abroad/study-abroad-programs/costa-rica-tropical-forest-carbon/
Instructors:
Bryan Foster, Ph.D.
bryancfoster1@gmail.com
Susan Moegenburg, Ph.D.
susan.moegenburg@gmail.com
Jose Miguel Chaves Fallas
chamiguel@gmail.com
PREREQUISITES:
Undergraduate sophomore, junior, or non-graduating senior undergraduate UVM students who
are in reasonable physical condition for frequent field walks. First-year or graduate UVM
students, as well as students at a variety of levels from other institutions, may apply to attend this
course pending permission of instructors. Students need to have taken one of the following
courses (or an equivalent from a non-UVM institution): BCOR 102 (Ecology and Evolution), ENVS
173 (Landscape Natural History), FOR 122 (Forest Ecosystem Analysis) or NR 103 (Ecology,
Ecosystems, and Environment). An additional course, FOR 285 (Tropical Forest Ecology and
Conservation) with Dr. Susan Moegenburg, is recommended but not required.
Students are expected to maintain academic integrity in that all graded work for this course must
be the original work of each student. Please see UVM’s “Our Common Ground” policy statement
which informs the course’s academic integrity policy
(www.uvm.edu/~presdent/?Page=miscellaneous/commonground.html)
The class target size is 13 students with 3 instructors to fit in a 16-passenger van. The instructors
intend to teach the course annually beginning in 2016.
BACKGROUND:
Why is REDD+ important and why is Costa Rica a useful place to study REDD+?:
Costa Rica has the world’s oldest and most extensive payment for environmental service (PES)
program, established in 1997. The program is fund-based (from international aid donors and a
national fuel tax) and also market-based (from the hydropower industry and recently carbon
credits) with the administering agency of FONAFIFO. The vast majority of the funds are spent on
conservation activities, for the bundled environmental services of biodiversity conservation,
carbon storage, hydrological maintenance, and scenic beauty. The majority of the PES projects
are located in the high altitude cloud forest and lowland tropical forest zones, which this class will
visit.
Expanding on its experience with PES, Costa Rica, together with Papua New Guinea, first
proposed global payment for provision of forest carbon called Reduced Emissions from
Deforestation (RED) in 2005 at the 11th Conference of Parties (COP) United Nations meeting in
Montreal, Ontario, Canada. A decade later, Costa Rica now has a developing REDD+1 forest
carbon program. Worldwide, 36 and 62 countries now participate with The World Bank and the
United Nations respectively on REDD+ initiatives, with disbursements exceeding $500 million
over the past decade, according to Forest Trends. In addition to these initiatives, project-level
forest carbon offsets worldwide represent nearly 90 million tons of CO2e and $400 million dollars
of purchases in 2014 alone, according to Forest Trends. In summary, no forest conservation
initiative has ever matched the spatial scope and financial size of REDD+.
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Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation plus conservation, sustainable
management, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (per UNFCCC).
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COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Identify tree families, measure tree biomass, understand tropical forest ecology fundamentals,
develop in-depth knowledge of REDD+, and become familiar with project management tools:
This course will apply to the neo-tropics skills students have already developed through
prerequisites in tree identification, reading forested landscapes and conducting forest inventories
(greater depth). This course will also expand students’ knowledge regarding REDD+ and expose
students to financial and project management tools (greater breadth). Specifically, this course
will enable students to: (1) Identify 20+ tree families of ecological and/or economic significance in
tropical cloud and lowland forests; (2) Measure trees for biomass in both primary natural and
secondary plantation forests; (3) Understand the characteristics of various tropical forests both in
theory via lectures and in practice via numerous natural history field walks; (4) Develop a solid
theoretical knowledge of REDD+ (including scientific basis of forest carbon storage, how storage
varies in different management regimes, and synergies and trade-offs with both biodiversity
conservation and social welfare); and (5) Gain familiarity with project management tools,
including financial tools.
Students should also have fun on the course activities including: walking in primary cloud,
lowland, and Caribbean coastline forests, both during the day and at night; walking over
suspended canopy bridges; relaxing in volcanic hot springs (mid term); hiking up tropical rivers
and rappelling down waterfalls; and relaxing on a Caribbean beach bordered by conserved forest
(final day). The course is scheduled for a full 14 days instead of the typical 12 days to
accommodate these supplementary activities.
