[ECOLOG-L] e-print edition of the science jobs newsletter
This is about a weekly e-print newsletter.It is aimed to list all the world-wide jobs published in science, environment, technology and engineering for the week and also contain featured positions, career articles, conference details, etc. Vol.1 Issue 1 - Contents: (1) Associate/Principal Aquatic Ecologist, URS Australia Pty Ltd; (1) Scientists isolate genes that made 1918 flu lethal; (2) Vacancy Highlights; (4) List of jobs published during 1st week of Jan 2009, etc Next Issue - Featured Article: Migrate to Australia. Download newsletter: http://www.thesciencenet.com/files/ScienceJobsNewsletter1.1.pdf. Newsletter home: http://newsletter.thesciencenet.com/ Thripthi Krishna Mohan 1G, Horizon Park Althara Nagar, Vellayambalam Trivandrum 695010 Kerala, India Tel. +91 9895 211 299 Email: thrip...@thesciencejobs.com
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable with the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. Part of our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may have gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to beautiful creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the ugly and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems (such as detritivores). I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that their life's work was rooted in some rapturous love affair with tapeworms or mildew. Who ever fell in love with nematodes and polychaetes? (Although my late friend Peter Schwinghamer had a sign over his door saying Worms can teach us awe and wonder.) My concern has a practical side to it. There are seal species far more at risk than harp seals, but mottled grey beasts with nasty teeth do not seem to attract the support of anti-sealing campaigners. It is hard to argue that the biodiversity of beautiful flowers in Costa Rica is more vital to our survival than the worms crawling around in the mud of the North Sea, but much of the emphasis on conservation of biodiversity focusses on tropical hot spots rather than the low and dirty. I don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the beauty of the natural enviornment, but I also want to remind the scientific community that ecology is not about beauty, it is about systems that often do not appeal to our aesthetic sense. I like my work, but manage not to get too emotionally involved! Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: Jamie Reaser ecosli...@nelsoncable.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 10:44 PM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts Dear Nature Enthusiasts - Hiraeth Press and Ecos Systems Institute are please to announce the publication of:Courting the Wild: Love Affairs with the Land, edited by Dr. Jamie K. Reaser and Ms. Susan Chernak McElroy. Do you remember the first time you fell in love? Within these pages will you find love stories, rapturous love affairs with the land, longings, shameless seductions, betrothals, vows exchanged, marriages of the soul, heartaches, partings, healings, and renewals. The authors are the courters and the courted.Their landscape paramours embrace them and they grow forth from within. A stirring book.filled with transcendent and highly personal moments of revelation, of awe, reverence, and love for nature.the profound truth and magic of becoming one with life on Earth. This book is for anyone anywhere.from the camper's backpack to bedside tables. - Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, President, The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment Like many ecologists, I had a love affair with nature (especially with butterflies) long before I became a scientist. The love affairs described here will either tell you what I mean, or remind you of your own affair. Either way, you'll enjoy them. - Dr. Paul Ehrlich, co-author of the Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment Available from: - Hiraeth Press: www.hiraethpress.com - www.amazon.com A limited number of signed copies are available, contact Dr. Jamie K. Reaser at e...@nelsoncable.com. If you'd like to help promote the book, please e-mail Jamie for a flyer.
[ECOLOG-L] Stanford Journal of Law, Science, and Policy: Call for Papers
Stanford Journal of Law, Science, and Policy Call for Papers The Stanford Journal of Law, Science, and Policy invites you to submit articles for publication in this new, interdisciplinary journal devoted to bridging the gap between legal and scientific scholarship. The journal is founded on the recognition that the challenges facing today's policy makers are complex for both scientific and legal reasons, and that the search for solutions will require pioneering, cross-disciplinary collaboration. Articles are accepted on a rolling basis. The Spring 2009 issue will contain articles received before February 15th. This online journal publishes original research, essays, and case studies intended for legal, science, and policy audiences. Articles should address critical issues at the intersection of science and law, such as through the application of cutting-edge scientific knowledge to new or existing legal questions, or by addressing the impact of legal concepts on the conduct of science. Appropriate themes includes, but are not limited to, human health, terrestrial and marine conservation, global development and equity, energy and climate change, privacy and ethics of scientific research, environmental justice, and policy approaches to scientific uncertainty. We strongly encourage legal and scientific scholars to collaborate and co-author submissions. * For legal and policy scholars, publishing in this journal provides an opportunity to work with scientific experts and ground their work in the most up-to-date science. * For scientists, the journal allows communication of cutting-edge scientific research directly to the policy community in a format not available anywhere else. The Journal provides an outlet for scientists to develop the conclusions from their scientific papers into robust discussions for policymakers. For more information, visit http://sjlsp.group.stanford.edu or email sjlspsubmissi...@gmail.com.
[ECOLOG-L] MS assistantship - limnology/aquatic ecology - Auburn University
** PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY ** One M.S. research assistantship is available in Alan Wilsons lab ( http://www.wilsonlab.comhttp://www.wilsonlab.com ) at Auburn University (AU) to study basic and applied limnology/aquatic ecology. Current lab research projects revolve around understanding the ecological and genetic mechanisms mediating harmful cyanobacterial blooms and include an NSF-funded project focused on elucidating the ecosystem-level consequences of food-web evolution. Students in my lab are welcome to participate on existing projects but are strongly encouraged to develop their own thesis projects using a suite of approaches available at AU including field limnocorral and whole-pond experiments, large-scale lake surveys, and laboratory-based mechanistic studies. Travel opportunities to scientific conferences and field sites throughout the Southeast and Midwest are made available to all of my students. The ideal candidate will be hard-working, enjoy teamwork, and have a solid foundation in aquatic ecology, molecular biology, microbiology, or related fields. Also, since outreach is an important component of my labs activities, prospective students motivated to educate others about the importance of protecting our natural resources are especially encouraged to apply. Starting dates are flexible, but preference will be given to students available May to August 2009. Stipends are competitive and accompanied by full tuition waivers and health insurance. Interested students are encouraged to email (1) a concise letter of interest including the contact information for three references (two professional and one personal), (2) copies of transcripts and GRE scores, and (3) a brief resume to Alan Wilson at mailto:wil...@auburn.eduwil...@auburn.edu by 1 March 2009 for full consideration. Questions? Contact Dr. Alan E. Wilson Assistant Professor Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures Auburn University 203 Swingle Hall, Auburn, Alabama 36849 mailto:wil...@auburn.eduwil...@auburn.edu, 334.844.9321, http://www.wilsonlab.com
[ECOLOG-L] 5 week Northern Rockies Environmental Science Field Course
Colleagues, Please pass this on to any undergrads that may be interested. Many aspects of environmental science are best learned in the field. Come join us for an intense, unique 5 week undergrad learning experience combining geology, geomorphology, hydrology, ecology and remote sensing. We cross the country starting in Pennsylvania and spend more than 3 weeks exploring the northern Rockies in Wyoming and Idaho. The course is designed for mid to upper level students with a background in any one of disciplines. Strong focus on group problem-solving and collaborative research. Thanks! Patrick Belmont (belm...@umn.edu) Monday June 1, to Friday July 3, 2009 $3100, EVERYTHING INCLUDED - tuition, fees, food, travel DO NOT DELAY, CAMP IS NEARLY FULL See webpage for more information: http://www.lehigh.edu/~fjp3/fieldcamp/index.html EES 395 Environmental Science Field Camp (6 credits) We are offering this camp at the junior-senior level as a capstone experience. The curriculum will revolve around basic geology, hydrology, ecology, soils, geomorphology, limnology, and impacts of western landuse and resource management. We will incorporate electronic mapping, GPS, and GIS technology into projects wherever practical. This is a CAMPING field camp. We never stay in a hotel and we prepare and cook all of our food fresh in a group kitchen. This is also a PHYSICALLY CHALLENGING camp. We do a lot of hiking during the mapping projects. The venue provides excellent and numerous recreational opportunities including fishing, local rodeos, and wilderness backpacking. Evenings and days off include visits to towns such as Wall Drug, SD, Jackson and Pinedale, WY, and Mackay, ID. Contact me soon if you are interested, Patrick Belmont (belm...@umn.edu) -- Patrick Belmont, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Associate, National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics, University of Minnesota, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory #2 Third Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA Fax: 612-624-4398
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
Just an observation - nowhere in the review did I see mention of the world 'beauty', or the suggestion that love of nature stems from a love of beauty. As to whether it is wrong, or somehow detrimental, for scientists to be emotionally connected to nature, I suspect that as in most things, the key is balance. Heather Reynolds Associate Professor Department of Biology Jordan Hall 142 Indiana University 1001 E 3rd Street Bloomington IN 47405 Ph: (812) 855-0792 Fax: (812) 855-6705 hlrey...@indiana.edu On Jan 6, 2009, at 8:01 AM, William Silvert wrote: Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable with the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. Part of our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may have gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to beautiful creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the ugly and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems (such as detritivores). I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that their life's work was rooted in some rapturous love affair with tapeworms or mildew. Who ever fell in love with nematodes and polychaetes? (Although my late friend Peter Schwinghamer had a sign over his door saying Worms can teach us awe and wonder.) My concern has a practical side to it. There are seal species far more at risk than harp seals, but mottled grey beasts with nasty teeth do not seem to attract the support of anti-sealing campaigners. It is hard to argue that the biodiversity of beautiful flowers in Costa Rica is more vital to our survival than the worms crawling around in the mud of the North Sea, but much of the emphasis on conservation of biodiversity focusses on tropical hot spots rather than the low and dirty. I don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the beauty of the natural enviornment, but I also want to remind the scientific community that ecology is not about beauty, it is about systems that often do not appeal to our aesthetic sense. I like my work, but manage not to get too emotionally involved! Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: Jamie Reaser ecosli...@nelsoncable.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 10:44 PM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts Dear Nature Enthusiasts - Hiraeth Press and Ecos Systems Institute are please to announce the publication of:Courting the Wild: Love Affairs with the Land, edited by Dr. Jamie K. Reaser and Ms. Susan Chernak McElroy. Do you remember the first time you fell in love? Within these pages will you find love stories, rapturous love affairs with the land, longings, shameless seductions, betrothals, vows exchanged, marriages of the soul, heartaches, partings, healings, and renewals. The authors are the courters and the courted.Their landscape paramours embrace them and they grow forth from within. A stirring book.filled with transcendent and highly personal moments of revelation, of awe, reverence, and love for nature.the profound truth and magic of becoming one with life on Earth. This book is for anyone anywhere.from the camper's backpack to bedside tables. - Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, President, The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment Like many ecologists, I had a love affair with nature (especially with butterflies) long before I became a scientist. The love affairs described here will either tell you what I mean, or remind you of your own affair. Either way, you'll enjoy them. - Dr. Paul Ehrlich, co-author of the Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment Available from: - Hiraeth Press: www.hiraethpress.com - www.amazon.com A limited number of signed copies are available, contact Dr. Jamie K. Reaser at e...@nelsoncable.com. If you'd like to help promote the book, please e-mail Jamie for a flyer.
