Re: [ECOLOG-L] AIC and Occam's Razor
This might shock some people, bit AIC does not give The Truth. If you have a model that fits almost as well, but is simpler, then I don't see a problem with using it. It's worth checking how much less of the variation is explain (e.g. using R^2), and also how different the fitted models are. AIC has a tendency to give overly complex models (especially with lots of data), so I often use BIC instead, which tends too far in the other direction. Or, if the full model isn't too big, I don't bother with model selection, and report the full model. HTH Bob Bob O'Hara Tel: +49 69 798 40226 (in Germany) Mobile: +49 1515 888 5440 WWW: http://www.bik-f.de/root/index.php?page_id=219 Blog: http://blogs.nature.com/boboh/ Journal of Negative Results - EEB: www.jnr-eeb.org Lee Davis m.lee.da...@gmail.com 12/01/10 23:44 PM I have what might seem to be a simple question regarding AIC and parsimony, and yet the answers I have found on the subject are unsatisfactory. So, opinions please. Here is the scenario: Let's say that one is using AIC for the selection of nested models to avoid multiple LRT comparisons. Should you always choose the model with deltaAIC = 0 as the best? What if there is a model with deltaAIC 2 that has fewer terms? Should it be chosen in the pursuit of parsimony? Or should you report some support for both models? If so, what is the proper language in this case? Let's assume that we are avoiding model averaging. Thanks, Lee -- Lee Davis Graduate Assistant State University of New York College of Environmental Science Forestry Department of Environmental Forest Biology 452 Illick Hall, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210
[ECOLOG-L] Faculty position in sustainability at Northwestern Univ.
Despite this opening being advertised by Materials Science and Engineering, this is a cross-disciplinary position with ecology as one of the search's target disciplines: http://www.matsci.northwestern.edu/empl_opps.html Questions may be directed to mcc_sustainabilitysea...@northwestern.edu. --- Faculty Position in Sustainability (cross-disciplinary) Northwestern University invites applications for a tenure track faculty position in sustainability. Sustainability is defined broadly to include energy and natural resource supply and consumption, environmental science and technology, Earth and climate science, and their complex interrelationship with economic, political, and social issues. The successful candidate should have a PhD in a relevant field, and have achieved excellence in research and teaching and recognition in the profession consistent with the rank of Associate or Full Professor in appropriate department(s). The candidate is expected to build a significant program in sustainability that complements other strengths in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and builds bridges to policy study in the College and the Kellogg School of Management. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a description of research plans and teaching interests, and the names and contact information of three references to http://facposition.northwestern.edu/sustainability/. The search committee will begin reviewing applications starting December 31, 2010. Questions may be directed to mcc_sustainabilitysea...@northwestern.edu. Northwestern University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Qualified women and minorities are encouraged to apply. It is the policy of Northwestern University not to discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, citizenship, veteran status or other protected group status. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.
[ECOLOG-L] Graduate student positions in forest ecology
Positions are available for PhD or Masters students who are interested in investigating how acid deposition affects the nutrient dynamics and productivity of deciduous forests in central Appalachia. Students will have the opportunity to conduct research at the Fernow Experimental Forest and contribute to long-term research at this location. Student research will involve field work in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia along with extensive training in the use of analytical instrumentation, experimental design, data analysis, computer modeling, communication skills, and teaching. More about the long-term research at the Fernow can be found at: www.as.wvu.edu/fernow/ Summer support is available for five years from a recent NSF-funded grant and this would supplement the compensation received during the academic year as a teaching assistant in the Department of Biology at West Virginia University. Information about the graduate program in biology, and how to apply, is available at: www.as.wvu.edu/biology/graduate/programs.htm. A successful applicant should: 1) have a bachelors or masters degree in a relevant field of study (ecology, geography, geology, biology, etc.); 2) a strong interest in ecosystem ecology and issues related to environmental change; 3) a willingness learn techniques used to analyze the chemical composition of soil, water, and plant samples; 4) an interest in learning computer modeling and incorporating it into their research; and 5) strong writing skills and a commitment to the effective communication of science to technical and non-technical audiences. To learn more about these opportunities, please contact: Dr. William Peterjohn Department of Biology West Virginia University b...@wvu.edu 304-293-5201 x 31510.
