{"id":3768,"date":"2024-02-21T06:47:32","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T06:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sfs.local\/program\/environmental-justice-and-mekong-ecologies\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T19:14:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T19:14:08","slug":"freshwater-and-forest-ecosystems","status":"publish","type":"program","link":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/center\/cambodia\/program\/freshwater-and-forest-ecosystems\/","title":{"rendered":"Freshwater and Forest Ecosystems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Trace Cambodia\u2019s freshwater network from the swift channels of the Mekong to the flooded forests where rising waters transform entire landscapes. Follow the pulse of a river system that ties ecology to culture as you move through wetlands, chart tributaries, and track the seasonal migrations of fish that feed millions. Spend time in upland communities observing elephants and gibbons in evergreen forests, then step into the energy of Phnom Penh, a capital shaped by water, history, and rapid change. Students measure water quality, trace patterns of habitat change, and collaborate with communities navigating the realities of a changing climate. Each week builds toward Directed Research, where your findings contribute to strategies for protecting Cambodia\u2019s living waters in a changing world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Map freshwater and forest dynamics through GIS, field surveys, and community-based data collection spanning farms, floodplains, and upland springs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Study elephant and gibbon behavior while engaging with conservation efforts in Cambodia\u2019s highland forests.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collaborate with scientists, fishers, and Bunong leaders to turn ecological insight into restoration solutions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Explore the forest temples of Angkor Wat to understand how ecology, religion, and empire shaped the Khmer world.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conduct Directed Research with faculty mentors, collect, analyze and interpret data, and present your findings to partners and stakeholders driving conservation decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spend the semester exploring Cambodia\u2019s diverse ecosystems \u2013 from the great Tonle Sap Lake to the ancient Angkor temples. Study threats to biodiversity, learn about environmental justice and policy, and discuss traditional practices with Indigenous communities. Embark on expeditions across the region, visiting an elephant sanctuary in Mondulkiri, the vibrant capital city of Phnom Penh, conservation sites along the Mekong River.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":23014,"template":"","location":[91],"class_list":["post-3768","program","type-program","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","location-cambodia"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program\/3768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/program"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstudies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=3768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}