Tropical Biology Field Course in Uganda

New course for Year 3 Biology students in September 2009

More information

• Download course flyer (PDF)
• Makerere University Biological Field Station
• Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, Makerere University 
• Kibale National Park 

A new Year 3 BSc field course is to be introduced by the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London in September 2009. Like other 3rd Year field courses in the Department, the Tropical Biology Field Course will be taken as an optional module in the vacation before the 3rd academic year. The 2-week course will be run by Life Sciences staff and will be based at the Makerere University Biological Field Station, in Kibale Forest, Uganda. The Tropical Biology Association has been running courses there for many years, and they will provide some logistics for this course.

The course is available to BSc Biology, Ecology & Environmental Biology, Plant Biology and Zoology students.

• Course aims
• Typical course outline
• About Kibale Rainforest
• Acknowledgements

Course aims

• To introduce participants to the excitement, challenges and opportunities for biological research and conservation in tropical habitats
• To provide first-hand experience of biodiversity research and conservation in tropical forests through taught exercises and mini-projects with a special emphasis on tropical ecology and biodiversity
• To highlight current projects at Imperial as exemplars of the different types of biodiversity and conservation research

"The course will take place in Kibale rainforest, which has the highest density of primate species anywhere in the world, including chimpanzees - I've no doubt that it will provide the students with 'once in a lifetime' experience of working in the tropics"

Vincent Savolainen, Reader in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Imperial College London and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and one of the course organisers.

Typical course outline

Day 1 Arrival in Uganda
Day 2 Travel to field site
Day 3 Orientation, introductions and equipment handout
Days 4-6 Identification workshops and guided walks. Lectures on tropical ecology and biodiversity
Day 7 Visit to chimpanzee research field camp
Day 8-12 Independent research projects. Lectures on conservation programmes
Day 13 Participant presentations of projects
Day 14 Return to Entebbe
Day 15 Departure

About Kibale Forest

Kibale Forest National Park covers 766 km2 and is situated in western Uganda just above the equator. It is close to the
Queen Elizabeth National Park, Semuliki National Park, and
the Rwenzori Mountains, and lies adjacent to the western arm of Africa’s Rift Valley. Lying between altitudes 1110m in the south and 1590m in the north, Kibale has been classified as a moist evergreen forest, which has strong affinities with both montane forest and mixed tropical deciduous forest. The park contains a mosaic of habitats including wetlands and grasslands.

Kibale Forest has the highest density of primates anywhere in the world (11 species, including chimpanzees, Uganda red colobus, black and white colobus, blue monkeys, red-tail monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, grey-cheeked mangabeys and bushbabies). Over 300 bird species have been recorded including turacos and trogons. The insect life has not yet been fully described, and Life Sciences staff have discovered numerous new species from there in recent years and described several of these. An estimated 229 tree species are found in the park, and reach over 55m in height forming a semi-closed canopy.

There are approximately 150 km of mapped trails in the forest near the field station, so you can reach most areas on foot. The trails run through a variety of habitats including streams and swamps. Research in Kibale has concentrated on primates, forest regeneration, and the effects of logging.

Acknowledgments

We are very thankful to the Tropical Biology Association and Makerere University for their help in running this course.