[ECOLOG-L] European ecology list?
Hy all, I'd like to know if is available an Ecology list focused on Europe, I'm asking this because I'm a Graduate Student from Italy, searching for a PhD, some weeks ago I've wrote a letter searching some information about it, but I had not received any reply from Europe. Best Regards Simone Demelas From: Simone Luciano Demelas simone.deme...@gmail.com
[ECOLOG-L] ISRS abstract date change
Given the short notice in the first announcement, the deadline for submission of abstracts to the biennial meeting of the International Society for River Science has been changed to 12 Feb 2011. The meeting will be in Berlin, 8 - 12 August 2011. Information on the meeting and submission of abstracts can be found at http://www.isrs2011.igb-berlin.de/. Cheers, Mike Michael D. Delong, Ph.D. Professor and Director Large River Studies Center Biology Department, Winona State University Winona, MN 55987 507-457-5484; fax 457-5681 http://course1.winona.edu/mdelong/ http://course1.winona.edu/mdelong/LRSC International Society for River Science (ISRS) Promoting River Research, Conservation, and Management http://www.riversociety.orghttp://www.riversociety.org/
[ECOLOG-L] Graduate student opportunity in prairie ecology/restoration in Nebraska
I am looking for a Ph D student interested in vegetation dynamics in prairie remnants and prairie restorations. The Nature Conservancy has restored 1,500 acres of grassland and manages 2,000 acres of remnant prairies and uses prescribed fire and grazing to increase habitat quality around Grand Island, Nebraska. However, it is increasingly clear that environmental factors such as soil composition and fertility, drought susceptibility, site history and species pools significant influence the vegetation composition. For instance, observationally, we see that remnant prairies are often dominated by invasive grasses and are low in forb diversity. Even when subjected to years of management to suppress invasive grasses and repeated over-seeding attempts, forb diversity fails to increase. Conversely, cropland restorations planted with 150-230 species successfully establish diverse plant communities. However, these restorations are threatened by the same invasive grass species and we see large variation among sites. There seems to be environmental variability, presently unaccounted for, that is hindering successful efforts to rehabilitate remnant prairies and restored prairies. We are currently examining how management (including fire and grazing), site history and site environmental factors correlate with vegetation composition, diversity, and the abundance of at-risk and invasive species. For this we have set up 800 permanently marked plots that are annually monitored for plant composition and abundance. In addition we have data of site history, management, soil fertility, soil texture and will collect productivity, nitrogen and water availability data in the next year. Based on this we will analyze the factors that control diversity, and propose hypotheses for management strategies that increase diversity, decrease the prevalence of invasive species, and increase the abundance of at-risk species. As a next step, we will experimentally examine these hypotheses on factors that controls plant diversity and how we may change the competitive balance among plant species to favor natives, increase the abundance of rare and threatened species, and decrease the prevalence of exotic weeds. If you are interested in such a research project for your Ph D, please contact me. This requires an interest in both basic and applied community and ecosystem ecology. Johannes (Jean) M H Knops School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska 348 Manter Hall Lincoln, NE 68588 Phone (402) 310 3904 Email: jkno...@unl.edu
[ECOLOG-L] The National Science Foundation calls it peer review for a reason, Mr. Smith!
Colleagues, You may have heard or read about the recent announcement regarding what the incoming Tea Party driven congressional leadership wants to do about wasteful spending at the NSF. Here's my response: http://leafwarbler.posterous.com/the-national-science-foundation-calls-it-peer Madhu ~ Madhusudan Katti Associate Professor of Vertebrate Biology Department of Biology, M/S SB73 California State University, Fresno Fresno, CA 93740-8034 Email: mka...@csufresno.edu Tel:559.278.2460 Fax:559.278.3963 Lab:http://www.reconciliationecology.org/ ~
[ECOLOG-L] New NSF solicitation for international collaborations
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12815http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12815 Catalyzing New International Collaborations Support for International Conferences OISE does not provide support for U.S. scientists and engineers to participate in international conferences or congresses; nor does it provide support for such meetings. OISE can support workshops that may immediately precede or follow a larger-scale conference when they add an international dimension that is focused on building research collaboration. See http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpgNSF Grant Proposal Guide sections II.D.8 II.D.9 and the OISE Catalyzing New International Collaborations solicitation available from the Program Guidelines section below. David W. Inouye Program Director Population and Community Ecology Cluster Division of Environmental Biology National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Blvd, Suite 635 Arlington, VA 22230 Phone: 703.292.8570 Fax: 703.292.9064 E-mail: file:///C:/Users/David/AppData/Local/Temp/dino...@nsf.govdino...@nsf.gov
[ECOLOG-L] quantifying scent
Would someone be able to recommend a survey paper on olfactory sensitivity in different mammals? I'm interested in the differences in sensitivity across taxa--whether certain species are more focused on certain elements of the olfactory environment. I realize this is something of a naive question, but I know very little about the scent landscape and how mammals live in it, so any guidance whatsoever would be most appreciated. Thanks much to all.
