[ECOLOG-L] Postdoc in Aquatic Ecology - Deadline extended
Descriptive Title: Postdoctoral Associate (Temporary) Budget Title: same as above Department: Ecology Evolution Grade: SL-1 REF#: WC-S-6389-10-06-S State Professional Position State Line#: 30570 Campus: Stony Brook West Campus/HSC Salary: $35, 000 - $46, 000 Required Qualifications: Ph.D. in Ecology, Biological Oceanography, Environmental Biology or related field. Expertise in fundamental and applied ecology as demonstrated by publications, Ph.D. dissertation, and/or letters of recommendation from supervisors. Independent research experience in ecological fieldwork; fluency in both written and verbal English language; college level teaching experience. Preferred Qualifications: Teaching experience in large lectures. College teaching experience as sole instructor. Field and/or laboratory research experience in plankton ecology and aquatic biogeochemistry. Familiarity with ecological stoichiometry and biochemical bases of organismal elemental composition. Knowledge of phytoplankton and zooplankton communities. Some experience with advanced statistical techniques or mathematical modeling. Experience coordinating undergraduate research assistants. Brief Description of Duties: The Postdoctoral Associate will spend 1/3 effort on co-teaching an undergraduate introductory level Biology course and on co-teaching an introductory Masters course in Principles and Applications of Ecology and Evolution, and 2/3 effort on coordinating and assisting with research work on ecological projects. Utilizing his/her expertise, the incumbent will carry out work such as establishing links between elemental content and ecological traits of planktonic organisms, developing models, predicting changes to phytoplankton elemental composition and conducting surveys of plankton elemental composition. Co-teach (with a faculty member) an undergraduate introductory level Biology course and co-teach (with a faculty member) an introductory level Masters course in Principles and Applications of Ecology and Evolution. Will be teaching 1/2 course per semester. Establish links between elemental content and ecological traits of planktonic organisms using cultures in the lab and literature data or other ecological laboratory experiments and analyses, depending on candidate's expertise. Develop models that predict how phytoplankton elemental composition will change in response to environmental and ecological gradients or develop other models of ecological responses, depending on candidate's expertise. Conduct surveys of plankton elemental composition along relevant environmental gradients, or ecological fieldwork on other organisms along environmental gradients, depending on candidate's expertise. Preparing grant proposals and peer-reviewed publications. Database setup, data entry and analysis. Special Notes: This is a full time, temporary one year appointment, renewable up to a maximum of three years depending on funding. FLSA Exempt position, not eligible for the overtime provisions of the FLSA. Internal and external search to occur simultaneously. Occasional evenings, nights and/or weekends may be required. Some travel may be required. The selected candidate must successfully clear a background investigation. Application Procedure: Those interested in this position should submit a cover letter, CV and two letters of reference to: Donna DiGiovanni Postdoctoral Associate (6389) Search Department of Ecology Evolution 650 Life Sciences Building Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY 11794-5245 Applications for this position must be received, as specified in the Application Procedure Section, no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time on 07/09/2010, unless specifically noted otherwise in the Special Notes Section. STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND EDUCATOR. IF YOU NEED A DISABILITY-RELATED ACCOMMODATION, PLEASE CALL THE UNIVERSITY HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AT (631) 632-6161 OR THE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AT (631) 444-4700. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TITLE II CRIME AWARENESS AND SECURITY ACT, A COPY OF OUR CRIME STATISTICS IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST BY CALLING (631) 632-7786. IT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED ON-LINE AT THE UNIVERSITY POLICE WEBSITE AT http://wwwatonvbrook.edu/police Job Category: K) Postdoctoral Positions.Posting Date: 06/13/2010 Additional Categories: E) Research (professional) and Technical to include lab support positions. *** Stony Brook University, home to many highly ranked graduate research programs, is located 60 miles from New York City on Long Island's scenic North Shore. Our 1,100-acre campus is home to 24,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and more than 13,500 faculty and staff, including those employed at Stony Brook University Medical Center, Suffolk County's only academic medical center and tertiary
Re: [ECOLOG-L] PCA Factor Loadings in Vegan