GRADING:
60% for course objectives 1-3: Plant/tree ID exam at Monteverde (20%- Miguel and Susan),
biomass mensuration lab data collection and presentations at OTS La Selva (25%- Miguel and
Bryan) and tropical forest ecology exam at Cahuita (15%- Susan and Bryan)
40% for course objectives 5-6: Group project management/evaluation/financial analysis activities
at OTS La Selva (15%- Bryan and Susan) and REDD+ exam at OTS La Selva (25%- Bryan and
Susan)
All assignments will be created and graded by teams of two instructors (one lead and one
support) to ensure a balance of rigor and fairness.
INSTRUCTOR BIOS:
Dr. Bryan Foster earned his Ph.D. at the Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural
Resources (RSENR) at UVM and his master’s degree in forestry at Yale University. He is
currently an independent consultant on forest carbon and has travelled widely to work on forest
carbon projects in Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, Indonesia, Mexico,
and Nicaragua for Ecologic Development Fund, Ecosystem Restoration Associates, and
Rainforest Alliance. He has published research on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
certification and forest carbon auditing standards. He is a REDD+ expert.
Dr. Susan Moegenburg earned her Ph.D. at the University of Florida. She is an adjunct faculty
member at UVM. She took a 6 week graduate course with the Organization for Tropical Studies
(OTS) in Costa Rica and more recently spent a semester traveling through South America with
her husband and two children. She has published research on acai palm and nontimber forest
products. She is a field ecologist.
Mr. Miguel Chaves, a Costa Rican native or “Tico,” earned his B.S. at the National University of
Costa Rica (UNA). Fluent in both English and Spanish, he is currently a Ph.D. student at the
University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) and has recently worked for OTS as the Taxonomy
Assistant of Las Cruces Biological Station. His research interests include biogeography, ecology,
and plant evolution. He is a botanist.
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Day
1
Date
Saturday, May 21
2016
Activities
Fly into San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)
Shuttle #1 early evening shuttle to
Xandari resort from SJO (APDO 14854050, Alajuela, Costa Rica, +506
24432020)
Shuttle #2 late night shuttle to Xandari
resort
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Sunday, May 22
No course meals
7 AM- Breakfast at Xandari, pack
backpacks for 1 night remote field
station San Gerardo
Homework
Reading:
Introduction to
neotropics
(selections from
Neotropical
Companion by
Kricher, Tropical
Nature by Forsyth
and Tapir’s Morning
Bath by Royte)
None
8 AM- Drive to Monteverde (Brief stop
at Automercado near Xandari for travel
drinks and snacks (Transport for
remainder of trip provided by Christian
Martinez, drivercostarica@gmail.com in
16 passenger van)
12 PM- Arrive at Monteverde, eat lunch
at Taco-Taco, meet Mark Wainwright
(author of Mammals of Costa Rica) at
trailhead
1-4 PM Walk to San Gerardo remote
field station via Sendero Principal with
Mark Wainright
4-5:45 PM Talk on Bosque Eterno de
los Ninos history, management and
future prospects by Mark Wainwright
6 PM Dinner at San Gerardo
7-9 PM Night walk with Mark
Wainwright on Congo Trail
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Monday, May 23
7 AM- Breakfast at San Gerardo
8-10:45 AM- Hike on Sendero Tabacon
loop with Mark Wainright
11 AM-12:15 PM- Talk on tropical frogs
by Mark Wainright
12:30 PM- Lunch at San Gerardo; Mark
Wainright departs
1-4 PM- Class hike out of San Gerardo
3
Reading: Objective
#3: Fundamentals of
tropical forest
ecology part A
4 PM- Check into Monteverde Lodge
and shower
5:30- PM- Dinner at Monteverde Lodge
6-9 PM- Lecture #1 to tropical forest
ecology by Susan
(Definition/location/classifications,
unique plant characteristics such as root
buttresses and cauliflory, unique plants
and animals such as epiphytes and
primates, and unique processes such
as mutualism/antagonism)