[ECOLOG-L] AIC and Occam;s Razor
Bob: Here are a few thoughts on your comments: This might shock some people, but AIC does not give The Truth. Of course not; one cannot hope to find full truth from finite samples. If you have a model that fits almost as well, but is simpler, then I don't see a problem with using it. You could use the more simple model if you wished, but it is far better to model average (not to mention that you could properly treat model selection uncertainty as part of the measure of precision). It's worth checking how much less of the variation is explain (e.g. using R^2), and also how different the fitted models are. Adj R-sq might be worth mention; however, it is a very poor way to select models. Adj R-sq applies just to the fitted data set and is not able to reflect out-of-sample prediction. Akaike's predictive likelihood goes beyond this. AIC has a tendency to give overly complex models (especially with lots of data), What you say is correct; however, that is exactly why people should be using AICc -- afterall that was first published some 33 years ago (1978)! so I often use BIC instead, which tends too far in the other direction. BIC is very poor; disliked by likelihoodists and Bayesians alike. Its underlying assumptions are absurd. It is not related to information theory in the slightest. Almost a hoax. This is a poor approach. Or, if the full model isn't too big, I don't bother with model selection, and report the full model. Again, a very poor approach to valid inference unless the sample size is very large. I hope these comments will be useful. David Anderson
[ECOLOG-L] Postdoctoral Ecologist at Rocky Mt. Research Station/MSU Bozeman, MT
Postdoctoral ecologist – USDA, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) at Montana State University (MSU), Bozeman, MT Duties: Analyze large-scale studies of disturbance and forest management (e.g., fire, bark beetles, and salvage logging) on wildlife populations (mainly birds), develop and advise on occupancy monitoring of focal species on National Forests, assist/collaborate with RMRS and MSU faculty and students on statistical analyses of avian demographic data, manuscript preparation and publication, oral presentations at workshops and scientific meetings, development of study designs, and supervision of field operations. Qualifications: (1) a Ph.D. in ecology, wildlife, biostatistics, or a related field within the last 4 years; (2) excellent quantitative skills; (3) a demonstrated ability to publish in peer-reviewed journals; and (4) strong motivation to work independently as well as in a team. Must have proficiency in application of recent analysis methods related to occupancy, demography, and habitat relationships. Preferred skills include: familiarity with R statistical software, computer modeling, GIS, and remote sensing. Exposure to Bayesian methods is also helpful. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Successful applicant will be an employee of RMRS with benefits. The RMRS is committed to developing a skilled work force that is diverse in disciplinary training, gender, age, and cultural, racial and ethnic origin. Salary range is $57,000 - $67,000 (GS-11/12), depending on experience. Please send CV, cover letter, and copies of your 3 best publications to vs...@fs.fed.us. Include brief statements in your cover letter describing your experience with different types of statistical analyses.
