Tropical Forest Ecology (Thailand)
PBIO 369M
Winter intersession: December 1-21, 2004
Instructors: Glenn Matlack (matlack@ohio.edu) and Christine Fahl (cfahl@seorf.ohiou.edu)
Wet-tropical forests of Southeast Asia are different from forests of Ohio. They are full of strange growth forms like lianas, epiphytes, stranglers, palms, and leafy liverworts. Troops of monkeys call raucously, asserting ownership of territory in the high canopy. They even smell different: almost every tree species produces copious displays of flowers. In fact, they seem completely alien to the oak-dominated seasonal forests we're familiar with. These sensual impressions only hint at the enormous variety of life forms and evolutionary strategies displayed in tropical forest communities.
In this year's
Global Studies course, we will explore the richness and complexity of tropical
forest communities in Thailand. Thailand consists of a river valley (the
Chao Prahya) running through the eastern foothills of the Himalayas.
Ranging from low coastal areas around the Gulf of Thailand to the eastern
plateau bordering Laos and the mountains of the northwest, the country's varied
landforms support several tropical forest types. We will
hike through lowland rainforests in Ko Chang National Park, an island
in the Gulf of Thailand. We will visit seasonal monsoon forest in Khao Yai
National Park, one of the last homes of wild Asian elephants. We will
climb through bamboo corridor forests and dry dipterocarp forests on the flanks
of Doi
Inthanon, and study forest
destruction and restoration at the Forest Restoration Research Unit of Chiang
Mai University. Students will collect vegetation and environmental data at
forest sites, learning ecological sampling techniques and performing community
analyses.
Click on map for enlargement
People
have inhabited the Chao Prahya valley for several thousand years, building great
palaces, fanciful monuments, and awe-inspiring temples, many of which we will be
able to visit. Today, Thailand is home to ca. 60 million friendly people
(we will meet many of them). They have an ethic of courteous
accommodation, and take a cheerful interest in the welfare of visitors.
They have a world-class cuisine, which you can buy almost anywhere and very
cheaply.
The course will consider human ecology as well, examining crops such as rubber, rice, tea, sugar, and coconuts. We will study botany by sampling luscious tropical fruits like rambuttan, mangosteen, pudding apples, salak, and (if you like) the pungent durian. We will visit mountain villages around Chiang Mai to view subsistence agriculture and its impact on the forest.
Quick links: Purpose Typical day Preparation Travel issues Administration Schedule
Grants and scholarships Study abroad forms Travel documents Glenn Matlack‘s home page
Our goal is to become familiar with tropical forests of central and northern Thailand, and develop a feel for their local variation in structure and composition. To this end students will learn to recognize the dominant plant families and genera, and participate in field exercises examining the structure and dynamics of tropical forests. Students will also view the impacts of humans in tropical forests, and evaluate efforts at regeneration. Beyond science, we hope students will gain a degree of appreciation for a rich and complex non-western culture. This web site provides an outline of the course; more detail is available from Glenn Matlack (matlack@ohio.edu).
In the field section of the course we will visit several Thai National Parks and a University. We will stay in local hotels and guest houses, and eat the wonderful Thai food. Although we will rent vans in Chiang Mai, most of our travel will be by public transportation. Days in the forest will involve moderately strenuous hiking and several hours of data collection. We will also have free time, with the opportunity to sightsee, shop, swim, or just relax.
The group will fly from Columbus on 1 December, arriving in Bangkok two days later (having crossed the International Dateline). After a “rest day” in Bangkok, we will travel to the first forest site by bus and ferry. We will spend 3-4 days at each park, using a local hotel or guest house as a base camp. Hotels have been selected by the leaders on previous trips. Accommodation varies in character but in all cases will be clean, secure, private, and reasonably comfortable. Students will lodge 2 per room.
Students will eat on their own, either in the hotel (most hotels have dining rooms) or nearby restaurants. Thai food is delicious, filling, and very cheap. In the field, bag lunches will be provided.