4
Tuesday, May 24
7 AM- Breakfast at Monteverde Lodge
and pack suitcases
None
8-11 AM- Walk with Susan and Miguel
in Monteverde Reserve up to waterfall
(Sendero El Rio)
11 AM-1 PM- Lunch at Stella’s bakery
1 PM-4 PM Sky Adventure suspended
bridge walk led by Miguel and Susan
(alternate option of zip line for extra
$55)
4-6 PM Check-in and dinner at EBM
6-10 PM Night hike with Forest Alive
guides Javier Moino and Andres
Alvarado
5
Wednesday, May
25
7 AM- Breakfast at EBM
8-10 AM Introduction to plant
identification with Miguel
Reading: Objective
#1: Plant ID reading
packet
10 AM-12 PM Plant ID lecture and
discussion with Miguel
12-1 PM Lunch at EBM
1-5 PM Plant ID lecture and discussion
with Miguel
5 PM- Dinner at EBM
6
Thursday,
May 26
Stay at EBM
7 AM- Breakfast at EBM
8 AM-12 PM- Monteverde guided walks:
half of class starts with Ricardo Guindon
and Susan on wildlife viewing and
4
Review for exam on
plant/tree ID
history of park, and half with Erick Bello
and Miguel on tree identification
10 AM-12 PM- Groups switch guides
12 PM-1 PM- Lunch at EBM
1-5 PM Groups switch with Erick and
Ricardo
6 PM Dinner at EBM
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Friday, May 27
Stay at EBM
7 AM- Breakfast at EBM and pack
suitcases
None
8-10 AM Plant and tree I.D. exam (20%
Miguel and Susan)
10 AM-12 PM Lectures and discussion
of forest carbon science with Bryan at
EBM (Global carbon cycle, variance
across biomes/across land use
types/responses to climate changes)
12-4 PM Box lunch and drive to Eco
termales hot springs near Mt. Arenal
4-6 PM Relax in hot springs
6-7 PM Dinner at Eco termales
7-10 PM Continue drive to OTS La
Selva
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Saturday, May 28
Stay at OTS La Selva
7 AM- Breakfast at OTS La Selva
8 AM-10 AM Boat tour of Rio Sarapiqui
with OTS director Carlos de La Rosa
Reading:
Objective #4:
REDD+ part A,
Science of forest
carbon storage
10 AM-12 PM Canopy tower tour
12-1 PM Lunch at OTS
1-4 PM Lecture and discussion on
policies, markets, standards, and terms
with Bryan (Key terms (additionality,
baseline, leakage, permanence), FCPF,
UNFCCC, CCB/VCS/Gold/PV, state of
forest carbon market, REDD+ and PES,
drivers of deforestation & mitigation
options, case studies from Costa Rica
and Mexico)
5
REDD+ part B,
Markets, policies,
standards, and
terms, including
REDD+ vis-à-vis
PES
REDD+ part C,
Financial aspects of
REDD+
4-6 PM Nature walk with Susan and
Miguel
6 PM Dinner at OTS
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Sunday, May 29
Stay at OTS La Selva
5:30-7:00 AM Early morning nature walk
with Susan and Miguel
Reading: Objective
#4: REDD+ part D,
MRV
7 AM- Breakfast at OTS La Selva
9 AM-12 PM Lecture and discussion of
financial aspects of REDD+ with Bryan
(Transaction/opportunity/implementation
costs, nominal versus real, NPV/IRR)
REDD+ part E, Cobenefits and
controversy
12 PM- Lunch at OTS La Selva
1-4 PM Lecture and discussion on
forest carbon MRV with Bryan
(jurisdictional versus project scale,
factors of emission and activity levels,
remote sensing)
4-6 PM Tent bat walk with Willy Pineda
6 PM- Dinner at La Selva
10
Monday, May 30
Stay at OTS La Selva
7 AM- Breakfast at OTS La Selva
Review for exam on
REDD+
8 AM-11 PM- Lecture and discussion
with Susan and Bryan on co-benefits
and controversy (Biodiversity tradeoffs
and synergies, social issues (benefit
sharing, consent, land ownership, and
poverty alleviation), and criticism and
alternatives to REDD+ (restoration, RIL,
ICDPs))
12 PM- Lunch at OTS La Selva
1-3 PM Optional review session with
Bryan
3-6 PM Exam on REDD+ (25%- Bryan
and Susan)
6 PM Dinner at OTS La Selva
7-9 PM- Night nature walk with Susan
and Miguel
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Tuesday, May 31
7 AM- Breakfast at OTS La Selva
6
Reading: Objective
#2: Biomass lab
background
8-11 AM Training on forest inventory
tools
11 AM-12 PM Orientation to Huertos
and canopy bridge plots
12 PM Lunch at La Selva
1-3:30 PM Half of class measures
primary forest biomass with Miguel and
Orlando and half measures secondary
