Central American Institute for Biological Research and Conservation

General Information Professors: Axel Retana, M. Sc. Colaborator: Alejandro A. Valerio, PhD Participant Institutions: CIBRC Duration: 2 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The classification and inventory of the planet biodiversity have become the main topic of discussion and action in conservation efforts. The implications of the systematic studies are wide and range from their taxonomic implications in the recognition of key taxa to protect in the legal framework of the ecological efforts to the study of biogeographic patterns of distribution of flora and fauna for re-introductions and habitat rehabilitation. However, even with the importance and relevance of systematic studies for the conservation efforts the formation of professionals in this area are minimalist or inexistent for many taxonomic groups in many countries around the world.

The study of the biodiversity have two facets: the extant evolutionary relationships between the organisms, and the environmental factors that act as selection forces and sources of new combinations that create speciation. Still, the importance of these studies present to conservation efforts the disciplines of systematics and ecology lack an exponential increase in knowledge over time.

In this context, the systematic and ecology course have the objective to introduce the students to the basic concepts in systematics, particularly the cladistic school as an example of what can be done in the ecological framework through the utilization of systematics in conservation. These genealogic perspective currently have revolutionized the evolutive ecology field, the biogeographic studies and methodology, and the biology of the conservation efforts.

* Introduce the student to the theoretical concepts use in the field of systematics.
* Introduce the students to the main analytic techniques use in cladistics and applied to conservation efforts
* Train the students in the use of software utilized in the analysis of phylogenies (i.e. NONA)

REQUIRMENTS

*Capable of reading the English language
* Bachelor degree in Biological sciences or related field of studies
* Courses of genetics and evolution (recommended) or their equivalents

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

Activities in groups

The students will perform a set of short research projects at which they will apply the knowledge acquired in class. These projects will presented orally to the other students as well as a written scientific report of their results and conclusions

Individual projects

Each student will execute an individual project at the end of the course with a taxonomic group of her/his choice. The project results will be presented to their fellow students as an oral presentation prior to the realization of it for feed back and critics. Then, a written scientific report with their results and conclusions will be submitted for evaluation and for the class memoirs

Articles Readings and Group Discussions

As an integral part of the course a series of scientific articles in the phylogenetic fields will be required as learning material in combination with day lectures. The articles will cover from theoretical aspects of the phylogenetic construction of trees to more philosophical aspects in systematics