On Sun, 2010-06-27 at 17:56 -0300, Alexandre F. Souza wrote: Hi all, I am using vegan to run a pca on forest structural variables (tree density, basal area, average height, regeneration density) in R. However, I could not find out how to extract factor loadings (correlations of each variable with each pca axis). Loadings on each axis are given by: scores(ord, display = species, scaling = 2) where 'ord' is your fitted ordination. I this scaling, angles between the vectors defined by the scores on axis 1 and 2 are correlations. Loadings aren't correlations themselves, however, they define a vector in space and you need to compute the angle between this vector and each axis. I forget exactly how to compute the correlation between the vector representing the species in n dimensions (n = 2) and each axis; sounds like some elementary trigonometry is required (estimate angles of a triangle with sides of lengths given by axis 1 score [ax1], axis 2 score [ax2] and sqrt(ax1^2 + ax2^2) i.e. from Pythagorean distance), but the scores give you everything you need to do this except for the trig. If you have further questions, post on R-SIG-Ecology list or the Vegan help forums: https://r-forge.r-project.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=194group_id=68 HTH G Do anyone know how to do that? Thanks a lot, Alexandre Dr. Alexandre F. Souza Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia: Diversidade e Manejo da Vida Silvestre Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS) Av. UNISINOS 950 - C.P. 275, São Leopoldo 93022-000, RS - Brasil Telefone: (051)3590-8477 ramal 1263 Skype: alexfadigas afso...@unisinos.br http://www.unisinos.br/laboratorios/lecopop -- %~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~% Dr. Gavin Simpson [t] +44 (0)20 7679 0522 ECRC, UCL Geography, [f] +44 (0)20 7679 0565 Pearson Building, [e] gavin.simpsonATNOSPAMucl.ac.uk Gower Street, London [w] http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfagls/ UK. WC1E 6BT. [w] http://www.freshwaters.org.uk %~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
[ECOLOG-L] Please post fall internship announcement
Intern Announcement for Fall Appointments at Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, MD Immediate Openings for Fall 2010 The nutritional ecology program at SERC is collaborating with the US Geological Survey and the National Zoological Park in a study of the nutrient composition of the invertebrate prey eaten by sea otters on the Pacific coast of North America. Sea otters consume a wide variety of prey, but individual otters have specialized diets, consuming, for example, predominantly crabs and abalone, or clams and worms, or kelp bed snails. This internship is designed to determine some of the nutritional correlates of foraging choices by sea otters. This is part of a much larger study of sea otter foraging and conservation at multiple sites on the Pacific coast, from California to Alaska. The intern will be based at the SERC campus in Edgewater, MD. The intern will be expected to undertake the following responsibilities: 1. Inventory, weigh and process invertebrate samples shipped to SERC from our collaborators. Processing will include homogenization and sub-sampling. 2. Conduct nutritional analyses as directed by the principal investigator, Dr. Olav Oftedal. In particular it is anticipated that prey samples will be dried and assayed for gross energy (by bomb calorimeter), nitrogen (by CHN gas analysis) and fatty acids (by gas chromatography). 3. Prepare a summary report of the work in relationship to prior data on sea otter prey and prior data on the foraging behavior of sea otters. 4. Prepare and deliver a presentation to SERC staff and students of the results of the internship. At the present time there is no plan that field work will be associated with this internship. The internship will be conducted in the fall of 2010, but the exact start date is negotiable. Please go to the following link for electronic submission of application materials:https://solaa.si.edu/solaa/SOLAAHome.html For any questions about this immediate opening please contact Dan Gustafson. Daniel E. Gustafson, Jr. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Fellowship Coordinator 647 Contees Wharf Rd PO Box 28 Edgewater, MD. 21037 443.482.2217 (phone) 443.482.2380 (fax) gustafs...@si.edumailto:gustafs...@si.edu www.serc.si.edu/pro_training/index.aspxhttp://www.serc.si.edu/pro_training/index.aspx
[ECOLOG-L] Job: faculty positions at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST http://www.oist.jp) invites applications for new faculty positions as it enters a period of growth in preparation for transition to an international graduate university in 2012. Approximately 15 faculty positions will be filled during this search. OIST provides a world-class research environment in newly completed facilities in an area of distinctive culture, unique ecology, and outstanding natural beauty. Successful candidates will be given the opportunity to excel in their chosen area of research, and will be expected to contribute to graduate teaching, research supervision and other academic activities. Applicants should have a PhD or equivalent degree, and demonstrate excellence in research. The initial appointment will be as Principal Investigator (PI) or Independent New Investigator (INI) for a term of five years. When the transition to a graduate university is completed in 2012, it is planned that PI and INI positions will change to a tenure track system with Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, and Professors. Some appointments will be made on a joint or part-time