BIOL 244 Madagascar: Culture, Conservation, and Natural History (J-Term)
Madagascar, the world's fourth largest island, is a living laboratory of extraordinary natural environments, with almost 80% of its flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world. The course explores the natural history and ecology of native habitats (dry sandstone to rainforest), plants (especially medicinal plants), and animals (such as the lemurs and chameleons) while seeking to explain Madagascar’s unique and extremely high biodiversity. The delicate balance between human needs, development, and conservation will be observed and the influence of Malagasy culture on natural resource management will be assessed. Participants will obtain a global perspective on the integration of humans with the environment at an indigenous level. This course does not fulfill a requirement in the biology major or minor. Prerequisite:
BIOL 243