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
I don't know about parasitologists, but the mycologists I know are more enthused about their subjects than any other group of biologists I've met! Loving something in nature has, for many scientists, nothing to do with conventional beauty. (Luckily for most of us, something similar applies to human relationships.) My work is in basic science, without immediate practical application, and I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love forests and food webs. However, I agree with your larger concern. While I'm all for getting people to experience nature, it makes me cringe to hear people say care for the environment depends on such experiences or love of nature. Do you love your water main, the farms that grow your food, penicillin? This is about life support, people! Jane Shevtsov On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 8:01 AM, William Silvert cien...@silvert.org wrote: Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable with the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. Part of our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may have gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to beautiful creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the ugly and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems (such as detritivores). I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that their life's work was rooted in some rapturous love affair with tapeworms or mildew. Who ever fell in love with nematodes and polychaetes? (Although my late friend Peter Schwinghamer had a sign over his door saying Worms can teach us awe and wonder.) My concern has a practical side to it. There are seal species far more at risk than harp seals, but mottled grey beasts with nasty teeth do not seem to attract the support of anti-sealing campaigners. It is hard to argue that the biodiversity of beautiful flowers in Costa Rica is more vital to our survival than the worms crawling around in the mud of the North Sea, but much of the emphasis on conservation of biodiversity focusses on tropical hot spots rather than the low and dirty. I don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the beauty of the natural enviornment, but I also want to remind the scientific community that ecology is not about beauty, it is about systems that often do not appeal to our aesthetic sense. I like my work, but manage not to get too emotionally involved! Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: Jamie Reaser ecosli...@nelsoncable.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 10:44 PM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts Dear Nature Enthusiasts - Hiraeth Press and Ecos Systems Institute are please to announce the publication of:Courting the Wild: Love Affairs with the Land, edited by Dr. Jamie K. Reaser and Ms. Susan Chernak McElroy. Do you remember the first time you fell in love? Within these pages will you find love stories, rapturous love affairs with the land, longings, shameless seductions, betrothals, vows exchanged, marriages of the soul, heartaches, partings, healings, and renewals. The authors are the courters and the courted.Their landscape paramours embrace them and they grow forth from within. A stirring book.filled with transcendent and highly personal moments of revelation, of awe, reverence, and love for nature.the profound truth and magic of becoming one with life on Earth. This book is for anyone anywhere.from the camper's backpack to bedside tables. - Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, President, The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment Like many ecologists, I had a love affair with nature (especially with butterflies) long before I became a scientist. The love affairs described here will either tell you what I mean, or remind you of your own affair. Either way, you'll enjoy them. - Dr. Paul Ehrlich, co-author of the Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment Available from: - Hiraeth Press: www.hiraethpress.com - www.amazon.com A limited number of signed copies are available, contact Dr. Jamie K. Reaser at e...@nelsoncable.com. If you'd like to help promote the book, please e-mail Jamie for a flyer. -- - Jane Shevtsov Ecology Ph.D. student, University of Georgia co-founder, a href=http://www.worldbeyondborders.org;World Beyond Borders/a Check out my blog, a href=http://perceivingwholes.blogspot.com;Perceiving Wholes/a Political power comes out of the look in people's eyes. --Kim Stanley Robinson, _Blue Mars_
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
These are all great points. But balance would argue that care for the environment should stem both from an appreciation of its utility as well as from moral sensibilities. Indeed, there has been a long- standing debate in philosophy on the utilitarianism vs. intrinsic rights as a basis for preserving nature. Granted, I haven't quite said where love fits into this - but would offer that we can love something both because we recognize we need it, as well as just for itself. Heather Reynolds Associate Professor Department of Biology Jordan Hall 142 Indiana University 1001 E 3rd Street Bloomington IN 47405 Ph: (812) 855-0792 Fax: (812) 855-6705 hlrey...@indiana.edu On Jan 6, 2009, at 10:39 AM, Jane Shevtsov wrote: I don't know about parasitologists, but the mycologists I know are more enthused about their subjects than any other group of biologists I've met! Loving something in nature has, for many scientists, nothing to do with conventional beauty. (Luckily for most of us, something similar applies to human relationships.) My work is in basic science, without immediate practical application, and I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love forests and food webs. However, I agree with your larger concern. While I'm all for getting people to experience nature, it makes me cringe to hear people say care for the environment depends on such experiences or love of nature. Do you love your water main, the farms that grow your food, penicillin? This is about life support, people! Jane Shevtsov On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 8:01 AM, William Silvert cien...@silvert.org wrote: Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable with the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. Part of our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may have gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to beautiful creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the ugly and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems (such as detritivores). I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that their life's work was rooted in some rapturous love affair with tapeworms or mildew. Who ever fell in love with nematodes and polychaetes? (Although my late friend Peter Schwinghamer had a sign over his door saying Worms can teach us awe and wonder.) My concern has a practical side to it. There are seal species far more at risk than harp seals, but mottled grey beasts with nasty teeth do not seem to attract the support of anti-sealing campaigners. It is hard to argue that the biodiversity of beautiful flowers in Costa Rica is more vital to our survival than the worms crawling around in the mud of the North Sea, but much of the emphasis on conservation of biodiversity focusses on tropical hot spots rather than the low and dirty. I don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the beauty of the natural enviornment, but I also want to remind the scientific community that ecology is not about beauty, it is about systems that often do not appeal to our aesthetic sense. I like my work, but manage not to get too emotionally involved! Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: Jamie Reaser ecosli...@nelsoncable.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 10:44 PM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts Dear Nature Enthusiasts - Hiraeth Press and Ecos Systems Institute are please to announce the publication of:Courting the Wild: Love Affairs with the Land, edited by Dr. Jamie K. Reaser and Ms. Susan Chernak McElroy. Do you remember the first time you fell in love? Within these pages will you find love stories, rapturous love affairs with the land, longings, shameless seductions, betrothals, vows exchanged, marriages of the soul, heartaches, partings, healings, and renewals. The authors are the courters and the courted.Their landscape paramours embrace them and they grow forth from within. A stirring book.filled with transcendent and highly personal moments of revelation, of awe, reverence, and love for nature.the profound truth and magic of becoming one with life on Earth. This book is for anyone anywhere.from the camper's backpack to bedside tables. - Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, President, The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment Like many ecologists, I had a love affair with nature (especially with butterflies) long before I became a scientist. The love affairs described here will either tell you what I mean, or remind you of your own affair. Either way, you'll enjoy them. - Dr. Paul Ehrlich, co-author of the Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment Available from: - Hiraeth Press: www.hiraethpress.com - www.amazon.com A limited number of signed copies are available, contact
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
At the last Ecology conference, I saw a talk by a prominent philosopher who suggested that aesthetics is the only rational basis of environmentalism. Excuse me if I am misquoting him, but if I understand his argument, it seems very rational to me if not scientific. http://eco.confex.com/eco/2008/techprogram/P9360.HTM On Jan 6, 2009, at 8:01 AM, William Silvert wrote: Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable with the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. Part of our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may have gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to beautiful creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the ugly and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems (such as detritivores). I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that their life's work was rooted in some rapturous love affair with tapeworms or mildew. Who ever fell in love with nematodes and polychaetes? (Although my late friend Peter Schwinghamer had a sign over his door saying Worms can teach us awe and wonder.) My concern has a practical side to it. There are seal species far more at risk than harp seals, but mottled grey beasts with nasty teeth do not seem to attract the support of anti-sealing campaigners. It is hard to argue that the biodiversity of beautiful flowers in Costa Rica is more vital to our survival than the worms crawling around in the mud of the North Sea, but much of the emphasis on conservation of biodiversity focusses on tropical hot spots rather than the low and dirty. I don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the beauty of the natural enviornment, but I also want to remind the scientific community that ecology is not about beauty, it is about systems that often do not appeal to our aesthetic sense. I like my work, but manage not to get too emotionally involved! Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: Jamie Reaser ecosli...@nelsoncable.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 10:44 PM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts Dear Nature Enthusiasts - Hiraeth Press and Ecos Systems Institute are please to announce the publication of:Courting the Wild: Love Affairs with the Land, edited by Dr. Jamie K. Reaser and Ms. Susan Chernak McElroy. Do you remember the first time you fell in love? Within these pages will you find love stories, rapturous love affairs with the land, longings, shameless seductions, betrothals, vows exchanged, marriages of the soul, heartaches, partings, healings, and renewals. The authors are the courters and the courted.Their landscape paramours embrace them and they grow forth from within. A stirring book.filled with transcendent and highly personal moments of revelation, of awe, reverence, and love for nature.the profound truth and magic of becoming one with life on Earth. This book is for anyone anywhere.from the camper's backpack to bedside tables. - Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, President, The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment Like many ecologists, I had a love affair with nature (especially with butterflies) long before I became a scientist. The love affairs described here will either tell you what I mean, or remind you of your own affair. Either way, you'll enjoy them. - Dr. Paul Ehrlich, co-author of the Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment Available from: - Hiraeth Press: www.hiraethpress.com - www.amazon.com A limited number of signed copies are available, contact Dr. Jamie K. Reaser at e...@nelsoncable.com. If you'd like to help promote the book, please e-mail Jamie for a flyer.