basis. Substantial internal funding will be provided to support the faculty member’s research, based on a 5-year research plan, which is renewable after scientific review. This search is targeted broadly. The non-departmental structure of OIST and orientation toward interdisciplinary research permits flexibility in appointing applicants who are able to introduce new research areas or enhance existing areas. Established research areas include genomics, developmental biology, mathematical and computational biology, molecular and cell sciences and neuroscience. New research areas include structural biology, biological physics, biological chemistry, marine sciences, ecology and evolutionary biology, and microbial and plant genetics. At a time when worldwide support for research is increasingly risk-averse, and grant funding places an ever-growing burden on faculty, OIST promotes innovative research in a highly facilitating and supportive environment. This is achievable because OIST has internal research funding, offers outstanding central research facilities, and consults faculty on the design of new laboratory space. Central research facilities at OIST include core facilities for genomics, rodent vivarium, radioisotope use, electron microscopy, and supercomputing facilities. OIST is committed to being international with more than 50% of faculty and researchers from outside Japan. The official language of OIST is English. OIST is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women. More details regarding the aims of the search and advantages of working at OIST are available in the Information for Applicants in the application package that is downloadable from the website (http://www.oist.jp/en/newsevent/careers/542-faculty-positions.html). Applications should be submitted in accordance with the instructions in the application package. Applications for the current search close 31, July 2010. Interviews will take place in late August/September, with a view to making appointments early in 2011. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. Alexander Mikheyev Principal Investigator Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology http://www.oist.jp/ Research Lab 1, Level D 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami Okinawa 904-2234 Japan
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Physiology Productivity Promises and BS Re: [ECOLOG-L] worlds authorities in sustainable ag/meat/ag ecology
Monsanto's claims, as quoted by Cherubini, seem like Green Revolution all over again to me. In the corn example, it would seem that a reduction in ear production would be a disadvantage. Shifts in emphasis from leaves and stems to seed or fruit production might be more related to culture than genetics, but that has historically played a role in crop plant production. I have no guidelines; I am interested in Monsanto's. However, for the moment I'll settle for a ratio of total biomass to water, and whether or not the doubling claim is pure fantasy or if there is solid evidence or theoretical foundation behind it. WT - Original Message - From: malcolm McCallum malcolm.mccal...@herpconbio.org To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 4:36 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Physiology Productivity Promises and BS Re: [ECOLOG-L] worlds authorities in sustainable ag/meat/ag ecology I am not sure if this fits your guidelines, but please let me know! Plant breeding of corn species that did not devote energy to tassel production and instead shiftking those resources to corn might be close. Only problem was that the resistance to Southern Corn Blight was linked in some way to producting tassels and ears! So, the disease ravaged the US corn crop when the weather was right and the strains were abandoned. At least that is my recollection! Malcolm On Sun, Jun 27, 2010 at 3:17 PM, Wayne Tyson landr...@cox.net wrote: Please supply evidence that genetic engineering or any other method can double the productivity of any species without increasing the amount of water and nutrients, including a cogent explanation of just how this is done. WT - Original Message - From: Paul Cherubini mona...@saber.net To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 1:24 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] worlds authorities in sustainable ag/meat/ag ecology I would say the big biotech companies are the world's leading authorities with regard to the issue of how we can feed the world in the coming decades. Example: http://www.monsanto.com/responsibility/sustainable-ag/default.asp Excerpts: By 2050, say United Nations’ experts, our planet must double food production to feed an anticipated population of 9.3 billion people. By 2030, Monsanto commits to help farmers produce more and conserve more by: Developing improved seeds that help farmers double yields from 2000 levels for corn, soybeans, cotton, and spring-planted canola, with a $10 million grant pledged to improve wheat and rice yields.” Paul Cherubini El Dorado, Calif. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.439 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2966 - Release Date: 06/27/10 06:35:00 -- Malcolm L. McCallum Managing Editor, Herpetological Conservation and Biology 1880's: There's lots of good fish in the sea W.S. Gilbert 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction MAY help restore populations. 2022: Soylent Green is People! Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.439 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2966 - Release Date: 06/27/10 06:35:00