After breakfast, we
will assemble at 8:00 o’clock and take a van to the trail head. We walk for 1-2
miles to the field site and begin data collection. Two people will measure tree
density, composition, and size structure by the point-centered quarter method.
Four others will survey the shrub and herb flora using quadrats. Two will make
measurements of light, litter depth, slope, canopy openness, humidity, and other
parameters (jobs will rotate so that everyone gets a chance to do them all).
The leaders will offer guidance with all methods and plant identification.
After 30 minutes for lunch around noon, we will hike to another location and
repeat the data collection. We will return to our hotel at 4-5pm. Students
have free time to rest, wash, have dinner, etc. until 8pm, when we meet for an
hour to collate data and enter it into the computer for analysis. On some days
we will be accompanied by Thai botanists who will give presentations.
On travel days, we all pack up and carry our luggage to the train/bus/ferry/plane and watch the scenery go by, following our progress on the maps provided. One-two free days are scheduled each week in interesting towns. Maps and descriptions of interesting sites will be provided, but students are free to do as they please (Although free day activities are up to the student, we require that everyone keep us informed of your whereabouts). Many of the hotels have swimming pools; one has a world-class beach on the Gulf of Thailand.
The more you know before you visit a new place, the more you see when you get there. Thus, preparation for travel is important. To help students fully appreciate forests of Thailand, there is a required series of lectures in Fall quarter 2004. We will meet twice a week at times arranged to be convenient for everyone. Students will enroll for PBIO 405 and will receive two hours credit. These lectures are considered part of the course and passing this section is a firm prerequisite for the field section of the course.
We will discuss
- Climate and geography of southeast Asia
- Ecosystem types within Thailand
- Major plant groups and prominent species
- Wildlife of Thailand
- Forest dynamic processes
- Plant-animal interactions
- Human impacts on SE Asian ecosystems
- Conservation and restoration issues
In addition, we will devote time to practical topics such as plant identification, travel health, Thai culture and history, travel formalities, and what to pack. We will have a few lessons in speaking the Thai language!
At the end of the preparation lectures, we will have a written exam and students will hand in a short term paper. We strongly suggest that students also take Tropical Ecology (PBIO 322/522) which is also offered in the Fall, although this is not required (click here to take a look at the Tropical Ecology homepage).
This course will be
an intensive field experience. Students are asked to commit most of
their time on most days to field work in the forest. We will function as a
tightly integrated group, together 90% of the time. We will be immersed in Thai
culture from the moment we wake to the moment we go to sleep. The educational
rewards of this approach are potentially enormous: a non-superficial
appreciation of tropical forests and their interaction with a human culture,
gained at low cost in a short time.
If you come to the course with an open mind and a willingness to work, it will be great fun. Some qualifications are necessary, however. This is not a vacation. If you come expecting to chill out, drink a lot of beer, and get a tan you will not have a good time. We expect all participants to cooperate cheerfully in the group effort described above.
We will be out-of-touch with American culture. Although good food is always available, you will not be able to buy American dishes (there are places McDonalds has not reached yet). Although friendly, most of the people do not speak English. Thai culture will constantly surprise you. If you feel uncomfortable in such situations, you should stay home. We expect all participants to take a positive, flexible approach the local culture and interact cheerfully with the Thai people. We must always remember that we are guests in their country, and the success of our trip depends on their willingness to help us. The Thai people are by nature cheerful, polite, and helpful; we must meet them half way.
These are the details as we have them at the end of Winter quarter 2004. We provide them to give the fullest possible description of the course for prospective students. However, they may be updated as we get closer to the enrollment date. Firm details will be available in mid-July.
Credit
Participants will receive 2 credit hours for successful completion of the preparation segment (credited in Fall 2004) and 6 hours for the field segment (credited in Winter 2005).
Cost
The projected cost for the field section of the course is $2,100, which covers air fare, lodging, in-country transportation, and program expenses. In addition, students must pay the normal tuition fee for six credits, and carry a small amount of money for food and incidental expenses (we recommend $400).