[ECOLOG-L] Graduate Research Assistantship (MSU Forestry)
A graduate research assistant position at either the MS or Ph.D. level is available starting May 2009 with Dr. Sophan Chhin (www.msu.edu/~chhin) in the Department of Forestry (www.for.msu.edu) at Michigan State University (MSU). Research will involve examining the effect of silvicultural management practices (e.g., thinning) on interannual variation in physical (e.g., ring width, density) and chemical (e.g., cellulose and lignin content) wood properties. The project will incorporate many methodological techniques from the discipline of tree ring research (dendrochronology). The successful applicant is also expected to explore possible relationships between wood properties and past climate which may serve as the basis for future projections of wood parameters under different climate change scenarios. This research will have implications for optimizing silvicultural practices for improved wood quality, and contribute to the sustainable production of bioenergy and biofuels in the context of climate change. MSU is a land grant institution and there are many opportunities to conduct research at the network of MSU experiment stations throughout Michigan. Applicants interested in a MS level position should preferably have a BS in forestry, biology, ecology, environmental sciences, or a similarly related natural resource field. Applicants interested in a Ph.D. level position should preferably have a MS as well as some publishing experience. Experience conducting tree ring analyses is desirable. The position includes a tuition waiver and health benefits, and a competitive stipend (MS: ~$19,000/year; Ph.D.: ~$21,000/year) for 3 years that is renewable annually based on satisfactory performance. Please submit application package that includes a cover letter, curriculum vitae, transcripts, GRE scores, and contact information of three references to (electronic applications are preferred): Dr. Sophan Chhin Assistant Professor, Silviculture and Forest Ecosystem Productivity Department of Forestry Michigan State University 126 Natural Resources Building East Lansing, MI 48824-1222 Tel: (517) 353-7251 Fax: (517) 432-1143 E-mail: ch...@msu.edu Applications will be considered immediately and continue until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration please submit material by February 20, 2009. MSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
[ECOLOG-L] M.Sc. Graduate Research Assistantship in Invasive Plant Ecology and Biofuels
A graduate research assistantship at the M.Sc. level is available in the Invasive Plant Ecology Laboratory of Dr. Catherine Tarasoff at the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University. The successful applicant will lead a project studying the legacy effect of invasive plant competition on biomass production and subsequent economic returns of the biofuel crop switchgrass. Field work will be conducted locally and at a partner research facility approximately 3 hrs drive. As the project is experiment-based, extensive field work is expected. However, it is also expected that the student will research and develop complimentary greenhouse experiments. A background in forestry, botany, community ecology, weed science, or agronomy is desirable; as well as, an interest in the application of statistical methods and applied ecology. Proficiency in spoken and written English is a necessity. Michigan Tech is one of the Nation’s premier Forestry and Environmental Science Universities. The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science has been ranked *fourth in the nation* http://www.academicanalytics.com/TopSchools/TopPrograms.aspx#9 for scholarly productivity among forestry schools, and *first in North America* http://saf.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/saf/jof/2006/0104/0005/art5 based on citations per faculty member. Michigan Tech is located in the snowbelt (200” annual snowfall) of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula on the south shore of Lake Superior. Michigan Tech is in the small town of Houghton, which was rated as one of the top 10 U.S. adrenaline outposts by National Geographic Adventure Magazine http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0107/trips_5.html and boasts excellent skiing, hiking, kayaking and mountain biking. Consideration of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled. The ideal start date is July 1, 2009 but other dates will be considered. Interested persons should send a cover letter, GRE scores, one-page statement of professional interests, curriculum vitae including names and contact information for three references, and any other relevant materials to Dr. Tarasoff by email at ctara...@mtu.edu. mailto:%20ctara...@mtu.edu. -- Catherine Tarasoff – Invasive Plant Ecologist School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences 1400 Townsend Drive Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI 49931 906-487-2396 ctara...@mtu.edu
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
Agreed, completely. I would say that conservation of species is primarily about emotion and aesthetics, although there are exceptions. Other aspects of environmentalism, however, including conservation of many types of landscapes, are primarily about life support or ecosystem services. I tend to be skeptical of statements invoking intrinsic rights or intrinsic value. They seem to be shorthand for, I, the speaker, like this thing but can't really say why. Jane Shevtsov On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 11:37 AM, Heather Reynolds hlrey...@indiana.edu wrote: These are all great points. But balance would argue that care for the environment should stem both from an appreciation of its utility as well as from moral sensibilities. Indeed, there has been a long-standing debate in philosophy on the utilitarianism vs. intrinsic rights as a basis for preserving nature. Granted, I haven't quite said where love fits into this - but would offer that we can love something both because we recognize we need it, as well as just for itself. Heather Reynolds Associate Professor Department of Biology Jordan Hall 142 Indiana University 1001 E 3rd Street Bloomington IN 47405 Ph: (812) 855-0792 Fax: (812) 855-6705 hlrey...@indiana.edu On Jan 6, 2009, at 10:39 AM, Jane Shevtsov wrote: I don't know about parasitologists, but the mycologists I know are more enthused about their subjects than any other group of biologists I've met! Loving something in nature has, for many scientists, nothing to do with conventional beauty. (Luckily for most of us, something similar applies to human relationships.) My work is in basic science, without immediate practical application, and I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love forests and food webs. However, I agree with your larger concern. While I'm all for getting people to experience nature, it makes me cringe to hear people say care for the environment depends on such experiences or love of nature. Do you love your water main, the farms that grow your food, penicillin? This is about life support, people! Jane Shevtsov On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 8:01 AM, William Silvert cien...@silvert.org wrote: Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable with the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. Part of our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may have gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to beautiful creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the ugly and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems (such as detritivores). I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that their life's work was rooted in some rapturous love affair with tapeworms or mildew. Who ever fell in love with nematodes and polychaetes? (Although my late friend Peter Schwinghamer had a sign over his door saying Worms can teach us awe and wonder.) My concern has a practical side to it. There are seal species far more at risk than harp seals, but mottled grey beasts with nasty teeth do not seem to attract the support of anti-sealing campaigners. It is hard to argue that the biodiversity of beautiful flowers in Costa Rica is more vital to our survival than the worms crawling around in the mud of the North Sea, but much of the emphasis on conservation of biodiversity focusses on tropical hot spots rather than the low and dirty. I don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the beauty of the natural enviornment, but I also want to remind the scientific community that ecology is not about beauty, it is about systems that often do not appeal to our aesthetic sense. I like my work, but manage not to get too emotionally involved! Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: Jamie Reaser ecosli...@nelsoncable.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 10:44 PM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts Dear Nature Enthusiasts - Hiraeth Press and Ecos Systems Institute are please to announce the publication of:Courting the Wild: Love Affairs with the Land, edited by Dr. Jamie K. Reaser and Ms. Susan Chernak McElroy. Do you remember the first time you fell in love? Within these pages will you find love stories, rapturous love affairs with the land, longings, shameless seductions, betrothals, vows exchanged, marriages of the soul, heartaches, partings, healings, and renewals. The authors are the courters and the courted.Their landscape paramours embrace them and they grow forth from within. A stirring book.filled with transcendent and highly personal moments of revelation, of awe, reverence, and love for nature.the profound truth and magic of becoming one with life on Earth. This book is for anyone anywhere.from the camper's backpack to bedside tables. - Dr. Thomas
[ECOLOG-L] Data needed for diversity-stability meta-analysis
We are currently conducting a meta-analysis of diversity-stability relations, specifically focusing on the how diversity-stability relations differ depending on experimental venue/ecological realism. If you have any published (or unpublished, i.e. thesis) data that could be re-analyzed to determine the effects of richness on community variability and either mean or observed population variability over time and would like to have your data included in the meta-analysis, your input would be greatly appreciated. We are hoping to acquire data that includes the following information: 1) type of diversity manipulation (none/experimental), 2) unit of replication (field plot, mesocosm, pond, lab microcosm etc), 3) habitat type (terrestrial, aquatic), 4) length of experiment in days, 5) trophic level of both the manipulation and response variables (i.e, single, multiple), 6) response variable (biomass, abundance), 7) any additional factors that could be analyzed for patterns (i.e. nutrient, temperature, presence vs. absence of predators), 8) R and p-value for the effect of richness on community variability (CV) and mean or observed population variability (e.g. Tilman 1996). All data will be kept confidential and will not be used for any other analyses. Any assistance with this project would be greatly appreciated. Please contact me directly if you are interested in contributing or have any questions or suggestions. Thanks in advance! Tamara Romanuk -- Tamara N. Romanuk, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Biology, Dalhousie University 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada, B3H 4J1 Tel: 902-494-4515, Cell: 902-412-2886 Fax: 902-494-3736, Email: roma...@dal.ca or troma...@gmail.com http://www.foodwebs.org http://ecocomplexity.blogspot.com/
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
Besides, passion is endemic to any attentive pursuit of knowledge. (See, as merely one example, Evelyn Fox Keller's A Feeling for the Organism: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock.) Cheers, - Ashwani Vasishthvasis...@csun.edu (818) 677-6137 http://www.csun.edu/~vasishth/ http://blogs.csun.edu/sustainability
[ECOLOG-L] Restoration Ecology/Conservation Biology Internships
Institute for Applied Ecology Dedicated to native ecosystem conservation, research, and education PO Box 2855, Corvallis OR 97339-2855 phone: 541-753-3099 fax: 541-753-3098 Restoration Ecology and Conservation Biology Paid Internships The Institute for Applied Ecology (www.appliedeco.org) will be hiring up to nine interns this summer for field work and related activities. Our paid positions are intended to provide field experience to individuals considering conservation biology or restoration ecology as a career. Internships are partially supported by the Native Plant Society of Oregon, and interns are encouraged to write short articles for the NPSO Bulletin. PRAIRIE RESTORATION RESEARCH: (3 positions) Interns will help on a large scale research project studying prairie restoration methods in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Field work will involve botanical surveys, soil sampling, and other ecological measurements. Applicants with plant identification skills are particularly encouraged to apply. Approximately 65% of the work is conducted out-of-town/overnight (mostly in Washington). Applicants MUST be able to start mid-April. Internships are 10 weeks the potential for an extension. CONSERVATION RESEARCH (3 positions): Interns will work on a variety of projects throughout the summer including rare plant habitat surveys, threatened and endangered species research and monitoring, and invasive species research throughout the state of Oregon. Approximately 50% of the work is conducted out-of-town/overnight (accommodations include both hotels and primitive camping sites). Applicants MUST be able to start by the second week of May, with preference to those who can start in mid- to late-April. Internships will last 12 weeks, with the potential for an extension. PRAIRIE SPECIES HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN (2-3 positions) Interns will complete habitat assessments on public and private lands in Benton County, OR. Fieldwork (daytrips from Corvallis) will include general botanical survey and surveys for threatened and endangered plant species. Applicants with plant identification skills or familiarity with Willamette Valley flora are encouraged to apply. Applicants MUST be able to start by the first week of May, with preference to those who can start in mid- to late-April. Position will run through early July. We encourage you to visit our website, www.appliedeco.org for more information on these projects. Qualifications: Interest in conservation biology, restoration ecology, botany Plant identification and ecological research skills (or enthusiastic willingness to learn) Attention to detail Ability to work long hours in hot, dry and cold, wet conditions with exposure to poison oak Ability to hike up to 3 miles carrying a 30 pound pack and work in a bent-over/kneeling/sitting position for long periods of time Compensation: $9.00/hr plus travel expenses associated with overnight field work (food and lodging). Housing in Corvallis is not provided. To Apply: Applications must be emailed to j...@appliedeco.org no later than Monday, February 17, 2009. Include a letter of interest stating when you would be available to start work (this is a MUST) and which project(s) you would prefer, resume, transcripts (unofficial is fine), and two letters of recommendation. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Non-U.S. residents must also include a copy of their work visa. Applications will be considered upon receipt.