Re: [ECOLOG-L] field safety manual for mammal/herp/tick project
The manual is good, but there are a few small errors. Tick rainthe manual says that ticks do not fall on passersby, but indeed they do. I have been colonized by ticks that way in both Panama and Paraguay. In Paraguay, when the truck I was riding on went under a tick infested branch of tree (actually, the preceding truck) the ticks apparently sense the CO2 and dropped, landing on the people in the back of the truck that followed. It happened more than once and was easily verified. In Panama, I was sitting in the understory waiting while looking up with binoculars. Every now and then, I felt dust on my face. I pulled out my compass with mirror and discovered that the dust was ticks. As I plucked them from my face, their numbers were growing, on my face and not by climbing to my face. Finally, I noticed that they were all over my body, so I moved. In the field, I have done the simple experiment. Tick walks up arm or leg or finger. If you merely fan the tick with your hand (passing an air current), they cling, but if you breathe or blow on it, the tick often drops, presumably from smelling CO2. Now I have not done this experiment with ticks everywhere, but everywhere I have done it, the ticks respond the same way. Cheers, Jim Diane S. Henshel wrote on 19-Jun-10 14:24: Thanks for a great start on a manual many will use!
Re: [ECOLOG-L] worlds authorities in sustainable ag/meat/ag ecology: an aside on -icides...
Interesting article about -icides relevant - if tangentially - to present course of discourse: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Weed_killer_is_losing_ground_06-27-2010.html -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of Wayne Tyson Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 9:40 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Physiology Productivity Promises and BS Re: [ECOLOG-L] worlds authorities in sustainable ag/meat/ag ecology Monsanto's claims, as quoted by Cherubini, seem like Green Revolution all over again to me. In the corn example, it would seem that a reduction in ear production would be a disadvantage. Shifts in emphasis from leaves and stems to seed or fruit production might be more related to culture than genetics, but that has historically played a role in crop plant production. I have no guidelines; I am interested in Monsanto's. However, for the moment I'll settle for a ratio of total biomass to water, and whether or not the doubling claim is pure fantasy or if there is solid evidence or theoretical foundation behind it. WT - Original Message - From: malcolm McCallum malcolm.mccal...@herpconbio.org To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 4:36 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Physiology Productivity Promises and BS Re: [ECOLOG-L] worlds authorities in sustainable ag/meat/ag ecology I am not sure if this fits your guidelines, but please let me know! Plant breeding of corn species that did not devote energy to tassel production and instead shiftking those resources to corn might be close. Only problem was that the resistance to Southern Corn Blight was linked in some way to producting tassels and ears! So, the disease ravaged the US corn crop when the weather was right and the strains were abandoned. At least that is my recollection! Malcolm On Sun, Jun 27, 2010 at 3:17 PM, Wayne Tyson landr...@cox.net wrote: Please supply evidence that genetic engineering or any other method can double the productivity of any species without increasing the amount of water and nutrients, including a cogent explanation of just how this is done. WT - Original Message - From: Paul Cherubini mona...@saber.net To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 1:24 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] worlds authorities in sustainable ag/meat/ag ecology I would say the big biotech companies are the world's leading authorities with regard to the issue of how we can feed the world in the coming decades. Example: http://www.monsanto.com/responsibility/sustainable-ag/default.asp Excerpts: By 2050, say United Nations' experts, our planet must double food production to feed an anticipated population of 9.3 billion people. By 2030, Monsanto commits to help farmers produce more and conserve more by: Developing improved seeds that help farmers double yields from 2000 levels for corn, soybeans, cotton, and spring-planted canola, with a $10 million grant pledged to improve wheat and rice yields. Paul Cherubini El Dorado, Calif. -- -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.439 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2966 - Release Date: 06/27/10 06:35:00 -- Malcolm L. McCallum Managing Editor, Herpetological Conservation and Biology 1880's: There's lots of good fish in the sea W.S. Gilbert 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction MAY help restore populations. 2022: Soylent Green is People! Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.439 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2966 - Release Date: 06/27/10 06:35:00
[ECOLOG-L] GPS grid question -- replies!