Re: [ECOLOG-L] AIC and Occam's Razor
What answers have you found and why were they unsatisfactory? First, use AICc, not AIC. See Burnham and Anderson 2002 or Anderson 2008 (Primer). Second, I think most all literature is rather clear that models with deltaAICc 2 are basically equivalent. So of course you should report support for models in that group, however many there may be. There are plenty of examples in the literature of language to accompany such situations. Finally, if you have this kind of model selection uncertainty, ignoring the advantages of multimodel inference, including model-averaging, is a rather strange decision. Dave Hewitt http://profile.usgs.gov/dhewitt - From:Lee Davis m.lee.da...@gmail.com Subject: AIC and Occam's Razor I have what might seem to be a simple question regarding AIC and parsimony, and yet the answers I have found on the subject are unsatisfactory. So, opinions please. Here is the scenario: Let's say that one is using AIC for the selection of nested models to avoid multiple LRT comparisons. Should you always choose the model with deltaAIC = 0 as the best? What if there is a model with deltaAIC 2 that has fewer terms? Should it be chosen in the pursuit of parsimony? Or should you report some support for both models? If so, what is the proper language in this case? Let's assume that we are avoiding model averaging. Thanks, Lee -- Lee Davis Graduate Assistant State University of New York College of Environmental Science Forestry Department of Environmental Forest Biology 452 Illick Hall, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210
[ECOLOG-L] Ph.D. opportunity in Plant Physiological Ecology, Mojave Desert
We seek a Ph.D. student with training and interest in plant physiological ecology or a related field to study mechanisms of community transitions in the Mojave Desert. The focus is on the blackbrush community, one of the most endangered communities in the Mojave Desert. The research is part of a multi-investigator research collaboration involving two universities (Texas State University San Marcos, California State University Fullerton, and three USGS field offices in Menlo Park, California, Moab, UT, and Las Vegas, NV. For more information, visit the project website: http://mojave.usgs.gov/rvde/index.html Initially the study will focus on the role of soil depth in modifying the competitive interactions of creosotebush (the dominant shrub at lower elevations) and blackbrush (dominant at higher elevations). The student is expected to develop future research directions according to his or her interests under the guidance of the project leaders. The project requires willingness to pursue physically demanding field work in relatively isolated locations and to spend the summer break near the field sites which are in proximity to Mojave National Preserve, about 50 miles outside of Las Vegas. The Ph.D. position is with the Biology Department of Texas State University in San Marcos and is in part supported by a teaching assistantship in the Department of Biology. The student will have the opportunity to earn additional summer salary working with the USGS office in Las Vegas during summer. San Marcos, Texas, is situated halfway between the culturally diverse metropolitan centers of Austin and San Antonio, at the foot of the Texas Hill Country, an environmentally attractive region of many spring-fed rivers. For more information about the department follow the link www.bio.txstate.edu . For more information about our Ph.D. program follow: http://www.aquaticresources.bio.txstate.edu . To send a letter of interest or for any other inquiries about this opportunity, contact: Susan Schwinning Department of Biology Texas State University San Marcos, TX 78666 521-245-3753 schw...@txstate.edu The deadline for applying to the Ph.D. program for an August 2011 starting date is January 15, 2011.
Re: [ECOLOG-L] AIC and Occam's Razor
There are a couple of strange things about the description of the scenario. First, the idea of thinking about a model with almost the same AIC (or, better, AICc) but fewer terms, in pursuit of parsimony is doing parsimony twice. The AIC already accounts for the relative number of parameters. If the model with fewer parameters has a worse AIC, the result is saying that the better model is better even though it has more parameters. And, advantageously, it is doing it in an objective way rather than some subjective feeling about parsimony. Second, in regard to Bob's reply to the scenario, R^2 is a really weak tool for comparing models. You can always improve R^2 by adding more terms. The value of information criteria (or at least one of the values) is escaping from that bind in a satisfactory way. Finally, in regard to Davis's question about what to report, in at least some parts of the literature, it is standard to report all the models evaluated, ranked by their Delta AIC. That way the reader can judge how much better the best model is than the second, third, etc. best. But in the end, you need a model to use. Model averaging