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
In the abstract cited, the author (Hargrove) states that the Endangered Species Act is supposed to promote aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value in order to inhibit economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and Conservation. There isn't a lot of ecology in this statement (is ecological value different from scientific value?). Aesthetic and recreational values attract money and pollitical support, but they don't guarantee the maintenance of a global ecosystem. Consider the earthworm, which I think most of us would agree is incredibly important. What are its aesthetic, educational and historical values? Aside from its use as bait, does it have a lot of recreational value? And yet it is a vulnerable species, as the native North American earthworms were wiped out during the ice age. I am afraid that JB's refernce tends to support my argument that ecological conservation needs reason more than love. Also, in response to several other postings abut the importance of passion in science, I do not think that passion should be confused with love. One can get really passionate about worms, but I don't know many people who love them. To put this in another context, I was a civil rights worker during the 1960s and like virtually all of the other whites in the movement I was pretty passionate about the work we were doing. But although our opponents generally referred to us as nigger-lovers, there was little evidence that the blacks and whites who were working together had any especial love for each other, or even became good friends. The passion came from a sense that we were doing something really important, and not that we were helping people we loved. In ecology I think that much the same holds true. We are fighting for a sustainable future, not simply to protect organisms that we love. Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: Jonathan Blythe jbly...@whoi.edu To: William Silvert cien...@silvert.org; ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 4:37 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts At the last Ecology conference, I saw a talk by a prominent philosopher who suggested that aesthetics is the only rational basis of environmentalism. Excuse me if I am misquoting him, but if I understand his argument, it seems very rational to me if not scientific. http://eco.confex.com/eco/2008/techprogram/P9360.HTM
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
On nature walks with kids I will frequently pick up a native banana slug. Their first reaction is inevitably a back-away eeew! But I then ask them take a closer look as the slug starts to extend its eyestalks and feeler stalks, waving them around to get a sense of the new world around it on my finger surrounded by human faces. I can't know what the slug senses, but I know these kids begin to see this slug as an interesting and complex being they can interact with at a basic level -- not something just to be stepped on or over. Too me, a slug has beauty and that beauty lies in both the simplicity and efficiency of its form as well as in the vital role it plays as a detritivore -- and in the way it complacently reacts to my presence and handling. It has a right to co-exist with me and these kids. And yes, I do get slime on my fingers, but it can be rubbed off. Warren W. Aney Senior Wildlife Ecologist 9403 SW 74th Ave Tigard, OR 97223 (503) 246-8613 phone (503) 539-1009 mobile (503) 246-2605 fax a...@coho.net -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu]on Behalf Of Jane Shevtsov Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 09:40 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts Agreed, completely. I would say that conservation of species is primarily about emotion and aesthetics, although there are exceptions. Other aspects of environmentalism, however, including conservation of many types of landscapes, are primarily about life support or ecosystem services. I tend to be skeptical of statements invoking intrinsic rights or intrinsic value. They seem to be shorthand for, I, the speaker, like this thing but can't really say why. Jane Shevtsov On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 11:37 AM, Heather Reynolds hlrey...@indiana.edu wrote: These are all great points. But balance would argue that care for the environment should stem both from an appreciation of its utility as well as from moral sensibilities. Indeed, there has been a long-standing debate in philosophy on the utilitarianism vs. intrinsic rights as a basis for preserving nature. Granted, I haven't quite said where love fits into this - but would offer that we can love something both because we recognize we need it, as well as just for itself. Heather Reynolds Associate Professor Department of Biology Jordan Hall 142 Indiana University 1001 E 3rd Street Bloomington IN 47405 Ph: (812) 855-0792 Fax: (812) 855-6705 hlrey...@indiana.edu On Jan 6, 2009, at 10:39 AM, Jane Shevtsov wrote: I don't know about parasitologists, but the mycologists I know are more enthused about their subjects than any other group of biologists I've met! Loving something in nature has, for many scientists, nothing to do with conventional beauty. (Luckily for most of us, something similar applies to human relationships.) My work is in basic science, without immediate practical application, and I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love forests and food webs. However, I agree with your larger concern. While I'm all for getting people to experience nature, it makes me cringe to hear people say care for the environment depends on such experiences or love of nature. Do you love your water main, the farms that grow your food, penicillin? This is about life support, people! Jane Shevtsov On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 8:01 AM, William Silvert cien...@silvert.org wrote: Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable with the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. Part of our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may have gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to beautiful creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the ugly and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems (such as detritivores). I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that their life's work was rooted in some rapturous love affair with tapeworms or mildew. Who ever fell in love with nematodes and polychaetes? (Although my late friend Peter Schwinghamer had a sign over his door saying Worms can teach us awe and wonder.) My concern has a practical side to it. There are seal species far more at risk than harp seals, but mottled grey beasts with nasty teeth do not seem to attract the support of anti-sealing campaigners. It is hard to argue that the biodiversity of beautiful flowers in Costa Rica is more vital to our survival than the worms crawling around in the mud of the North Sea, but much of the emphasis on conservation of biodiversity focusses on tropical hot spots rather than the low and dirty. I don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the beauty of the natural enviornment, but I also want to remind the scientific
[ECOLOG-L] CALL FOR APPLICANTS for the Eco-Informatics Summer Institute (EISI)
We are announcing a CALL FOR APPLICANTS for the Eco-Informatics Summer Institute (EISI) (http://eco-informatics.engr.oregonstate.edu/) from June 15- August 21, 2009, at the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest (http://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/) in the beautiful Oregon Cascade mountains. Please view attached brochure for more details. Eco-Informatics, an emerging discipline, integrates mathematics, computer science, statistics, and engineering with the study and management of ecosystems. Through a ten-week undergraduate/early graduate research experience, the EISI will provide interdisciplinary training for young scientists to help manage ecosystems in our technologically sophisticated, globalized world. Through the integration of research and education, effective mentoring, and hands-on experiences at the HJ Andrews, fifteen participants will gain: 1. valuable research experience in Eco-Informatics and in their own disciplines. 2. three hours of class credit. 3. the foundation and opportunities to develop and seek support for their own graduate program, including a peer-reviewed research proposal. 4. the training to become outstanding interdisciplinary scientists and effective contributors to the science and management of ecosystems. Participants will receive: 1. a total stipend of $4,000, from which tuition for the summer class (approximately $ $680+5%.) will be deducted. 2. travel, up to $500, for transportation to the Summer Institute will be provided to participants. 3. free lodging at the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest. 4. 3 meals per day for the first and final weeks of the program. 5. the opportunity for down time and group activities such as white water rafting. For more details and application, please go to: http://eco-informatics.engr.oregonstate.edu/ The application deadline is February 16th, 2009. To view Oregon State University’s Graduate Brochure, please visit. http://oregonstate.edu/admissions/publications/graduatebook2008.pdf If you have any questions, please e-mail me at katherine.hoff...@geo.oregonstate.edu. Sincerely, Desiree Tullos Director, Summer Institute for Eco-Informatics Assistant professor, Biological and Ecological Engineering Oregon State University 541.737.2038 http://rivers.bee.oregonstate.edu/index.html
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
Ed Abbey usually has a quote for every occasion. Any good poet, in our age at least, must begin with the scientific view of the world; and any scientist worth listening to must be something of a poet, must possess the ability to communicate to the rest of us his sense of love and wonder at what his work discovers. On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 11:48 AM, Warren W. Aney a...@coho.net wrote: On nature walks with kids I will frequently pick up a native banana slug. Their first reaction is inevitably a back-away eeew! But I then ask them take a closer look as the slug starts to extend its eyestalks and feeler stalks, waving them around to get a sense of the new world around it on my finger surrounded by human faces. I can't know what the slug senses, but I know these kids begin to see this slug as an interesting and complex being they can interact with at a basic level -- not something just to be stepped on or over. Too me, a slug has beauty and that beauty lies in both the simplicity and efficiency of its form as well as in the vital role it plays as a detritivore -- and in the way it complacently reacts to my presence and handling. It has a right to co-exist with me and these kids. And yes, I do get slime on my fingers, but it can be rubbed off. Warren W. Aney Senior Wildlife Ecologist 9403 SW 74th Ave Tigard, OR 97223 (503) 246-8613 phone (503) 539-1009 mobile (503) 246-2605 fax a...@coho.net -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu]on Behalf Of Jane Shevtsov Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 09:40 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts Agreed, completely. I would say that conservation of species is primarily about emotion and aesthetics, although there are exceptions. Other aspects of environmentalism, however, including conservation of many types of landscapes, are primarily about life support or ecosystem services. I tend to be skeptical of statements invoking intrinsic rights or intrinsic value. They seem to be shorthand for, I, the speaker, like this thing but can't really say why. Jane Shevtsov On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 11:37 AM, Heather Reynolds hlrey...@indiana.edu wrote: These are all great points. But balance would argue that care for the environment should stem both from an appreciation of its utility as well as from moral sensibilities. Indeed, there has been a long-standing debate in philosophy on the utilitarianism vs. intrinsic rights as a basis for preserving nature. Granted, I haven't quite said where love fits into this - but would offer that we can love something both because we recognize we need it, as well as just for itself. Heather Reynolds Associate Professor Department of Biology Jordan Hall 142 Indiana University 1001 E 3rd Street Bloomington IN 47405 Ph: (812) 855-0792 Fax: (812) 855-6705 hlrey...@indiana.edu On Jan 6, 2009, at 10:39 AM, Jane Shevtsov wrote: I don't know about parasitologists, but the mycologists I know are more enthused about their subjects than any other group of biologists I've met! Loving something in nature has, for many scientists, nothing to do with conventional beauty. (Luckily for most of us, something similar applies to human relationships.) My work is in basic science, without immediate practical application, and I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love forests and food webs. However, I agree with your larger concern. While I'm all for getting people to experience nature, it makes me cringe to hear people say care for the environment depends on such experiences or love of nature. Do you love your water main, the farms that grow your food, penicillin? This is about life support, people! Jane Shevtsov On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 8:01 AM, William Silvert cien...@silvert.org wrote: Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable with the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. Part of our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may have gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to beautiful creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the ugly and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems (such as detritivores). I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that their life's work was rooted in some rapturous love affair with tapeworms or mildew. Who ever fell in love with nematodes and polychaetes? (Although my late friend Peter Schwinghamer had a sign over his door saying Worms can teach us awe and wonder.) My concern has a practical side to it. There are seal species far more at risk than harp seals, but mottled grey beasts with nasty
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
I had to splash Silvert's rationality with a jigger of cold, hard reality, but the scientific community needs to realize at some point that if those worms in the bottom of the North Sea are going to survive, the community needs to build public support for policies that promote conservation. To get that public support, the scientific community needs to use its skills to create a rapturous love affair between the public and the natural environment. Otherwise, the public spends more time caring about middle-aged D-list celebrities dancing on some television set in fantasyland. Dave William Silvert wrote: Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable with the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. Part of our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may have gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to beautiful creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the ugly and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems (such as detritivores). I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that their life's work was rooted in some rapturous love affair with tapeworms or mildew. Who ever fell in love with nematodes and polychaetes? (Although my late friend Peter Schwinghamer had a sign over his door saying Worms can teach us awe and wonder.) My concern has a practical side to it. There are seal species far more at risk than harp seals, but mottled grey beasts with nasty teeth do not seem to attract the support of anti-sealing campaigners. It is hard to argue that the biodiversity of beautiful flowers in Costa Rica is more vital to our survival than the worms crawling around in the mud of the North Sea, but much of the emphasis on conservation of biodiversity focusses on tropical hot spots rather than the low and dirty. I don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the beauty of the natural enviornment, but I also want to remind the scientific community that ecology is not about beauty, it is about systems that often do not appeal to our aesthetic sense. I like my work, but manage not to get too emotionally involved! Bill Silvert -- -- David M. Lawrence| Home: (804) 559-9786 7471 Brook Way Court | Fax: (804) 559-9787 Mechanicsville, VA 23111 | Email: d...@fuzzo.com USA | http: http://fuzzo.com -- We have met the enemy and he is us. -- Pogo No trespassing 4/17 of a haiku -- Richard Brautigan
[ECOLOG-L] Postdoctoral Associate for large-scale coastal ecosystem flooding experiment
Postdoctoral Associate for large-scale coastal ecosystem flooding experiment The Division of Earth and Ecological Sciences at Tulane University is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate to help lead a DOE-funded Gulf Coast ecosystem sea level rise and storm surge experiment. The experiment will utilize large enclosures, ecophysiological sensors, and advanced command and control systems, to manipulate water height and salinity levels and test hypotheses associated with marsh and coastal forest response to climate change. Highly motivated individuals interested in playing a key role in developing a large-scale experimental manipulation study are encouraged to apply. Research experience with one or more of the following is desired: wetlands science, field ecology, ecophysiological studies, data acquisition and control, environmental sensors, and computer programming. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in ecological or earth sciences, or a related discipline, and the appointment will be for two years with an anticipated start date of March 2009 (flexible). Applicants should send an email with a cover letter, CV, statement of research interests, and names and contact information for three referees, with the title NICCR experiment postdoc to Dr. Jeffrey Chambers chamb...@tulane.edu. Tulane University is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to excellence through diversity.