Dear list, I received a lot of great hints for marking a grid in the field using GPS methods. Thanks to everyone who replied off-list!! A few people asked me to share the replies, so I thought I'd compile them and post them here for all to see. Thanks again, all. Lauren Quinn Sent: Fri 6/18/10 6:54 PM To: lqu...@hotmail.com You can probably create a track by walking the grid once, save it, and then reload it to use it as a template for where to walk again. Sent: Fri 6/18/10 7:00 PM To: L Quinn (lqu...@hotmail.com) Hi Lauren, One thing to consider is the accuracy of the gps unit. The positional error associated with a garmin can be a couple meters, especially if you are moving around. If you are working on a fine scale you may want to stick with measuring tapes. Good luck on your project. Sent: Fri 6/18/10 7:30 PM To: lqu...@hotmail.com Hello, From my limited use of GPS units, I do not believe that you will achieve anywhere near the accuracy you desire, using a handheld Etrex. There are several factors to consider, and you would probably find the GPS solutions either too cumbersome or too expensive. I will leave it to the experts to advise you further on the model you would need to achieve that accuracy. You would probably do better with getting good maps for wherever you go, and then using a compass (compensate for magnetic versus true north) and your GPS to navigate the area. If you are concerned about covering the same ground twice by mistake, you can use a marking system to show where you have been (we used toilet paper draped on low bushes in Minnesota. It's biodegradable and will disappear the first time it rains). I would concentrate more on the goal of the sampling system (achieve separation between samples/cover the entire area) rather than focusing on whether I was in exactly the right grid spot (unless that is the essential goal, hard to say without knowing more details). One final tip. If you know the spacing, instead of using a measuring tape it may be quicker to pre-measure a length of rope (one that doesn't stretch or shrink when it gets wet) and use that in the field. Works better when you have a person on either end of the rope. Also, consider an infra-red range finder. Test your GPS in an open sports field. Walk the marked lines and see how accurate the resulting GPS track is. That will give you a rough idea of the accuracy you can expect. Good luck! Sent: Fri 6/18/10 7:35 PM To: lqu...@hotmail.com Cc: ecolo...@listserv.umd.ed Lauren, It is possible to do what you are asking, but it is not easy. It would be easier to arrive at your starting location, project one waypoint in the direction you want to go (along a desired grid line), do a go to to the projected point, and walk offsets of 0m, 20, 40, etc. from the go to line. I suggest you read your garmin manual about these topics, as I could not explain all of this from scratch to a 5-year-old. Sent: Fri 6/18/10 7:48 PM To: L Quinn (lqu...@hotmail.com) Dear Lauren, I used to use a similar method for generating transects for surveying birds with an eTrex Legend. I used Garmin's MapSource software (which is simple and inexpensive) to program routes and then would sync them with the GPS. You could create a grid simply using a series of intersecting, straight-line routes. I would also use a feature in the GPS (I think the eTrex can do this but I can't remember for sure) called project waypoint. After marking a waypoint, you can use the editing tool for the waypoint and move the point by designating a starting point, a distance, and a bearing. This was an easy way of creating transects on the fly. Projecting a waypoint can be done anywhere as long as you have a reference point for your field site. I'm not sure if that is clear or helpful or quite what you need. If you would like further details or help, please let me know. Sent: Fri 6/18/10 8:10 PM To: L Quinn (lqu...@hotmail.com) Hi Lauren, You can load lines onto your Garmin unit as tracks -- the best way to do it is using a free program called DNR Garmin created by Minnesota DNR (can download online). If you can use ArcGIS to generate a fishnet grid (XTools does this easily) shapefile for your study area, you can bring this into DNRGarmin, then save it as a track file with a .gpx extension. This can
Re: [ECOLOG-L] field safety manual for mammal/herp/tick project -- breath as a repellent
