A Day in the Life….Forest Ecology

Birding Day One
19 March 2007 6:00 am 88% Humidity
20.5° Celsius Outside Aurora's, road to Cockscomb
Great Kiskadee Rufus Tailed Hummingbird Social Flycatcher
Orchard Oriole-nice Red-Lored Parrot Swallow Tailed Kite-nice
Roadside Hawk Pale Bill Woodpecker Crimson-collared Tanager-nice
Keel-Billed Toucan Grayish Saltator-nice Montezuma Oropendola
Passerini's Tanager-nice White Vented Euphonia-nice

Tropical Plant Family Summary Day One
Arecacea
This is a medium-sized, exclusively tropical family with 60 genera and around 850 species. Members of this family are trees or shrubs, and occasionally lianas. Leaves tend to be alternately arranged, very large (with supporting sheaths) and either pinnately or palmately lobed/compounded.
Small flowers are borne in often elaborately branched inforesences (some with over 250,000 flowers per inflorescence!), subtended by a woody spathe. Flowers are usually unisexual and 3-parted. Fruit is typically a drupe with a single seed inside.
Distribution: Lowland neotropics
Pollination: Insects (bees, flies and beetles)
Dispersal: Animal
Notable Members:
Attalea cohune (Cohune or corozo palm)
Cocos nucifera (Coconut palm)
Acoelorraphe wrightii (Palmetto, Honduran palm, Hairy Torn)


Cecropiaceae
Only three genera (and 170 species) are in this family, with one ( Cecropia) that includes more than 100 species. These species tend to be trees or shrubs, fast growing (gap specialist), with distinctive leaf scars along the trunk. Trunks can be hollow, housing beneficial ant colonies. Leaves tend to be large and either palmately compound or palmately lobed, a favorite food for sloths.
Flowers are very small and unisexual, with plants being either male or female. Flowers are very simple, lacking showy petals. Inflorescences are arranged in finger-like projections initially covered by a fleshy spathe. Fruit are small and dry.
Distribution: Throughout neotropics, lowlands to medium altitudes
Pollination: Wind
Dispersal: Wind or sometimes animal
Notable Member:
Cecropia peltata (Cecropia, Trumpet Tree)

After all this, we had class and worked on projects and went on hikes. The days were definitely filled with planned activities that kept us busy. Randy always kept it interesting, though, with his articulate lectures and vast knowledge of all things biotic and abiotic.
The week was not all work and no play. Our first day at Cockscomb Wildlife Basin was spent hiking up to Tiger Fern Falls. Despite the cooler weather and rain we made it up to the ridge and back down the other side to Tiger Fern. It took some staff to jump in first, but slowly the students warmed up to the idea of jumping into cool water on an already cool day. Pretty soon it was warmer to be in the water than out in the rain!
But then it was back to work again. Cockscomb again proved to be a magnificent spot to hold Forest Ecology. Interesting hikes, a vast array of ecosystems, and the ability to make a project out of just about anything made our time fly by. Unfortunately, we were unable to see any Jaguars on our trip this year (Well, we never see them.) despite three being spotted on trails and roads that we had traveled.


After returning to the Nab, we took a trip up into MPR. We visited Chalillo Dam and then had a refreshing talk from two MPR Forestry Department individuals. They gave us a clear picture of how they would like to see the Pine Forests of MPR managed. They truly love their job and want to protect that area for the benefit of Belize. That Thursday night we were able to celebrate Dave Peters' birthday with a Blues Clues pinata. With a final smack, Dave not only broke the pinata wide open but also broke the handle of the broom. Lay off those pushups a little, Dave!
Spring '07 Forest Ecology, taught by Professor Randy VanDragt, brought fresh ideas to the course. These fresh ideas opened out eyes in new ways: not only to biological concepts about forests but also to the human impact on them. He brought up ideas and issues that were discussed during our two sustainable development courses and molded them into the perspective of a science-minded individual. The course was very well rounded and brought a lot of issues to our attention, issues that our generation will be dealing with. The students worked hard and it all paid off. But everyone was definitely ready for Spring Break 2007 by the end. Tikal here we come!!!