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
For me, and, I suspect, for many of us, our interest in biology and ecology started as a love for nature. That love made us want to learn more. As the learning went on, the love extended to the ugly members of ecosystems as we learned that they play key roles in ecosystem function. We need more books which stimulate young people to love nature. More often than not that love will metamorphose into understanding and appreciation - and, perhaps, the dedication of another scientist to learning more about the complex ecosystems we have come to dominate. Bob Mowbray -- Robert N. Mowbray Tropical Forest Ecologist Natural Resource Management Specialist -- Original message from Warren W. Aney a...@coho.net: -- On nature walks with kids I will frequently pick up a native banana slug. Their first reaction is inevitably a back-away eeew! But I then ask them take a closer look as the slug starts to extend its eyestalks and feeler stalks, waving them around to get a sense of the new world around it on my finger surrounded by human faces. I can't know what the slug senses, but I know these kids begin to see this slug as an interesting and complex being they can interact with at a basic level -- not something just to be stepped on or over. Too me, a slug has beauty and that beauty lies in both the simplicity and efficiency of its form as well as in the vital role it plays as a detritivore -- and in the way it complacently reacts to my presence and handling. It has a right to co-exist with me and these kids. And yes, I do get slime on my fingers, but it can be rubbed off. Warren W. Aney Senior Wildlife Ecologist 9403 SW 74th Ave Tigard, OR 97223 (503) 246-8613 phone (503) 539-1009 mobile (503) 246-2605 fax a...@coho.net -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu]on Behalf Of Jane Shevtsov Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 09:40 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts Agreed, completely. I would say that conservation of species is primarily about emotion and aesthetics, although there are exceptions. Other aspects of environmentalism, however, including conservation of many types of landscapes, are primarily about life support or ecosystem services. I tend to be skeptical of statements invoking intrinsic rights or intrinsic value. They seem to be shorthand for, I, the speaker, like this thing but can't really say why. Jane Shevtsov On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 11:37 AM, Heather Reynolds wrote: These are all great points. But balance would argue that care for the environment should stem both from an appreciation of its utility as well as from moral sensibilities. Indeed, there has been a long-standing debate in philosophy on the utilitarianism vs. intrinsic rights as a basis for preserving nature. Granted, I haven't quite said where love fits into this - but would offer that we can love something both because we recognize we need it, as well as just for itself. Heather Reynolds Associate Professor Department of Biology Jordan Hall 142 Indiana University 1001 E 3rd Street Bloomington IN 47405 Ph: (812) 855-0792 Fax: (812) 855-6705 hlrey...@indiana.edu On Jan 6, 2009, at 10:39 AM, Jane Shevtsov wrote: I don't know about parasitologists, but the mycologists I know are more enthused about their subjects than any other group of biologists I've met! Loving something in nature has, for many scientists, nothing to do with conventional beauty. (Luckily for most of us, something similar applies to human relationships.) My work is in basic science, without immediate practical application, and I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love forests and food webs. However, I agree with your larger concern. While I'm all for getting people to experience nature, it makes me cringe to hear people say care for the environment depends on such experiences or love of nature. Do you love your water main, the farms that grow your food, penicillin? This is about life support, people! Jane Shevtsov On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 8:01 AM, William Silvert wrote: Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable with the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. Part of our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may have gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to beautiful creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the ugly and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems (such as detritivores). I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that
[ECOLOG-L] Field Assistants wanted for juvenile ring-tailed lemur feeding ecology in Madagascar
If interested, please contact Teague O'Mara directly at teague.om...@asu.edu -- I am searching for several independent and capable field assistants to participate in data collection for a Ph.D. project that will focus on the development feeding ecology and stress measures of juvenile ring-tailed lemurs at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve. Beza Mahafaly is located in Southwestern Madagascar. While in the field, assistants will be responsible for conducting full-day behavioral observations and recording GPS ranging coordinates. We will also be collecting fecal samples for steroid hormone analyses, and collecting monthly phenology data for several areas of the forest, both within the reserve and outside. Assistants will learn various field methods relevant for the study of animal behavior and behavioral ecology, as well as study design and what it takes to maintain the daily operations of a field project. This is an ideal position for someone interested in gaining field experience in preparation for a graduate program in anthropology, ecology, or conservation biology. Independent projects are highly encouraged as long as they fit within the data collection protocol of the project. Please email me at teague.om...@asu.edu for a more detailed description of the project and to discuss how your ideas can fit in with the data collection scheme. Also, we may be able to find some small amounts of funding to help these projects so contacting me sooner is better. Camp conditions are very basic, but also very nice. We live in tents and pull our own water from a well, but latrine and shower facilities (via a solar shower) are available. We also pay for a cook who prepares all of our meals from the food we provide. There is no phone or internet access at Beza, but a phone (and cell phone reception) is available in Betioky, approximately 45 km away from the site which can be regularly accessed by ox cart or by bike. Qualifications/Experience: Applicants should have a B.S. or B.A. in Physical Anthropology, Biology, Ecology, Animal Behavior, or other related field. Previous experience working with primates is not necessary, though experience with animals, camping, and/or working outdoors is strongly preferred. The ideal applicant should have prior experience with living or working in a foreign country, with special preference for developing countries. Knowledge of French is helpful, but not necessary; however, a willingness to learn and use Malagasy is expected. Experience with collecting systematic data in a scientific context is preferred, and a strong interest in primate behavior and ecology is a must. There are no citizen requirements. In general, applicants must be in good physical and mental condition; feel comfortable being far away from family and friends; be emotionally mature, energetic, and very patient. An excellent sense of humor is a must as things often go wrong or are delayed unexpectedly. Salary/funding: None at this time. Applicants must provide: - Round-trip airfare to Madagascar (cost varies) - Immunizations and malarial prophylaxis - Malagasy visa (circa US$80) - MICET facilitation fee (US$350) - Daily station fees (approximately US$200/month) - Own personal equipment (tent, field clothes, binoculars) Support provided for internship/volunteer positions (travel, meals, lodging): I will provide food while at Beza, and internal travel while with me. Some additional support may be available to defray entrance and camping fees at Beza Mahafaly. Term of Appointment: Minimum 6 month commitment; 11 month commitment preferred. Position begins in late March or early April, 2009 and applications will be accepted until positions are filled. Please visit http://www.public.asu.edu/~mtomara/page9/page9.htmlhttp://www.public.asu.edu/%7Emtomara/page9/page9.htmlor email me at teague.om...@asu.edu to receive an information pack describing the project and the site in more detail. If still interested, please submit the following (via email) to teague.om...@asu.edu: 1. Letter of interest (please include dates you are available) 2. Curriculum Vitae including relevant coursework, previous field/outdoor experience, and where/how you can be contacted 3. Name and contact info for least two people who can provide information about your experiences, skills, and training (preferably professors, research supervisors, or field school instructors with whom you've worked closely).