Jim mentions how breathing or blowing on them can cause ticks to drop off your body. I have noticed this also works similarly with wasps and hornets. If they try to share my outdoor meal, a little puff in their direction seems to repel them more definitively than arm and hand waving. Maybe they associate my bad breath (or CO2) with a potential predator. Has anybody else noticed this? I haven't tried this with mosquitoes, but it probably would have the opposite effect -- they would associate CO2 with a breathing source of blood. Warren W. Aney Tigard, Oregon -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of James J Roper Sent: Monday, 28 June, 2010 08:24 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] field safety manual for mammal/herp/tick project The manual is good, but there are a few small errors. Tick rainthe manual says that ticks do not fall on passersby, but indeed they do. I have been colonized by ticks that way in both Panama and Paraguay. In Paraguay, when the truck I was riding on went under a tick infested branch of tree (actually, the preceding truck) the ticks apparently sense the CO2 and dropped, landing on the people in the back of the truck that followed. It happened more than once and was easily verified. In Panama, I was sitting in the understory waiting while looking up with binoculars. Every now and then, I felt dust on my face. I pulled out my compass with mirror and discovered that the dust was ticks. As I plucked them from my face, their numbers were growing, on my face and not by climbing to my face. Finally, I noticed that they were all over my body, so I moved. In the field, I have done the simple experiment. Tick walks up arm or leg or finger. If you merely fan the tick with your hand (passing an air current), they cling, but if you breathe or blow on it, the tick often drops, presumably from smelling CO2. Now I have not done this experiment with ticks everywhere, but everywhere I have done it, the ticks respond the same way. Cheers, Jim Diane S. Henshel wrote on 19-Jun-10 14:24: Thanks for a great start on a manual many will use!
[ECOLOG-L] POSITION: REGIONAL SCIENCE COORDINATOR
The American Chestnut Foundation is seeking a Regional Science Coordinator, which supports the science-related activities of TACF chapters in MD, VA, and WV and cooperates and participates with the other regional science coordinators and with the chief scientist of TACF. The coordinator supports and advises on chapter breeding programs following accepted breeding-program protocol, including such activities as pollinating, seed collecting, harvesting, storing seeds, selecting planting sites, planning plantings, distributing seeds, directing the planting and maintenance of chestnut trees, inoculating and selecting trees, and record keeping. Details regarding the application process, specific duties, and qualifications can be found at: http://ctacf.org/index.cfm/2010/6/28/TACF-Regional-Science-Coordinator--MidAtlantic-Regional Brian C. McCarthy, Ph.D. Professor of Forest Ecology and Chair Dept. of Environmental Plant Biology 317 Porter Hall Ohio University Athens, OH 45701-2979 USA T: 740-593-1615 F: 740-593-1130 E: mccar...@ohio.edu W: http://www.plantbio.ohiou.edu/index.php/directory/faculty_page/brian_mccarthy/ Skype: bcmccarthyOHIO
[ECOLOG-L] Job Posting: Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Univ. - Research Analyst
*Research Analyst (Technician IV)* The Bioacoustics Research Program (BRP) at Cornell University?s Lab of Ornithology is looking to fill multiple positions at the Research Analyst level. BRP integrates across the fields of animal behavior, ecology, software engineering and electrical engineering in order to understand how animals produce, perceive, and use sound within their natural environment. BRP collects and analyzes acoustic data from oceans around the world to understand the spatial and temporal occurrence of marine animal species (primarily cetaceans) based on the acoustic detections of their sounds. Research Analysts perform acoustic analysis of sound recordings, which involves organizing and managing large sets of acoustic data, and analyzing these data using specialized acoustical software. Research Analysts will also collaborate with other biologists as well as signal processing engineers to develop and expand BRP?s software tools, and generate figures and materials related to ambient sound analysis and its impact on marine mammals and other species. Opportunities will exist for participating in the generation of technical reports and peer-reviewed publications, occasionally training undergraduate students, and participating in BRP's Sound Analysis Workshop, which trains researchers from around the world in sound analysis. Applicants must have a Bachelor's Degree, and a degree in biology is preferred. For detailed information on the required and preferred qualifications, and the application procedure, please see the Cornell HR website (http://hr.cornell.edu/jobs/positions.html), and search for position 12734. For any questions about the position, please contact Aaron Rice (ar...@cornell.edu). /Cornell// University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator./ -- Aaron N. Rice, Ph.D. Science Director Bioacoustics Research Program Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Cornell University 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850-1999 Email:ar...@cornell.edu Web:http://www.nbb.cornell.edu/neurobio/aaronrice
[ECOLOG-L] Graduate positions available in aquatic insect ecology (Spring 2011)