is a really good procedure here, and it seems a little strange to rule it out. Hal Caswell On Dec 2, 2010, at 10:40 AM, Bob ohara wrote: This might shock some people, bit AIC does not give The Truth. If you have a model that fits almost as well, but is simpler, then I don't see a problem with using it. It's worth checking how much less of the variation is explain (e.g. using R^2), and also how different the fitted models are. AIC has a tendency to give overly complex models (especially with lots of data), so I often use BIC instead, which tends too far in the other direction. Or, if the full model isn't too big, I don't bother with model selection, and report the full model. HTH Bob Bob O'Hara Tel: +49 69 798 40226 (in Germany) Mobile: +49 1515 888 5440 WWW: http://www.bik-f.de/root/index.php?page_id=219 Blog: http://blogs.nature.com/boboh/ Journal of Negative Results - EEB: www.jnr-eeb.org Lee Davis m.lee.da...@gmail.com 12/01/10 23:44 PM I have what might seem to be a simple question regarding AIC and parsimony, and yet the answers I have found on the subject are unsatisfactory. So, opinions please. Here is the scenario: Let's say that one is using AIC for the selection of nested models to avoid multiple LRT comparisons. Should you always choose the model with deltaAIC = 0 as the best? What if there is a model with deltaAIC 2 that has fewer terms? Should it be chosen in the pursuit of parsimony? Or should you report some support for both models? If so, what is the proper language in this case? Let's assume that we are avoiding model averaging. Thanks, Lee -- Lee Davis Graduate Assistant State University of New York College of Environmental Science Forestry Department of Environmental Forest Biology 452 Illick Hall, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210 - Hal Caswell Senior Scientist Biology Department Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole MA 02543 508-289-2751 hcasw...@whoi.edu
[ECOLOG-L] Help with Multiple Regression
Dear friends, It has been recently suggested by Legendre and co-authors that we include quadratic and product terms of our environmental variables in constrained ordinations. For instance, to include not only latitude but also latitude^2 and latitude*longitude, the same with physical and biotic variables aimed at being correlated with ordination axis in some way. I am following McCune and Grace's book (2002) suggestion of correlating environmental variables with NMDS axes. However common correlations of multiple variables x each nmds axis are not the best options because at each correlation they do not control for the other variables in the dataset. Those authors also state that multiple regression use partial correlation coefficients and thus would be a better methos for correlating several environmental variables with ordination axes. However, multiple regression suffers from multicolinearity, which is greatly enhanced when we use product or quadratic terms of the environmental variables. What do you think about that? Best whishes, 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
[ECOLOG-L] Internship opportunity
INTERNSHIP OPENING: The Herpetology program at Archbold Biological Station is seeking two interns to assist with population monitoring of threatened Florida sand skink populations of the Lake Wales Ridge in south-central Florida. The length of appointment will be for approximately 5 months starting in early February 2011. The Archbold internship program offers an opportunity to gain experience in every aspect of scientific research, from experimental design and data collection to oral and written presentations. The Interns can expect to work approximately 20 hours per week as a research assistant supporting ongoing research into population monitoring techniques, and the remaining time on an independent research project related to some aspect of sand skink ecology. Archbold Biological Station is a renowned research facility located near Lake Placid, Florida. For more information about the herpetology program see: http://www.archbold-station.org/station/html/research/herpetology/herpetol.html Minimum qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree in biology, wildlife science, or a related field; highly motivated and detail-oriented; enthusiasm for fieldwork; ability to tolerate long hours, heat/humidity, and biting insects. Previous experience with herpetofaunal identification and sampling methods is also desirable. Interns receive a weekly stipend of $100 plus room and board at the Station (shared housing; no pets). Interested applicants should send (1) a letter of application, including period of availability, (2) a resume or curriculum vitae, including GPA and relevant coursework, and (3) contact information for at least two references, to Dr. Carol Rizkalla (crizka...@usf.edu). Please indicate 'Intern application' in the subject heading. Review of applications will begin December 20th. -- Archbold is an Equal Opportunity Employer --
[ECOLOG-L] What is the best equipement for recording bird calls?
