Course on Field Techniques and Tropical Ecology at Cocha Cashu Biological
Station, Manu National Park.
San Diego Zoo Global
July – October 2013
This course aims to provide Peruvian undergraduate and graduate students with up-to-date tools
and a theoretical basis of tropical ecology that are key to managing forests and protected areas in
tropical lowlands. As part of the course, each participant will design and conduct a basic research
project and complete the data collection at Cocha Cashu Biological Station. It is hoped that this
research could be used to meet requirements for an academic degree or professional certification.
This course is offered by San Diego Zoo Global and has the backing of Manu National Park as well as
generous financial support from the Wallace Research Foundation.
CONTENT
The course has a strong emphasis on the design and implementation of research projects that are
aimed at solving problems of biodiversity conservation, and management of tropical ecosystems and
protected areas. It will therefore focus on advanced topics within tropical ecology, research design,
field techniques, and analysis and interpretation. The following are the main topics that will be
covered:
Theoretical Basis






Plant and animal diversity patterns (mostly birds and mammals).
Populations and communities.
Floodplain dynamics and the natural history of the Manu floodplain.
Animal behavior and ecological research as conservation tools.
Lowland habitats and forest stand dynamics.
Introduction to conservation biology.
Field Techniques1
1
Depending on the training level of participants and proposed projects, it is anticipated that seminars on GIS, Databases, and
Satellite Image Analysis will be organised.
1





Plant identification when you are not a seasoned botanist.
Advanced topics in biodiversity monitoring.
Ecological research methods for birds and mammals, with emphasis on population
monitoring and habitat assessment.
Behavioral research methods (to be confirmed).
Basic techniques in soil and water assessment.
Experimental Design & Data Analysis