Graduate positions available in aquatic insect ecology (Spring 2011) The Yee Lab UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI Applicants are invited for up to two highly motivated students (Ph.D. or M.S.) (start date January 2011) in the lab of Donald Yee. The positions can focus on any aspect of the ecology of insects in temporary water, although our current focus is on mosquitoes and predaceous diving beetles. Current and past research topics include larval competition, invasion ecology, predation, species diversity, and life-history trade- offs. The Yee lab uses a combination of field sampling, field and laboratory experiments, and statistical modeling to answer ecological questions and to test ecological theory. Other research topics may be considered, especially at the Ph.D. level, although aquatic insect communities or populations should be a focus. Prior field experience and coursework in ecology, entomology, and statistics is preferred but not essential. More information about the Yee lab can be found at: http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w777157/ Full tuition scholarships for successful applicants are provided. Basic and major medical health coverage is provided to fulltime graduate students in good standing academically. Support is provided by teaching assistantships and research assistantships when available. Requirements: Although the Department of Biological Sciences does not have a minimum set of scores to be eligible for entrance into the graduate program, potential applicants should expect to have a minimum GPA of 3.00 and have taken the GRE before application. For more information on admission follow this link: http://www.usm.edu/biology/graduate.htm Deadline for Spring 2011 applications is 15 October 2010. The University of Southern Mississippi, a Carnegie Research High Activity institution with 15,000 students, is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, near the Gulf Coast and has abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation. Hattiesburg is the medical, commercial and cultural center of southern Mississippi and is ranked in the top five small metropolitan areas in the United States. The Department of Biological Sciences is comprised of about thirty faculty and offers baccalaureate, Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees. Over 60 graduate students currently pursue masters and doctoral degrees. Further information about the department may be found at: http://www.usm.edu/biology/. To inquire, submit (via e-mail) a cover letter with a brief (~ one page) review of your research experience, interests and goals, CV, and contact for three academic references to: donald@usm.edu Donald A. Yee, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Biological Sciences University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
[ECOLOG-L] Glacier National park name change?
There's a *g*ood *d*arn *p*urpose to consider changing the name of Glacier National Park within the next decade; read about it in the latest essay on *The Daly News*: http://steadystate.org/what-do-we-do-with-gdp/ Have a good day people! Neil Neil K. Dawe, Director Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy www.steadystate.org
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Humans in the definition of ecosystems
I would suggest reading O'Neill, Robert V. (2001). Is It Time to Bury the Ecosystem Concept? (With Full Military Honors, of Course!). *Ecology*, 82: 3275-3284. The eminent authors concludes in the article there is need to make revisions in the concept of ecosystem. Especially, as far as the role and place of humans is concerned. He points out that the humans are the ultimate invasive species in the ecosystem that alters both the biotic and abiotic components. A must read and very interesting article. Ajay Sharma PhD Student, SFRC, UF, Gainesville, FL On Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 10:19 PM, Daniel A Fiscus dafis...@frostburg.eduwrote: Fabrice, An interesting and evocative question and dilemma! I should really think on it over time and reply in depth...but some thoughts of the top instead... I agree with other repliers that the definition really does not exclude humans per se...unless we focus on the special aspect of your ID of humans as special animals. So I think the CBD definition is OK in the broadest sense of all animals. But I also agree that humans are special animals...so what could we change? My core idea of ecosystem as I remember Tansley to have originally coined it mentioned and emphasized reciprocal influence between the abiotic and biotic realms. And I think it a reasonable extension to also suggest the definition so far includes a sense of a balanced reciprocity...not necessarily equilibrium, stasis, homeostasis or simple stability...but still in general a kind of equal weighting, value, importance, dominance, or causal driving by the biotic and abiotic realms. If we tried to address what is special about humans as animals, in this context of ecosystem as a functional biotic-abiotic unit...what to emphasize? One option would be