1. Join the 2018 science trip to Costa Rica
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Science in Action

2. The 2018 Earthwatch trip will be: “Monkeys, Parrots, and other wildlife of Costa rica”
EARTHWATCH.ORG
Aslan et al.

3. Why spend spring break in costa Rica with scientists?
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Aslan et al.

4. Coto Brus sits between two biodiversity hotspots
BIOCORRIDOR
BIODIVERSITY
HOTSPOT
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5. The region is one of the most deforested areas of costa rica…
Although it is common practice for farmers to plant trees in their fields and pastures, which hugely benefits wildlife!
EARTHWATCH.ORG
Aslan et al.

6. Even as costa rica has been deforested for agriculture, these farms help wildlife move across the country!
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7. PLANTS AND ANIMALS
PLANTS AND ANIMALS
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8. Many of the animals are “Frugivores”
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9. Many of the animals are “Frugivores”
Quetzal
Iguana
capuchin
Ctenosaurs
Coati
Tayra
BATS
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10. Research Goals
1. “The ecological goal of this study is to understand whether an existing practice, the planting of fleshy-fruited trees by landowners in rural Costa Rica, could provide food and stopover points for seed dispersers and serve as seed sources for forest regeneration following deforestation. 2. The social science goal of our study is to investigate social drivers behind the current non-agricultural tree-planting practice of landowners.”
What is the goal of the research?
Research proposals (found in the documents of the Research Project in Athena) are helpful
EARTHWATCH.ORG

11. Research Questions and Hypotheses
The overall ecological research questions and specific hypotheses guiding this research are:
What vertebrate frugivores interact with planted non-agricultural fruiting trees on focal land parcels in rural Costa Rica?
Subquestion 1: What diversity of frugivorous species consume the fruits/seeds of planted tree species?
Subquestion 2: What are the most important frugivores consuming the fruits/seeds of planted tree species?
Subquestion 3: What functional diversity of frugivores (i.e., small birds, large birds, monkeys, bats, lizards, etc.) use the fruits of each tree species (Note: functional diversity may influence how far and in what spatial pattern seeds are likely to be dispersed)?
What are the research objectives?
What are the hypotheses?
EARTHWATCH.ORG

12. Research Questions and Hypotheses
Hypothesis 1a: We hypothesize that a wide diversity of potential dispersers consume the fruits of planted trees, a case of highly generalist interactions.
Proposed hypothesis test: perform systematic observations of frugivory within focal plantings, identifying the numbers and richness of fruit-feeding vertebrates visiting each planting site and each planted species. Importance can then be calculated using dispersal importance indices
Hypothesis 1b: We hypothesize that potential dispersers varying in body size and range sizes consume the fruits of planted trees, implying that fruits may be moved a variety of distances and that such seed dispersal may link habitat fragments separated by varying spatial extents of non-habitat.
Proposed hypothesis test: identify fruit-consuming species and evaluate the average and range of body sizes they represent.
What are the research objectives?
What are the hypotheses?
EARTHWATCH.ORG

13. You will help study these animals and plants
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Aslan et al.

14. And hike through these spectacular landscapes
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Aslan et al.

15. You will stay at a biological station, within a Botanical Garden
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16. With stunning Views
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17. You will work alongside university Scientists
PI: Dr. Clare Aslan
Assistant Professor, Northern Arizona University
Co-PIs:
Dr. Kerry Grimm (NAU)
Dr. Sarah Frey (Postdoc- OSU)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dr. Aslan - Community ecology, seed dispersal, conservation biology, species interactions (and potential disruption associated with a changing climate and invasive species), solutions-oriented research
Dr. Grimm - Human-environment interactions, land use and habitat fragmentation, environmental conflict, collaboration, and justice
Dr. Frey - bioacoustics, avian community dynamics/habitat loss
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