Rebecca, We are using SongMeter Model SM2 recorder which is made by Wildlife Acoustics. Our first recording calls are amazing, but of course it depends where about you have to place the recording system, and how hard is the noise around it. You can have a look on the SongMeter supplier website: http://www.wildlifeacoustics.com/index.php Hope this helps Nuno Nuno Oliveira Project Assistant LIFE+ Safe Islands for Seabirds Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds www.spea.pt Portugal Date:Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:51:31 -0500 From:Anne J Marchant amarc...@gmu.edu Subject: Re: What is the best equipement for recording bird calls? Rebecca, We have been using a Olympus LS-10 Linear PCM Recorder with a AudioTechnica AT 897 condenser microphone to record a variety of animal vocalizations successfully (including cranes and kiwis). We're saving the files in .wav format. Hope this helps, Anne Anne Marchant, PhD. Associate Director Mason Center for Conservation Studies c/o Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute 1500 Remount Road Front Royal, VA 22630 Prince William Campus Mailstop 5F7 571-296-6008 - Original Message - From: Rebecca Stirnemann rstirnem...@gmail.com Date: Thursday, November 11, 2010 9:44 pm Subject: [ECOLOG-L] What is the best equipement for recording bird calls? Can any one recomend equipment for recording bird calls for analysis and playback? I have heard MP3 players have a poorer resolution and birds do not respond as well. Can any one confirm this is true? Thanks Rebecca -- Date:Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:15:56 -0500 From:Pekin, Burak K bpe...@purdue.edu Subject: Re: Taxonomy and Ecology Integrating or Disintegrating? Yes, I agree that the importance of the 'reality' that any categorization represents is an issue in itself. Perhaps their interest in categorizing organisms to purely reflect their genetics rather than their ecological functions has made taxonomists less prone to justifying categorizations that reflect capitalistic human interests rather than real ecological phenomenon. -Burak -Original Message- From: mcnee...@cox.net [mailto:mcnee...@cox.net] Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 2:01 PM To: 'ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU'; Pekin, Burak K Subject: RE: [ECOLOG-L] Taxonomy and Ecology Integrating or Disintegrating? Burak, you are correct that an ecoregion is a specific piece of real estate. I guess I have been bothered considerably over the years by attempts to assign Clementsian community meaning to all the various ways we divide natural real estate. Sure, a Cross Timbers Ecoregion is a defined piece of the lower midwestern-southwestern portion of the U.S., and it is recognized because a few oak species are dominant trees there. I was just being pesky. I'll go back in my hole, and those who assign more than I believe there is to such entities can have their way. The pieces of natural real estate indeed do exist. Thanks for your forbearance. David Pekin wrote: David, I don’t understand your distinction between something that is 'real' in nature versus something that is 'not actual, real, or concrete'. Whether something is real or not depends on the context in which it is used. A 'real' ecoregion, is real in that it represents a spatial area that is homogenous in the composition of certain species or other ecosystem properties of interest. Similiarly, a species is only 'real' in that it represents a group of organisims that have similar genetics, reproductive attributes, or evolutionary lineage. -Burak -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of David L. McNeely Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 10:06 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Taxonomy and Ecology Integrating or Disintegrating? I can't disagree with most of what most posters have said regarding this matter (the question of species and the question of ecoregions, I can disagree with the perception that people generally throw stones at fellow scientists in disciplines other than their own). That said, I do have to point out that species is an attempt to define something real in nature, a recognition that populations really do consist of more or less homogeneous components. Whether recognized on the basis of morphology, genetics, or other attributes, the actual population components exist in their own right, and not just because we define them. The ecological units that are being called ecoregions are not actual, real, concrete entities. Rather, they are attempts to divide geography for our own purposes. Sure, there are properties that are the basis for the division, but the dividing is an exercise, not a
[ECOLOG-L] Tenure-track position: Tropical Ecologist, Nicholas School, Duke Univesity
friends, please share this announcement with your colleagues. and please reply to the contact info below (not to me!). thanks, dlu _ Dean Urban Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University Tropical Ecology - Nicholas School of the Environment The Nicholas School of the Environment (NSOE) at Duke University will make a tenure-track appointment for an Assistant Professor in tropical ecology. This position builds on Duke's strengths in ecological, environmental, and biological sciences and seeks to attract an outstanding faculty member who will engage in and facilitate multidisciplinary interactions across the NSOE and other units on campus such as Biology, Evolutionary Anthropology, the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, the Organization for Tropical Studies, and the Global Health Institute. The successful applicant will carry out research at the interface of tropical ecology, ecosystem function, and the rapid and imposing changes now ongoing across nearly all of the tropics, as well as contribute to the NSOE's curricula at the undergraduate, professional master's, and doctoral levels. Consideration of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applications should include a full CV, and statements of research and teaching goals (all in one PDF file), and three letters of reference. Applications should be forwarded to Laura Turcotte (ljtu...@duke.edu). The Nicholas School and Duke University are committed to equal opportunity in employment. Applications are strongly encouraged from members of under-represented populations.
