This course provides a solid foundation in the archaeology and tropical ecology of Ecuador. It is designed to prepare students to better understand the history of peoples as well as ecological interactions of plants and animals, and to engage in the challenges facing Neotropical forests and their peoples. Students will learn to compare pristine to altered forests identifying key factors in forest decline and regeneration, as well as to see the effects of elevational gradients on plant and animal communities. Students will also visit ruin sites as well as a Theobroma cacao farm to discuss the process and importance of this crop to local communities, and to understand the interface of people to landscape. More broadly, students will recognize the deeply entangled histories of people and landscape and explore how these relationships shaped one another in the past and continue to do so today. More contemporary themes include Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), climate change, biodiversity, etc.
- Teacher: Eric Griffin
- Teacher: Scotti Norman
- Teacher: Alysia Sawchyn