plantation biomass with Bryan and
Susan
3-5:30 PM Groups switch
6 PM Dinner at La Selva
12
Wednesday, June
1
Stay at OTS La Selva
7 AM- Breakfast at OTS La Selva
8-10 AM Two groups analyze data and
prepare presentations on biomass lab
10 AM-12 PM Two groups give
presentations on biomass lab (25%
Miguel and Bryan)
Reading:
Objective #5: Project
management,
financial analysis,
and project
evaluation tools
applied to REDD+
12 PM Lunch at La Selva
1-4 PM Lecture and discussion on
REDD+ project management and
evaluation tools with Bryan (basecamp,
open standards for conservation/theory
of change, others)
4-6 PM Group projects on using project
management and evaluation tools,
including financial projections
6 PM Dinner at La Selva
Stay at OTS La Selva
13
Thursday, June 2
7 AM- Breakfast at OTS La Selva and
pack suitcases
8-11 AM- Continue group project
management and evaluation tools,
including financial projections (15%,
Bryan and Susan)
12 PM- Lunch
1 PM-5 PM Travel to Cahuita
7
Reading: Objective
#3: Fundamentals of
tropical forest
ecology part B
5-6 PM Dinner at Selva Bananito
14
Friday, June 3
Stay at Selva Bananito
7 AM- Breakfast at Selva Bananito
8-11 AM Walk in Muchilla Mtn. primary
forest with Susan and Miguel
Review for exam on
tropical forest
ecology
11 AM-12 PM Early lunch at Selva
Bananito
12 PM-6 PM River hiking and waterfall
rappelling with guides at Selva Bananito
6 PM Dinner at Selva Bananito
Stay at Selva Bananito
15
Saturday, June 4
7-10 PM Lecture #2 on tropical forest
ecology by Susan (density
dependence/Janzen-Connell
hypothesis, intermediate disturbance
hypothesis, theory of island
biogeography)
7 AM- Breakfast at Selva Bananito and
pack suitcases
None
8-10 AM- Optional review session with
Susan
10 AM-12 PM Exam on tropical forest
ecology (15% Susan and Bryan)
12-1 PM Lunch at Selva Bananito
1-2 PM Travel to Cahuita beach
2-5 PM Free time on beach
5 PM Class dinner at Ms. Edith’s
Caribbean Restaurant
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Sunday, June 5
7-11 PM Drive back to San Jose to stay
at Xandari
Travel back to U.S.A.
SJO airport shuttle #1:
Early morning
7 AM- Breakfast at Xandari
Shuttle #2:
Mid morning
A NOTE REGARDING COURSE PROGRAM FEE:
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None
This course costs approximately 25% more than other UVM Costa Rica travel courses in terms of
program fees. However, students should gain value commensurate with the cost from:
(a) lodging and meals for extending the trip from the typical 12 days to a full 14 days, including
stays at resorts Monteverde Lodge, Selva Bananito and Xandari between longer stays at field
stations; (b) time with some of the most knowledgeable local guides in Costa Rica, including
Erick, Mark, and Ricardo in Monteverde and additional instructor Miguel during the entire course;
and (c) transportation to visit the Caribbean coastal forest and beach at the end of the course.
A NOTE REGARDING STUDENT BEHAVIOR:
Overall, students are expected to follow the UVM Code of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
(Policy version 2.8.7, August 18, 2015). Students are expected to attend and to actively
participate in all class activities and to be on their best behavior during these activities (unless
legitimate medical reasons are presented). Solicitation of products and services illegal in the USA
will also be prohibited during the entire duration of the course, regardless of variances with Costa
Rica law or law enforcement. The one exception is consumption of alcohol, which will be
prohibited from arrival Saturday afternoon/night, May 21 until Saturday afternoon/night, June 4
when the prohibition will be lifted for the free time at the beach, final dinner, and night in San Jose
for students 18 years and older per Costa Rican law. Transgressions of the student behavior
code will result in penalties ranging from a verbal warning to an immediate return to the U.S. at
the student’s expense, depending on the frequency and/or severity of the transgression.
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