A short course entitled “Concepts, methods and importance of functional traits” was given by DiverSus members from Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal (IBIF). The course was directed at students and professors at the Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno (the main national university in Santa Cruz region), and was carried out from September 29 to October 01, 2014. More than 20 students from different degrees, including Biology, Agronomy, Forest Engineering and Environmental Sciences attended the course. The course included basic theory and hands-on exercises on how to measure functional traits. Functional traits and their importance in understanding ecological processes is a newness in Bolivia, and the course served as an introduction to the topic at the university. This short course will be given regularly as part of the agreement between this University and IBIF.