Financial aid can be applied to field courses expenses and tuition, with advance planning. Scholarships are available (Grants and scholarships).
Enrollment
Students must register and sign the financial agreement by 20 September. A non-refundable deposit of $500 will be required at that date. No delays are allowed for payment of time-sensitive fees such as passports and their associated items (photos, birth certificates, etc.) and no refunds are permitted once the airline tickets are purchased and lodging and other arrangements are made.
Prerequisites
Participants must have at least one 200-level course in evolutionary or environmental biology (e.g. PBIO 209, 211 or the equivalent). They must have “junior” status at the time they board the airplane, a GPA of at least 2.8, and must have permission of the instructor. Written permission is required at the time of Enrollment.
All students must pass the preparation segment (PBIO 405) with a grade of 2.5 or better to be eligible for the field segment (PBIO 369M). Tropical Ecology (PBIO 322/522, offered Fall 2004) is also strongly recommended as preparation.
Texts
Whitmore, T.C. 2001. An Introduction to Tropical Rain Forests. Oxford University Press, New York.
Cummings, J. 2004. Lonely Planet Guide to Thailand. Lonely Plant Publications, Oakland.
Assessment
A grade will be assigned for both the preparation segment (Fall 2004) and the field segment (Intersession 2004):
Preparation
segment (2 credits):
Final exam 50%
Term paper 40%
Class participation 10%
Field segment (6 credits):
Field exam 30%
Final report 50%
Participation 20%
Official documents
There are a number of official forms and documents that must be submitted both at the University and Government levels. We will discuss these in detail at the first class meeting. In the meantime, please read
Study abroad forms Travel documents
The days and times of the Preparation lectures will be arranged for the convenience of students. Note: the field section of the course returns 21 December, several days before Christmas.
Enrollment deadline September 20, 2004
Preparation lectures (PBIO 405) September 27 – October 29
Thailand December 1 – December 21
Follow-up meeting January 10, 2005
Final report due January 31
What to wear
Thailand is a tropical
country, so it's generally fairly warm. Light cotton shirts and
pants are adequate most of the time. A swim suit is a must. It will be
cool in the north around Chaing Mai, however, and it will be distinctly chilly
when we climb Doi Inthanon, so bring a long-sleeve shirt and a sweater or fleece
pullover. It rains a fair amount (remember, we will be visiting
rainforest), so a waterproof parka is a good idea. Definitely bring shorts
for lounging after work, but you will need long pants in the forest and the
town. You will need a sturdy pair of light hiking boots. Sandals or sport
shoes are OK in town, but not on the trail.
Choice of clothing also has a cultural dimension - people judge you by what you wear. Our goal is to fit in as unobtrusively as possible. Thais dress fairly conservatively (notwithstanding the tropical climate) and may take offense at particularly revealing or outrageous dress. You will not be allowed to enter temples, hotels, or decent restaurants with bare shoulders or midriff, short shorts, or a lot of cleavage showing. Leave the body-piercing hardware at home. Although Thais will never be rude to you, they may view revealing dress as an insult. They will be a lot less helpful than they could be.
Health issues
Thailand has good standards of public health. The CDC (US Center for Disease Control) recommends vaccinations against hepatitis A, typhoid, rabies, and tetanus as ordinary precautions, although there have been no recent outbreaks of these diseases. At all times we will be within a day’s drive of a modern medical facility (and usually much closer). We always carry a well-stocked first aid kit in the field.
We will continue to monitor SARS and Avian Flu, although at the time of this writing the CDC does not consider these to be serious threats in the region. “Most travelers to Thailand are not at risk for malaria and do not need to take an antimalarial drug.” (CDC 2004). For further information, please read the “Travelers Health” section of the CDC website (http://www.cdc.gov/travel/seasia.htm).
Crime is minimal in the areas we will be visiting, but we always encourage common-sense precautions.
Helpful links:
Tropical Ecology (PBIO 322/522)