to say that when humans enter the integrated functional whole of an ecosystem, the relationship is no longer reciprocal or balanced between biotic and abiotic realms. This does not necessarily have to mean that this change is bad, just that it is different from ecosystems without humans. The change would be compatible with the idea of the anthropocene era in which humans are the main driving force of change...even geologic, atmospheric, biogeochemical, species extinctions, etc. changes...on the planet. Another very general analogy would be to say that without humans the organisms and communities within ecosystems (biotic) adapt themselves mainly to survival needs as defined by abiotic changes, but humans (biotic) adapt (alter) the abiotic (and biotic) environment to our own needs. This is grossly general...and not even a clearly separable difference between humans and other species, especially those studied as ecosystem engineers, but it is a rough start. So...a revised approach would be to leave the definition of ecosystem as it is (or one of the other classic or widely used versions by Odum and others), but to add some modifier to another term or type of ecosystem and define that one differently. This might be coupled human-natural ecosystems or human-dominated ecosystems or human ecosystems or ecosystems with humans. But I think you open a can of worms that has to remain fuzzy and open-ended, because I think it an open question as to whether we humans can continue this lopsided relationship and continue to alter the environment to our needs and wishes. If the pendulum swings back as we reach the environmental limits of the planet, then the old and original ecosystem definition may be fine. If we find some way to transcend these planetary limits or boundaries...then we humans really are special enough to require an expanded definition of ecosystem. Some thoughts...would be fun to discuss more... Dan -- Dan Fiscus Assistant Professor Biology Department Frostburg State University 308 Compton Science Center Frostburg, MD 21532 USA 301-687-4170 dafis...@frostburg.edu -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of Fabrice De Clerck Sent: Fri 6/25/2010 11:20 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Humans in the definition of ecosystems Dear Friends, An environmental economist colleague of mine is disappointed with the CBD definition of ecosystems which gives the impression that only pristine areas are ecosystems. Can anyone point us to a more recent definition of ecosystems that explicitly includes humans as an integral part of the definition? Here is the original question: The CBD defines ecosystems as a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit. I find this boring, as it leaves us humans, as special animals, out of the picture. When you read it, it is easy to think of pristine environments. Has there been any reaction or correction of this definition? I need an authoritative quote that balances the CBD´s All reactions welcome,
Re: [ECOLOG-L] worlds authorities in sustainable ag/meat/ag ecology
The Land Institute in Salina Kansas, and other researchers at various universities, are working on perennial cropping systems that would address many of the ecological problems with modern agriculture. See an article by Jerry Glover (a Land Institute researcher) et al. in the latest issue of Science: Increased food and ecosystem security via perennial grains. I would agree with previous posts that Monsanto and their ilk have no interest whatsoever in sustainable agriculture per se but they give it lip service - has anyone heard their ads on NPR? Talk about propaganda. They are interested in making money, and they invest considerable money and effort in driving farmers who don't use their products out of business. If small family farms are in any way a part of a sustainable future for agriculture, agro-business multinationals are often directly counter to the interests of small family farms, although they would say otherwise of course. cheers, Sarah Sarah Jack Hinners, PhD Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) Campus Box 216 University of Colorado Boulder, CO 80309
[ECOLOG-L] Available: Ecology (1960-1977), indexes, books
I am looking for a home for a long run of the journal Ecology (1960 through 1977), with some shorter runs and indexes. A detailed list of materials and conditions is available on request. These items are available for the cost of the boxes and the mailing. There are 3 boxes at $20 a box, mailed media rate within the contiguous 48 states. Also A long run of the Journal of Mammalogy (1953-1996) and some shorter runs earlier and later, including 1928-1932 and 1946-48. Hardbound indexes for the Journal of Mammalogy 1919 -1989. About 300 books in Anatomy, Ecology, Zoology, Mammalogy and other fields of biology (and Statistics) from 1905 through 1980. List available. First choice to institutional requestors. All available for the cost of boxes and mailing. Richard Lindeborg ralindeb...@q.com