[ECOLOG-L] job opening-new information
Hello, We have updated information regarding this job opening, which we would appreciate it if you were to post on Ecolog. Thanks Thanks very much, Sue Post doc/Project Manager position available: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Canyonlands Research Station, Moab, UT is seeking an Ecologist/Project Manager to study how changes in soil moisture and temperature will affect the physiological ecology of plants and biological soil crusts, soil stability and nutrient cycling in SE Utah using warming lamps and rainout shelters. Major duties include taking plant, biological soil crust, and soil measures and analyzing this and micro-met data to document how species and functional groups respond to alterations in temperature and soil moisture. These results will be used to model likely future changes in cover for the dominant plant communities in this region; summarizing research results for distribution/communication to a general audience; and reporting research results as high quality, peer-review publications. This is a one year, TERM, full-time appointment, GS-9, starting at $45,040 year, plus full benefits. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Interested parties please apply at www.usajobs.gov, to position WR-2009-0147 by Jan 15, 2009. Sue Phillips USGS- Southwest Biological Science Center Canyonlands Research Station 2290 S.W. Resource Blvd Moab, UT 84532 Phone: (435) 719-2337; FAX: (435) 719-2350 Email: sue_phill...@usgs.gov
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
I think a good word instead of love would be respect. People have a respect for nature and that is why we protect it. Another thing Hargrove said in his ESA talk was that we need to teach values as part of our public education. It is not a surprise that it is such a contentious issue, since we are basically uneducated as a society on how to value things like nature. He might have a point, and I encourage you to read some of his literature on this subject. I am just a casual observer, so I can't authoritatively weigh in with my point of view. However, I think it is an important discussion to have. Jonathan On Jan 6, 2009, at 1:22 PM, William Silvert wrote: In the abstract cited, the author (Hargrove) states that the Endangered Species Act is supposed to promote aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value in order to inhibit economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and Conservation. There isn't a lot of ecology in this statement (is ecological value different from scientific value?). Aesthetic and recreational values attract money and pollitical support, but they don't guarantee the maintenance of a global ecosystem. Consider the earthworm, which I think most of us would agree is incredibly important. What are its aesthetic, educational and historical values? Aside from its use as bait, does it have a lot of recreational value? And yet it is a vulnerable species, as the native North American earthworms were wiped out during the ice age. I am afraid that JB's refernce tends to support my argument that ecological conservation needs reason more than love. Also, in response to several other postings abut the importance of passion in science, I do not think that passion should be confused with love. One can get really passionate about worms, but I don't know many people who love them. To put this in another context, I was a civil rights worker during the 1960s and like virtually all of the other whites in the movement I was pretty passionate about the work we were doing. But although our opponents generally referred to us as nigger-lovers, there was little evidence that the blacks and whites who were working together had any especial love for each other, or even became good friends. The passion came from a sense that we were doing something really important, and not that we were helping people we loved. In ecology I think that much the same holds true. We are fighting for a sustainable future, not simply to protect organisms that we love. Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: Jonathan Blythe jbly...@whoi.edu To: William Silvert cien...@silvert.org; ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 4:37 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts At the last Ecology conference, I saw a talk by a prominent philosopher who suggested that aesthetics is the only rational basis of environmentalism. Excuse me if I am misquoting him, but if I understand his argument, it seems very rational to me if not scientific. http://eco.confex.com/eco/2008/techprogram/P9360.HTM
[ECOLOG-L] Soil Ecology Society
Hello All, The Soil Ecology Society is an international organization of researchers, students, environmental professionals and others interested in the advancement and promotion of soil biology and ecology. The SES holds a biennial conference which addresses contemporary issues in the field of soil ecology, and which provides a forum for ecologists, soil scientists, and members of related disciplines, to present original research results, participate in meeting symposia and workshops, and identify priorities for future research. We are currently working on updating our membership focusing first on collating more up to date contact list of those that would like to know what the Soil Ecology Society is doing and developing a more comprehensive understanding of the needs of our members. If you are interested in information on membership, updating your contact information, getting information on our very exciting upcoming meeting with the Society of Nematologists in an amazing setting at the University of Vermont, Burlington Vermont July 12-15, 2009 (http://www.uvm.edu/conferences/sonsesconference/) or just interested in receiving information on our events, please send your contact information to sjmor...@bradley.edu. You will then receive a link to a member needs survey within the next couple of weeks. Thanks for your interest. SES web address: http://www.wcsu.ctstateu.edu/ses/ses.html Soil Ecology Society Board January 2008-2010 President: Sherri Morris, Associate Professor Bradley University Peoria IL Immediate Past-President: Jayne Belnap, USGS Moab, UT President Elect: John Klironomos, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Soil Ecology University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada Secretary- Newsletter Editor: Rachel Thiet, Core Faculty in Conservation Biology, Environmental Studies Department, Antioch University New England Treasurer: Jeffrey (Jeff) L. Smith Soil Biochemist USDA-ARS Washington State University Pullman, WA Members At Large: Tony Trofymow, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada and Adjunct Associate Professor Dept. Biology University of Victoria John Dighton, Rutgers Pinelands Field Station, Rutgers University Mac A. Callaham, Jr., Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Athens, GA 30602 Webmaster: Stephen Mitch Wagener Associate Professor of Biology Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT 06810
[ECOLOG-L] IUCN and Dhamra port, India/sea turtle controversy
When I posted an inquiry about this in December several people expressed interest so I thought I'd pass along a link to the article, which appears in the Jan 09 Scientific American. Fury Over Conservationists Taking Fees from Developers: A proposed megaport and a sea-turtle nesting beach collide within the group that maintains the endangered species list by Wendee Holtcamp A PDF of the article as it appeared in the mag, reprinted with a cool image of mating turtles.. http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com/0109016.pdf The version on Sci Am's page is (minus pic but you can comment) http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=fury-over-conservationists Wendee ~~ Wendee Holtcamp, M.S. Wildlife Ecology Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com/ http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com/ ~~6-wk Online Writing Courses Starts Feb 21, 2009~~ ~~~ 'Better to light a candle than curse the darkness'
[ECOLOG-L] Global Health and Innovation Summit - Conference Registration
Register Online Today. Registration rate increases monthly. Please forward widely. Global Health and Innovation Summit A Conference Presented Annually by Unite For Sight http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference Saturday, April 18 - Sunday, April 19, 2009 Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA A Meeting of Minds, --CNN 200 Speakers, Including Keynote Addresses by Dr. Susan Blumenthal, Nicholas Kristof, Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Dr. Sonia Sachs, Dr. Al Sommer, and Dr. Harold Varmus. Plus social innovation sessions by CEOs and Directors of Save The Children, Partners in Health, HealthStore Foundation, mothers2mothers, and many others. The Global Health and Innovation Summit convenes a committed vanguard of 2,500 people from more than 60 countries. The conference challenges students, professionals, educators, doctors, scientists, lawyers, universities, corporations, nonprofits, and others, to develop innovative solutions to achieve global goals. Confirmed Keynote Speakers Global Health Challenges and Opportunities, Susan Blumenthal, MD, MPA, Former US Assistant Surgeon General, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown School of Medicine and Tufts University Medical Center; Senior Medical Advisor, amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research; Chair, Global Health Program, Meridian International Center The Challenges of Development and Making Aid Work, Nicholas Kristof, Columnist, The New York Times Jeffrey Sachs, PhD, Director of Earth Institute at Columbia University; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University; Special Advisor to Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon Millennium Villages: Update, Sonia Ehrlich Sachs, MD, MPH, Health Coordinator, Millennium Village Project Preventing Blindness; Saving Lives, Al Sommer, MD, MHS, Professor and Dean Emeritus, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health New Perspectives on Global Health and Science, Harold Varmus, MD, President and Chief Executive, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Former Director of the NIH; Nobel Prize Recipient Confirmed Leaders of Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Speakers Unite For Sight: Social Entrepreneurship As A Symbol of Hope for the (Poor) Blind Villagers and Refugees in Ghana, James Clarke, MD, Ophthalmologist and Medical Director, Crystal Eye Clinic, Ghana Strategic Social Entrepreneurship as a Tool for Advancing Global Health, Greg Dees, PhD, Professor of the Practice of Social Entrepreneurship and co-founder of the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship, Duke University's Fuqua School of Business Social Entrepreneurship as a Tool to Strengthen Health Systems, Julia Devin, JD, MPH, Director of Programs, VillageReach Improving Public Health Delivery Through Social Entrepreneurship, Gene Falk, Co-Founder, Executive Directors, mothers2mothers The HealthStore Foundation: Improving Access to Life-Saving Medicines through Micro-Franchising, Scott Hillstrom, Chairman of the Board, CEO and Co-Founder, HealthStore Foundation The Impact of the Food and Nutrition Crisis on the Global Health Agenda, Charles MacCormack, PhD, President and CEO, Save The Children Health Care From The Grassroots, Joia Mukherjee, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Partners in Health; Director, Institute for Health and Social Justice; Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School; Division of Social Medicine and Health Inequalities, Brigham and Women's Hospital Ajay Nair, MPH, Portfolio Associate, Acumen Fund Confirmed Featured Speakers Progress Towards Eliminating Blindness Due To Trachoma: Findings of Post-Intervention Impact Trachoma Prevalence Surveys in Seven Countries, Sam Abbenyi, MD, MSc, Director, Programs and Logistics, International Trachoma Initiative Unearthing Local Definitions of Child Protection and Well-Being, Alastair Ager, PhD, Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Keratoprosthesis as an Option for the Developing World: A Review of Pilot Projects in Ethiopia and Sudan, Jared Ament, MD, Clinical Research Fellow, Ophthalmology Corneal Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School; Harvard School of Public Health Religious Teaching and Identity Construction in the Context of HIV Infection in Three Regions of Senegal, David Ansari, Intermural Research Training Fellow, National Institute on Aging Holistic Children's Services For Orphans Abroad, Jane Aronson, MD, Director, International Pediatric Health Services; Founder and Executive Officer, Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO); Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University Workshop: How To Create An Organization To Do Community Work Abroad, Jane Aronson, MD, Director, International Pediatric Health Services; Founder and Executive Officer, Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO); Clinical
[ECOLOG-L] Volunteer Field Assistant Needed for Treefrog Behavior Study
Field Assistant (1) needed to help with a behavioral study of the canyon treefrog in the US southwest Date: April 1- May 31 Field sites will be in the Grand Canyon (AZ) and Zion National Park (UT) This study will look at female preference for male advertisement calls types of the canyon treefrog, and male calling interactions. Field work begins in the evening and lasts until 12 -1 am. Lodging (camping) and food provided. A stipend of $500 will be provided. Assistant must find own way to Arizona (or Missouri-and I can pick you up on the way to AZ) I am a graduate student and I am looking for an enthusiastic, easy going person who is detail oriented. Must also be willing to handle heat, boredom, and sitting in water waiting for the frogs to call. This is a great experience for anyone interested in learning more about animal behavior and communication and the field sites are incredible. Please email me if you have any questions, kek...@mizzou.edu. If interested, please email me your CV/ resume, a letter of interest, and the name and contact info for 2-3 references.