[ECOLOG-L] JOB LISTING: Assistant Professor, Columbia College Chicago
Tenure-Track Position in Biology (POS 763) About Columbia Columbia College Chicago is an urban institution of over 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students emphasizing arts, media, and communications in a liberal arts setting. The Department of Science and Mathematics invites applicants for a full-time tenure-track assistant professor position in biology. Job Summary The responsibilities of this position include teaching biology (9 credit hours each semester) primarily to non-majors. Faculty members are also expected to be active in scholarship and professional development and participate in College and Departmental service. The successful candidate will be a dedicated and innovative teacher who combines excellent communication skills with a strong commitment to undergraduate liberal arts and sciences education. A Ph.D. in Biology or a closely related field is required for this position. The start date is August 16, 2011. How To Apply To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by January 16, 2011. No phone calls or walk-ins please. Please upload in ONE document: a letter of application, your c.v., statement of teaching philosophy, and the names of and complete contact information for three references. Equal Employment Opportunity Columbia College Chicago is committed to diversity in its faculty. This includes, but is not limited to, diversity of race, gender, generation, geography and diversity of training and professional background. Columbia College Chicago encourages female, GLBT, disabled, international, and minority classified individuals to apply for all positions. We offer a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package. For more information, visit our website at: www.colum.edu https://employment.colum.edu/psp/careers/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_HM_PREAction=ASiteId=1
[ECOLOG-L] The International Canopy Network
Hello, We at the International Canopy Network would like to invite you to join our membership in support of canopy science and education! Here's some info about our organization. Please email can...@evergreen.edu with questions/inquiries. Thanks! INTERNATIONAL CANOPY NETWORK ICAN exists to facilitate communication among individuals and institutions concerned with research, education, and conservation of organisms and interactions in forest canopies. We believe that conservation begins with education. We have found that because the canopy ecosystem in inherently interesting to many people, it is an ideal tool for the promotion of science and forest conservation. ICAN is a growing non-profit organization. Your membership is critical in allowing us to develop and distribute our quarterly newsletter, compile the ICAN directory, and develop educational projects. Below we have outlined some of our current programs and how you may get further involved with The International Canopy Network. ICANs email bulletin board, or listserv, provides an opportunity for researchers, educators, and others to discuss the many concepts, perspectives, and objectives associated with forest canopies. To subscribe to the list, email canopy-requ...@lternet.edu with subscribe canopy in the body of your message. ICAN maintains and on-line bibliographic citation database of scientific publications relating to forest canopies. There are now over 7700 citations available through our database. ICANs educational projects include the Ask Doctor Canopy program. The goal is to connect inquisitive students directly with researchers. Students contact Dr. Canopy and the ICAN office distributes these questions to a cadre of canopy scientists for answers. Let us know if you would like to be a Dr. Canopy. ICAN also has a graduate mini course in canopy studies, complete with power point lectures, and PDF reading lists. CDs of the course are free to members. Contact the ICAN office for your copy. Contribute your latest research, observations, artwork, job postings or queries, or news about upcoming meetings to our quarterly newsletter, Whats Up?. Send contributions to the editor at can...@evergreen.edu. We hope to continue developing into a practical and effective research, education, and conservation organization. Your input will help us reach that goal. Best, Jill Cooper Office Manager The International Canopy Network
[ECOLOG-L] life that uses Arsenic in place of phosphorus
For those who have not heard NASA today announced that research done through their exobiology program discovered a that a bacterium living in Mono Lake, California can use Arsenic in place of phosphorus. This is being pretty hyped in the news as a new form of life. I think the aspect regarding its impact on extraterestrial life is over-hyped and frankly a stretch. We are not looking at an organism THAT USES Arsenic instead of phosporus. We are looking at an organism that CAN OPPORTUNISTICALLY USE Arsenic in place of phosphorus. This is pretty cool, and a huge scientific finding. however, I guess our anti-intellectual society would find it very difficult to appreciate that this is a big deal, so we have to promote the least interesting component of the study, the most speculative, and frankly the part that is hardly related to these findings,...that extraterrestrial life could use Arsenic. In fact, this DOES NOT REDEFINE our understanding of life, it REAFFIRMS our understanding!!! This is another adaptation that evolved from species with normal phosphorus-based physiology that resides in a high-arsenic environment. We long believed that organisms should be able to do this, and now they found one that could. Also, they have not established whether these organisms do this in the environment, only that they can do it in the lab. Understand, I am not taking away from the extreme importance of their findings, I just wish we would actually revel in their findings instead of speculation that has not been established. Here is a link to the NASA announcement: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/astrobiology_toxic_chemical.html -- Malcolm L. McCallum Managing Editor, Herpetological Conservation and Biology Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive - Allan Nation 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.
