The 2019 Advanced Field Course in Ecology and Conservation - Xishuangbanna (AFEC-X 2019), the 11th of its kind, came to a successful end on November 26, with 30 students from 13 countries presenting their 8 interesting research projects to a panel of 9 judges on November 26.
From October 15 to November 26, the 30 trainees learned such topics as tropical environments, biodiversity science, conservation biology, soil ecology, plant-animal interactions, climate change biology, molecular ecology, G.I.S. and spatial modelling, experimental design and R statistics, presentation and writing skills, etc.
The students were divided into 8 groups to carry out research projects in and around Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) as following:
1. Influence of habitat type and leaf damage on the predation success of birds
2. How do birds find ripe fruits? Color or/and Odor?
3. UV reflectance affects caterpillar predation
4. How do microhabitat conditions influence fig wasp diversity within Ficus tree canopies
5. Ethnobotany study of Edible plants used by Jinuo people in Xishuangbanna, SW, China
6. Influence of Ants and Habitat to the Predation on Artificial Caterpillars
7. Leaf mass biomass partitioning: A new way to understand tree growth in the tropics?
8. Increasing temperature shifts food choice of a terrestrial snail, Cryptozona siamensis, from herbivory to scavenging.
The best research project award went to “Increasing temperature shifts food choice of a terrestrial snail, Cryptozona siamensis, from herbivory to scavenging” accomplished by Ahmad Ardiansyah, Harold Basoc Lipae, Sudeshna Chakraborty, and Ye Htet Lwin.
Prof. Chen Jin, director of XTBG, conferred certificates to the winners of best research project award.
One of the award winners will be funded to present at the Annual Meeting 2020 of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) Asia-Pacific Chapter in India.
Best project presentation.
Research groups pose photo with judges.
Prof. Chen Jin poses a photo with best presentation winners
Participants pose a photo at the closing ceremony.
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