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
Some of the posts on this subject seem to underestimate love (and with it perhaps awe and wonder), even when defending it. Often young children are fascinated by the so-called ugly members of the ecosystem before they are taught that eeew! is the proper response to them. This fascination, if not stemmed, easily turns into love and sometimes also produces a creative passion for studying them. But is love inferior to rational curiosity? Does it only serve us by having the potential to metamorphose into studying and understanding? Science is endlessly expanding our rational understanding of nature, and therefore also our utilitarian appreciation of it, but this undederstanding and appreciation will always be limited. Cultivating respect for love and the sense of wonder within our societies will not only enrich us culturally, but can also serve to protect and conserve many members of the exosystem yet understudied or less understood. This might be true for the environment and nature as well as for interpersonal and intercultural relationships. Moreover, science as a cultral, rather than just a utilitarian endeavor can also serve to develop the more subtle aesthetics of intricacy and antiquity beyond the colorful and the majestic, and cultivate love and wonder, only if scientistd allow some emotional involvement in their work and communicate it to the public. Asaf From: rnmowb...@att.net rnmowb...@att.net To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2009 9:41:41 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts For me, and, I suspect, for many of us, our interest in biology and ecology started as a love for nature. That love made us want to learn more. As the learning went on, the love extended to the ugly members of ecosystems as we learned that they play key roles in ecosystem function. We need more books which stimulate young people to love nature. More often than not that love will metamorphose into understanding and appreciation - and, perhaps, the dedication of another scientist to learning more about the complex ecosystems we have come to dominate. Bob Mowbray -- Robert N. Mowbray Tropical Forest Ecologist Natural Resource Management Specialist -- Original message from Warren W. Aney a...@coho.net: -- On nature walks with kids I will frequently pick up a native banana slug. Their first reaction is inevitably a back-away eeew! But I then ask them take a closer look as the slug starts to extend its eyestalks and feeler stalks, waving them around to get a sense of the new world around it on my finger surrounded by human faces. I can't know what the slug senses, but I know these kids begin to see this slug as an interesting and complex being they can interact with at a basic level -- not something just to be stepped on or over. Too me, a slug has beauty and that beauty lies in both the simplicity and efficiency of its form as well as in the vital role it plays as a detritivore -- and in the way it complacently reacts to my presence and handling. It has a right to co-exist with me and these kids. And yes, I do get slime on my fingers, but it can be rubbed off. Warren W. Aney Senior Wildlife Ecologist 9403 SW 74th Ave Tigard, OR 97223 (503) 246-8613 phone (503) 539-1009 mobile (503) 246-2605 fax a...@coho.net -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu]on Behalf Of Jane Shevtsov Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 09:40 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts Agreed, completely. I would say that conservation of species is primarily about emotion and aesthetics, although there are exceptions. Other aspects of environmentalism, however, including conservation of many types of landscapes, are primarily about life support or ecosystem services. I tend to be skeptical of statements invoking intrinsic rights or intrinsic value. They seem to be shorthand for, I, the speaker, like this thing but can't really say why. Jane Shevtsov On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 11:37 AM, Heather Reynolds wrote: These are all great points. But balance would argue that care for the environment should stem both from an appreciation of its utility as well as from moral sensibilities. Indeed, there has been a long-standing debate in philosophy on the utilitarianism vs. intrinsic rights as a basis for preserving nature. Granted, I haven't quite said where love fits into this - but would offer that we can love something both because we recognize we need it, as well as just for itself. Heather Reynolds Associate Professor Department of Biology Jordan Hall 142 Indiana University 1001 E 3rd Street Bloomington IN 47405 Ph: (812) 855-0792 Fax: (812) 855-6705 hlrey...@indiana.edu On
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Love of Nature
Ecologgers, How many of us got into ecology because we loved the natural world. I suggest that the answer would be 'the majority'. How many of us got into ecology because we had 'respect' for nature? I certainly moved that way because I loved the natural world from an early age. And if you love the whole, should one not love the component parts, including the worms? Did Darwin love the worm? Would E. O. Wilson say that he loved ants? I suspect I know the answer. Love may not be a sufficient condition for conservation. I submit, however, that it is one of the necessary conditions. How can we teach values? I suspect that direct experience is part of the answer. You can't love or even respect something of which you know nothing. Unfortunbately direct experience of the natural world seems to be a declining component of our education systems. As to Jan Shetsov's suspicion of some of the jargon of philosophy like 'intrinsic value' etc, I suggest that she read Arne Naess, and his prinicples of ecosophy. Philosophy is an often arcane pursuit in which I claim no special expertize, but it was philosophy that gave birth to many of the great principles that we claimn to live by, including the Universal declaration of Human Rights, which might have been viewed on with suspicion by earlier generations. Is it inconceivable that hte same considerations might be one day extended to other life forms? Quoting Jonathan Blythe jbly...@whoi.edu: I think a good word instead of love would be respect. People have a respect for nature and that is why we protect it. Another thing Hargrove said in his ESA talk was that we need to teach values as part of our public education. It is not a surprise that it is such a contentious issue, since we are basically uneducated as a society on how to value things like nature. He might have a point, and I encourage you to read some of his literature on this subject. I am just a casual observer, so I can't authoritatively weigh in with my point of view. However, I think it is an important discussion to have. Jonathan
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
Ecologists should have a passion for what they do (I hope we do, for what our paychecks are compared to most science/tech fields). Many of us, I think, are human oddities that can get excited about a research topic dismissed as 'gross' by the general public. I prefer wetland work, and am never happier than when I'm knee-deep in muck, assessing plant communities, despite the looks I get from the general public when I emerge from the site. Aesthetics are a good substitute argument for some current environmentalism. As much as we may dislike it, it's doubtless you'll get more public support from a single baby pygmy hippo video (our dancing D-list celebrity) than from a million soil cores. One would prefer to use moral standings (intrinsic value), or survival/health (can't survive without a working ecosystem), but human nature is to not care about something until it's in one's face. The strengthened cries for investment in alternative energy last summer, silenced as soon as gas dropped below $2.50/gallon, showed that beautifully. As soon as it hit the pocketbook, people were willing to conserve and embrace alternatives. Well-meaning ecologists can prove as many points as they want to, but conservation won't take place until the public will is there. Instilling a love of the land is prime in that. I recall the case of the White Lake Basin Ranch [if I got the name right] in B.C., Canada. The area had been shown by researchers to be an insect biodiversity hotspot, but no conservation efforts were made until the land was purchased by the non-profit B.C. Nature Trust. Despite extensive compiled evidence for why it should have been protected, it would still be vulnerable if the public hadn't stepped up. == ANDY MARTIN Ecologist AECOM, NYC From: David M. Lawrence d...@fuzzo.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2009 2:12:56 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts I had to splash Silvert's rationality with a jigger of cold, hard reality, but the scientific community needs to realize at some point that if those worms in the bottom of the North Sea are going to survive, the community needs to build public support for policies that promote conservation. To get that public support, the scientific community needs to use its skills to create a rapturous love affair between the public and the natural environment. Otherwise, the public spends more time caring about middle-aged D-list celebrities dancing on some television set in fantasyland. Dave William Silvert wrote: Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable with the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. Part of our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may have gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to beautiful creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the ugly and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems (such as detritivores). I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that their life's work was rooted in some rapturous love affair with tapeworms or mildew. Who ever fell in love with nematodes and polychaetes? (Although my late friend Peter Schwinghamer had a sign over his door saying Worms can teach us awe and wonder.) My concern has a practical side to it. There are seal species far more at risk than harp seals, but mottled grey beasts with nasty teeth do not seem to attract the support of anti-sealing campaigners. It is hard to argue that the biodiversity of beautiful flowers in Costa Rica is more vital to our survival than the worms crawling around in the mud of the North Sea, but much of the emphasis on conservation of biodiversity focusses on tropical hot spots rather than the low and dirty. I don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the beauty of the natural enviornment, but I also want to remind the scientific community that ecology is not about beauty, it is about systems that often do not appeal to our aesthetic sense. I like my work, but manage not to get too emotionally involved! Bill Silvert -- -- David M. Lawrence | Home: (804) 559-9786 7471 Brook Way Court | Fax: (804) 559-9787 Mechanicsville, VA 23111 | Email: d...@fuzzo.com USA | http: http://fuzzo.com -- We have met the enemy and he is us. -- Pogo No trespassing 4/17 of a haiku -- Richard Brautigan __ Yahoo! Canada Toolbar: Search from anywhere on the web, and bookmark your favourite sites. Download it now at http://ca.toolbar.yahoo.com.
[ECOLOG-L] Visiting faculty position: Botany and Environmental Biology
Visiting Assistant Professor or Instructor of Botany and Environmental Biology Biology Department Beloit College The Biology Department at Beloit College seeks a full-time Visiting Assistant Professor or Instructor to teach botany, environmental biology and/or environmental studies, and an advanced course in his or her biological specialty during the 2009-2010 academic year. Botany is as an introductory, inquiry-based biology course and the environmental courses are at the intermediate level. All courses are limited to 24 students. Ph.D. or ABD in Biology or a related, appropriate field preferred. This position is an excellent opportunity to gain mentored teaching experience in a department nationally known for innovative pedagogy. Over the last 20 years, temporary instructors in our department have secured tenure-track positions at many colleges and universities. Please submit a cover letter, statements of teaching and research interests, CV and transcripts, and arrange to have three letters of reference sent to Yaffa Grossman, Botany/Environment Search Chair, Department of Biology, Beloit College, 700 College Street, Beloit, WI 53511. Please apply by January 30, 2009, for full consideration. Beloit College is committed to the educational benefits of diversity and urges all interested individuals to apply. AA/EEO Employer
[ECOLOG-L] Visiting faculty position: Biology and Society
Visiting Assistant Professor or Instructor of Biology and Society Biology Department Beloit College The Biology Department at Beloit College seeks a half-time Visiting Assistant Professor or Instructor to teach two inquiry-based, laboratory courses related to biology and society during the 2009-2010 academic year. These courses might focus on human health, biological impacts of global change, or another current issue at the intersection of biology and society and would be limited to 24 students. One course may be taught each semester or both courses may be taught during the spring semester. Ph.D. or ABD in Biology or a related, appropriate field preferred. This position is an excellent opportunity to gain teaching experience in a department nationally known for innovative pedagogy. Over the last 20 years, temporary instructors in our department have secured tenure-track positions at many colleges and universities. Please submit a cover letter, statements of teaching and research interests, CV and transcripts, and arrange to have three letters of reference sent to Yaffa Grossman, Professor of Biology, Beloit College, 700 College Street, Beloit, WI 53511. Please apply by January 30, 2009, for full consideration.