[ECOLOG-L] Seeking Graduate Position or Employment
Hello, I am a recent graduate of the department of biology at The College of New Jersey in Trenton, New Jersey and am seeking a position in the field of ecology. My specific interests within this field include, but are not limited to, botany, dendrology, and community ecology. A resume and CV will be provided upon request. Best regards, Steve
[ECOLOG-L] Faculty Position, Microbial Biology, U. of Utah
Faculty Position in Microbial Biology Department of Biology, University of Utah The Department of Biology at the University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in Microbial Biology. We encourage applicants who are investigating any area of microbial biology, including eukaryotic microbes and microbial interactions with higher organisms. For an overview of the department please visit http://www.biology.utah.edu/. Applicants should submit in PDF format a curriculum vita, up to 5 representative publications, descriptions of current and future research interests (up to two pages each), statement of teaching interests, and the names of three referees to microsea...@biology.utah.edu. Please also arrange for three letters of reference to be sent directly to the Microbial Biology Search Committee, Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Rm. 201, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0840, USA. Review of applications will begin on January 15, 2011 and continue until the position is filled. The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students from diverse backgrounds, and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education for historically underrepresented students. The University of Utah is fully committed to affirmative action and to its policies of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity in all programs, activities, and employment. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, status as a person with a disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and status as a protected veteran. The University seeks to provide equal access for people with disabilities. Reasonable prior notice is needed to arrange accommodations. Evidence of practices not consistent with these policies should be reported to: Director, Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, (801) 581-8365 (V/TDD).
[ECOLOG-L] Job: Faculty position, quantitative ecology, University of Maryland
Note slightly modified procedure for submitting recommendations. TENURE-TRACK ASSISTANT OR ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR: QUANTITATIVE ECOLOGY The Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, College Park invites applications for an Assistant or Associate Professor in quantitative ecology. We seek an outstanding candidate taking informatic, experimental, statistical, and/or theoretical approaches to major questions in ecology at the population, community, and/or ecosystem levels. Applicants must have a doctorate degree and should have developed, or demonstrate the potential to develop, an outstanding research program and a record of extramural funding. Applicants must also exhibit a commitment to excellence in teaching. Postdoctoral experience is preferred. The Department of Biology is in the College of Computer, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences. Candidates whose research activities will strengthen interactions within the College are of particular interest. The Department of Biology itself is home to a vibrant group of researchers in the areas of ecology, evolution, behavior, conservation biology, neuroscience, and development (http://biology.umd.edu/http://biology.umd.edu/). The University of Maryland, College Park is the flagship campus of the University of System of Maryland and is one of the most rapidly advancing public research universities in the country. Our close proximity to Washington D.C., the Chesapeake Bay and the Appalachian mountains facilitates interactions with researchers at an extraordinary range of institutions and field stations (e.g., Smithsonian Institution, USDA, USGS Patuxent Research Center, USFWS, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies). In addition, several major non-governmental organizations have their world headquarters in Washington, DC (e.g., Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund). Applicants should apply electronically to https://jobs.umd.edu/https://jobs.umd.edu, specifying faculty, then Quantitative Ecology (position #116841). Applications should consist of (1) a letter of application, (2) a curriculum vita, (3) a statement of research interests and plans, (4) a statement of teaching experience and interests, (5) a list of referees with e-mail addresses, and (6) PDFs of up to two publications. Your referees will automatically receive a link from the online system to use for submitting their letter. For best consideration, applications should be complete, including letters of reference, by Dec. 15, 2010. Please direct questions to Dr. Sara Via (s...@umd.edu). The University of Maryland is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Applications from minorities and women are encouraged.