How to select a research question and formulate hypotheses.
Designing ecological research.
Statistical analysis applied to ecological processes.
Some tools for data analysis: GIS, R, etc.
INSTRUCTORS
Instructors and course lecturers are scientists and researchers with extensive experience in tropical
lowland forests, who are currently developing research projects in the Southeastern Peruvian
Amazon. Also, guest lectures will be offered by researchers currently working at Cocha Cashu.
Instructors
 Dr. Mathias Tobler, Senior Researcher, SDZG. Dr. Tobler is a wildlife ecologist focusing on
population dynamics, habitat use ecology especially of large mammals. He has 10 years
experience working in the Peruvian Amazon studying mammals with camera traps and GPS
telemetry. He also has a strong interest in study design, data management databases and
statistical modeling of data.
 Dr. Mark Bowler, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, SDZG. Dr. Bowler is a Postdoctoral
researcher at San Diego Zoo Global and the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. His
research has a broad background in conservation biology, focusing on distribution, ecology
and behavior of primates and human impacts on populations of primates. He has worked in
the Amazon since 2002, in his doctoral work (Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology),
on the ecology and behavior of red saki monkeys.
 Dra. Patricia Álvarez, Project TEAM Leader in Peru. Dr. Alvarez's research focuses on
tropical plant pathology and plant-insect herbivory processes. She has 14 years of
experience in tropical forests, 11 of them in the Manu National Park.
 Dr. James Sheppard, Senior Researcher, SDZG. Dr. Sheppard is an ecologist in spatially
explicit landscapes and processes with a broad interest in movement patterns, habitat use
and selection of resources in endangered species. Spatial ecology is a rapidly growing field
and is directly influenced by the rapid development of bio-logging technology.
 Ing. César Flores, CCBS Director, SDZG-Peru. His field of interest includes forestry and forest
restoration, particularly oriented towards water and biodiversity ecosystem services. He has
accumulated extensive experience in forestry and auto-ecology of major tree species in the
lowlands. He focuses on the development of silvicultural prescriptions based on
ecophysiology, soil evaluation and socio-cultural aspects of forest management.
Guest Speakers
 Dr. Harald Beck
 Dr. Úrsula Valdéz
2
 Dr. John Terborgh (to be confirmed)
 Dr. Lisa Davenport (to be confirmed)
 M.Sc. Jessica Groenendijk
PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS AND SELECTION
Intermediate or advanced undergraduate and graduate university students enrolled in a biology
degree or degrees related to natural resource management may apply. Participants are expected to
have completed courses in biology, basic tropical ecology, taxonomy and/ or systematics.
Most of the required literature and some lectures will be offered in English; intermediate or
advanced proficiency in reading and understanding English is therefore essential.
Selected participants must be recently vaccinated against flu, and be immunized against yellow
fever. We also recommend getting vaccines against hepatitis and tetanus.
Candidates accepted for the course will be selected on the basis of merit by a jury of the organizers.
DESARROLLO DEL CURSO
The course will be held at the Cocha Cashu Biological Station, Manu National Park, which
encompasses the floodplain and old terraces of the Manu River, Madre de Dios. Cocha Cashu is
characterized as a landscape with little or no human disturbance within the past 80-100 years. It is
renowned for the generation of information on tropical ecology for more than 40 years.
Dates
The course will begin the first day of July and will run until September 30. Participating students can
expect to arrive in Cusco after the course on October 2nd in the evening.
Course Stages
The course is developed continuously between July and October 2013 and consists of four stages:
a) Introductory talk in Cusco: The day before departure, i.e. July 1, participants will meet at the
office of San Diego Zoo Global - Peru, for general instructions and final details about the trip. We
suggest that students review the station's website to become familiar with life in Cashu and what they
can expect to find: http://cochacashu.sandiegozooglobal.org/
b) Theoretical course: During the first two weeks participants will receive theoretical and practical
sessions according to the proposed curriculum. This will be a period of intense work where
participants will review or acquire the ecological foundations and key techniques for designing field
research projects. Some sessions will be held in English. In early June a digital version of required
and optional readings will be made available to participants; participants are expected to arrive at this
stage of the course having completed the required readings.
During the theoretical stage, participants should outline a simple research proposal to be developed in
Cocha Cashu. Instructors will work closely with participants and we will have the support of resident
researchers as mentors of field research proposed by the participants. By ‘simple research proposal’,
we understand a question or hypothesis that can be subjected to research in the duration of the
course and can then be submitted as a requirement for obtaining a degree.
3
c) Implementation of the course: This period includes only data collection for the research proposed
by the participant and approved by the course instructors. During this stage we expect to offer talks by
Cashu resident researchers to update participants on the state of progress of other branches of
ecology and conservation science. By the final week of the course participants will make an oral
presentation of their research result.
d) Presentation of results in Cusco: The day after arrival in Cusco, i.e. on October 3rd, participants
are expected to orally present their findings to SERNANP and Park authorities in the region. This part
of the course is mandatory.
Logistical Details:
The station has a basic inventory of instruments and tools for the collection of field data (tape
measures, GPS receivers, spring scales, etc.). However, it is expected that participants anticipate and
bring any necessary instruments for the practical application of the course. We anticipate having
some personal computers to make available to participants, but it is preferable to use own computer.
The power system is mostly solar so it is not possible to count on power for charging computers 24
hours a day; 6-8 hours of power a day is more probable. There is power and outlets for charging
personal flashlight batteries.
COST
Selected participants will only cover their travel and accommodation expenses to the city of Cusco
(where they will stay 3 nights). Transport costs between Cusco and the station, and room and board
at Cashu will be covered by the organizers thanks to the generous support of Wallace Research
Foundation.
APPLICATION
We only have ten (10) vacancies for this first course, by strict order of merit. Applicants should submit
the requested files by May 15, 2013, to cochacashu@sandiegozoo.org. The following documents
must be submitted to complete your application (incomplete applications will not be considered):
1. – A cover letter in which the applicant requests participation in the course, explaining the reasons
for applying and describing the impact the course may have in their professional training.
2. – A description (maximum two sides of A4, Arial 11) outlining the applicant’s interest in a possible
research project to be developed during the practical stage of the course.
3. – A letter of recommendation from the university, or supervisor or professor, stating the merits of
the applicant and the applicant's personal qualities. Letters should be sent directly to the organizers
by the person recommending the candidate. The letter must be attached to an email message with
the name of the applicant as the subject.
4. - A Curriculum Vitae.
Successful applicants will be informed after the 22nd of May.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For additional information please refer your questions to email: cochacashu@sandiegozoo.org.
4