Delsinne T. & Dekoninck W. (RBINS) 2011

Training on ant taxonomy and ecology at Loja, Southern Ecuador

The general aim of this project is to enhance the standing ant taxonomic capacity in Ecuador by providing to a group of 20 Ecuadorian students and scientists a ten-days long high-quality training on ant taxonomy and ecology. The course will be composed of lectures (either in Spanish or in English), laboratory works and field samplings in order to give a thorough overview of why and how ants can be used in biological evaluation and monitoring programs (a provisional working schedule is presented in Appendix 1). Ants from two very different ecosystems will be collected: from lowland dry forests (Tambo Negro Reserve) and mountain rainforests ("Reserva Biológica San Francisco", RBSF).

Along with the two promotors, four international experts in myrmecology have already communicated their interest to be involved in the project (listed below). The high instructor to student ratio will allow instructors to supervise students individually and to be easily available for questions or needs of supplementary information. In addition, the complementary experiences and specialities of the instructors will contribute to the high-quality level of the course.

Photos: Sampling in the field & working at the lab., (c) Tania Milena Arias-Penna, Thibaut Delsinne.