[ECOLOG-L] Biological Resources Director- Biologist / Environmental - Southern California
We are seeking a Biological Resource Director to manage the resource operations of the organization throughout Southern California region. The ideal individual would have at least 5+ years experience working in the biological resources arena as a project manager, with an additional 4+ years experience leading biological group operations, managing staff and overseeing client relationships for energy, land use, water and municipal projects. Candidates must have a superior knowledge and experience in dealing with, habitat restorations, regulatory permitting, conservation planning, environmental monitoring, regulatory compliance (EIRs, CEQA/NEPA), endangered species / clean water, section 401, 404. The Biological Resource Director will be responsible for all biological project oversight, staff management, budgeting, project scope development, client relationship management, office operations, business development and marketing for the organization. Requires a Bachelors degree in Biological resources, environmental planning or related discipline. MS Degree is preferred. Must have excellent written and verbal communication abilities. Candidates with strong southern California project experience and business relationships a plus for consideration. Position can be based in either San Diego or Los Angeles corporate office.. For further information or consideration please forward resume or contact directly: Sequence Systems Attn: Michael DeSafey 2008 Opportunity Drive #150 Roseville, CA 95678 Phone: 916-782-6900 x202 Fax: 916-782-6307 Email: mdesa...@sequencestaffing.com www.sequencestaffing.com Should your background not be an exact match to the above opportunity, please feel free to submit your resume, as we have many opportunities available.
[ECOLOG-L] Seeking A Water Resources Division Group Director
We are seeking a Water Resources Practice Group Leader with 10+ years experience to lead one of California's most respected environmental and engineering consulting firm's water resources practices here in the Western United States; specifically the northern and central California territory. The Water Resources Practice Group Leader will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the divisional group; as such, we are seeking candidates with a combination of technical, administrative and business development / client relationship skills. The new Director will not only have the understanding of the water, environmental, regulatory compliance and municipal government business, but also possess a strong management skill set to lead a divisions growth. The ideal candidate would have 10+ years experience in leading environmental regulatory projects related to water resources, wastewater and flood control projects, with a strong emphasis on preparing and managing legally defensible EISs, EIRs, and CEQA/NEPA environmental documentation. This would include developing scopes of work, budgets, contracts, leading project teams, and providing technical oversight on a portfolio of projects in the division. This individual would take a leadership role in conducting business development, marketing and managing client relationships for the firm. They will additionally oversee the group operations through planning, organizing schedules, assigning duties, coordinating and directing staff activities, budgeting office financial resources and mentoring personnel for professional and organizational growth. Position requires a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Planning, Geography, Biology, or related discipline. MS in Water Resources would be a strong plus to consideration. AICP Planning registration desired. Candidates must possess excellent written and verbal communication abilities. This position would be ideal for a senior level executive already versed in, or currently running, a water resources or compliance practice group. It would also possibly be a very good fit for a dynamic individual who has served capably in the number two slot of a practice group that is now looking to take on the senior leadership role. Position is based in Sacramento, California and offers exceptional compensation and benefits. For further information or consideration please forward resume or contact directly: Sequence Systems Attn: Michael DeSafey 2008 Opportunity Drive #150 Roseville, CA 95678 Phone: 916-782-6900 x202 Fax: 916-782-6307 Email: mdesa...@sequencestaffing.com www.sequencestaffing.com Should your background not be an exact match to the above opportunity, please feel free to submit your resume, as we have many opportunities available.
[ECOLOG-L] Postdoctoral Associate - Forest habitats, climate change species conservation
Postdoctoral Associate Forest Habitats, Climate Change, and Species Conservation Forest Landscape Ecology Lab, Dept. of Forest Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison Project Goal: Assess species and natural communities of greatest vulnerability to future climate change in Wisconsin based on habitat sensitivity to past climate variability. Simulate habitats for future conditions using LANDIS forest landscape model, with scenarios of climate change and management options. Derive habitat, natural community and species data and work with DNR Bureaus and Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) to communicate findings in appropriate form for planning and management, or further species-level modeling. This postdoc is one of two on a collaborative project. This postdoc will work in the Forest Landscape Ecology lab (Dr. David Mladenoff). We will collaborate closely with Dr. Sara Hotchkiss and a second postoc (UW-Madison, Dept. of Botany paleo-ecology lab), along with co-PI Dr. Gregor Schuurman, (WI DNR Bureau of Endangered Resources). Hotchkiss lab will Analyze existing sedimentary records for rates of vegetation change using fossil pollen and charcoal data in relation to past climate change and fire regimes. Collectively we will then work within the research group to identify natural communities and habitats most at risk based on historical patterns. Based on these target species and communities, we will identify current landscapes to simulate. This postdoc will acquire and create needed input data to set up future habitat change simulations using the Mladenoff's lab LANDIS forest change model. Participate in developing modeling scenarios, and conduct simulation runs using an experimental framework, with multiple treatments, control simulations, and replication. Analyze results and assemble maps and quantitative output of vegetation and habitat change. Provide output products to agency managers and ecologists. Assess need for further species-level modeling of priority species. Participate as lead or co-author on group publications for peer-reviewed journals. Candidates must have a PhD in hand at the time of beginning employment, in a relevant field. Background and experience in such fields as landscape ecology, conservation biology, species modeling, biogeography, forest ecosystems and communities, and paleoecology are relevant. Skills in spatial landscape modeling, spatial analysis, including spatial statistics, GIS, and use of broad-scale environmental and physical data are desirable. Experience with GIS, database, statistical, and spreadsheet software is assumed. This is formally an annually renewable appointment, with funding for up to four years. The starting salary is $44,000, and includes benefits. For further information on the lab and related work, please refer to our website: http://landscape.forest.wisc.edu. HOW TO APPLY: Send a cover letter, CV, and contact information for 3 references electronically to David Mladenoff djmla...@wisc.edu . Review of applications will begin immediately, and will continue until a suitable candidate is found. The position is open beginning February 2009.
[ECOLOG-L] Seeking A Senior Ecologist / Toxicologist
We are seeking a Senior Ecologist / Biologist / Natural Resource Damage Assessment Professional to lead restoration projects throughout the United States. The ideal individual would have at least 5+ years experience leading and directing projects revolving around assessment of injuries related natural resources. This would include working on ecological risk/ NRDA injury assessments, fate/transport modeling, field reporting, managing the collection and assessment of data, as well as, developing reports and conducting business development and staff mentoring activities. Candidates must have previous experience assessing human impacts of surface water, soils, and vegetation communities throughout the North East, Southwest and Mountain Regions of the United States. Requires a degree Biology, Ecology, Natural Resources, or Related Disciplines. MS preferred in environmental chemistry, toxicology, or environmental engineering. Must have excellent written and verbal communication abilities. Position can be based in Denver, Colorado or Washington, DC. For consideration please forward resume or contact directly: Sequence Systems Attn: Michael DeSafey 2008 Opportunity Drive #150 Roseville, CA 95678 Phone: 916-782-6900 x202 Fax: 916-782-6307 Email: mdesa...@sequencestaffing.com www.sequencestaffing.com Should your background not be an exact match to the above opportunity, please feel free to submit your resume, as we have a number of opportunities available.
[ECOLOG-L] NCEAS Special Call for Proposals in Ecosystem-Based Management
Colleagues: The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) seeks proposals for Working Groups to develop scientific knowledge about ecological, social, and economic processes that directly affect management and governance of coastal–marine ecosystems. http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/files/news/NCEAS_EBM_RFP_January2009.pdf The proposal deadline for this special competition is 2 March 2009. General questions about this Request for Proposals may be directed to Dr. Erica Fleishman (fleish...@nceas.ucsb.edu, 805 892-2530) or Dr. Ben Halpern (halp...@nceas.ucsb.edu, 805 892-2531). -- Stephanie E. Hampton Deputy Director National Center for Ecological Analysis Synthesis University of California, Santa Barbara 735 State St., Suite 300 Santa Barbara, CA 93101-3351, USA http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu hamp...@nceas.ucsb.edu Tel (805) 892-2505 Fax (805) 892-2510
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts - aesthetics, communication, environment
Andy Martin wrote: Aesthetics are a good substitute argument for some current environmentalism. As much as we may dislike it, it's doubtless you'll get more public support from a single baby pygmy hippo video (our dancing D-list celebrity) than from a million soil cores. One would prefer to use moral standings (intrinsic value), or survival/health (can't survive without a working ecosystem), but human nature is to not care about something until it's in one's face. The strengthened cries for investment in alternative energy last summer, silenced as soon as gas dropped below $2.50/gallon, showed that beautifully. As soon as it hit the pocketbook, people were willing to conserve and embrace alternatives. Peter Singer's version of utilitarian ethics has some interesting environmental components that do not rely on aesthetic arguments. His book _Practical Ethics_ is easy to find and I don't recall the environment chapter being long. Personally, I find using an aesthetic basis a bit questionable unless aesthetics is itself based in the relationship between ourselves in the world and our perceptions of ourselves in the world. There is a pretty argument to be made that beauty has something to do with the relationship between what we have experienced and what we currently perceive. Heading a little further off-topic here: The other difficulty is that we have a hard time comprehending things when we can't see the big picture, much less actually coping with problems on the big-picture scale. And the difficulty is worse when information is merely communicated rather than gained through direct experience. But there are different qualities and kinds of communication. Some of the great nature writers, documentarians, photographers, teachers, etc., are able to share their inspiration... which shares their informed experience with those of us would not otherwise observe the interactions shaping our environment. I was inspired by Andy's reference to a million soil cores. A single soil core is often uninteresting (though there are certainly exceptions!) while millions of soil cores can't help but tell at least one fascinating story. Millions of soil cores are a landscape in the same way millions of people are a landscape. The others give context to the individual. This is an intersection between information and communication; in particular, it's a great topic for a visual rhetoritician. Communicating that kind of information through appropriate visualization, sonification, interactivity, or anything else non-linear can be powerful because it puts a whole concept forward in a way that no explanation can: all at once, a little bit like real experience (even if the data is abstract). We all know how powerful a good map can be. Some of us may have opportunities to take advantage of colleagues or contacts who specialize in communicating complex or overwhelming data in more accessible ways. We need to take advantage of those people and learn from their approaches. Jon
Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts
I have to say that this friend, David Lawrence, speaks my mind (to use a Quaker saying). I remember a very influential person in So Cal habitat conservation reminding me years ago that science has a slim chance of preserving nature unless we win people's hearts and not just their minds. I think he is still right. Cheryl Swift Professor of Biology Whittier College From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of David M. Lawrence Sent: Tue 1/6/2009 11:12 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts I had to splash Silvert's rationality with a jigger of cold, hard reality, but the scientific community needs to realize at some point that if those worms in the bottom of the North Sea are going to survive, the community needs to build public support for policies that promote conservation. To get that public support, the scientific community needs to use its skills to create a rapturous love affair between the public and the natural environment. Otherwise, the public spends more time caring about middle-aged D-list celebrities dancing on some television set in fantasyland. Dave
