[ECOLOG-L] Course GMM and phylogeny in Barcelona: last call
Dear colleagues, This is the last call for the course GEOMETRIC MORPHOMETRICS AND PHYLOGENY- 5th edition. INSTRUCTOR: Professor. Chris Klingenberg (University of Manchester, UK). DATES: SEPTEMBER 8-12, 2014; 38 teaching hours. PLACE: Facilities of the Centre of Restauració i Interpretació Paleontologica, Els Hostalets de Pierola, Barcelona (Spain). Organized by: Transmitting Science, the Institut Catalá de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont and the Council of Hostalets de Pierola. More information: http://www.transmittingscience.org/courses/gm/gm-and-phylogeny/ or writing to cour...@transmittingscience.org This course provides an overview of the interface between geometric morphometrics and phylogenetics. It aims to give an overview of the different approaches and methods that link the two fields and to enable participants to apply them to their own research problems. Lectures that introduce concepts and methods are integrated with demonstrations of software that put them into practice right away. The main emphasis is on mapping shape data on existing phylogenies to reconstruct the evolutionary history of shape diversification, as well as comparative methods that take phylogeny into account. To enhance the practical approach of the course, participants are encouraged to bring their own data to conduct analyses and discuss results. Please feel free to distribute this information between your colleagues if you consider it appropriate. With best regards Soledad De Esteban Trivigno, PhD. Course Director Transmitting Science http://www.transmittingscience.org/
[ECOLOG-L] Ph.D. position in Molecular Ecology
*Ph.D. Scholarship, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland* *Alternative nitrogenases in cyanobacteria of mosses and lichens* *Prerequisites:* Masters degree in a relevant field. Skills in microbiology and molecular biology, interest in ecology and fieldwork. The project will be carried out at the University of Iceland under the auspices of professors Ólafur S. Andrésson and Ingibjörg Svala Jónsdóttir, with a possibility of field- and coursework at the University Centre in Svalbard. *See*: http://www.starfatorg.is/kennsla_rannsoknir/nr/18108 For further information contact Ólafur S. Andrésson at o...@hi.is * **Brief project description:* Atmospheric nitrogen must be processed (fixed) to suitable forms for use in living organisms. A large part of this available fixed nitrogen is recycled but some of it is lost from the biosphere so that replenishment is needed. There is low availability of fixed nitrogen in newly exposed terrain where fixed nitrogen is essential for establishing a vegetation cover, often rich in lichens and mosses. This fixed nitrogen is primarily provided by cyanobacteria which can be integral symbionts in many lichens and more loosely associated with mosses. Biological nitrogen fixation is primarily attributed to nitrogenase enzymes requiring molybdenum for function. It has been known for two decades that some cyanobacteria have an alternative nitrogenase which makes use of vanadium and can function when molybdenum is not available. Although less efficient under standard conditions, the vanadium nitrogenase has greater activity at low temperatures than the molybdenum nitrogenase. Recently, vanadium- based nitrogenases have been found in lichens and moss-associated cyanobacteria. This doctoral project will study the frequency and nature of alternative nitrogenases in ecosystems characterized by mosses and lichens, what drives selection for these alternatives, and assess their contribution to the ecosystem nitrogen budget.
[ECOLOG-L] Asking for crowd-sourcing help
Continuing my attempts in crowd-funding, I have a small project for this summer that I'm running through Rockethub. Basically, a student and I are looking at invasive plants and close relatives to see if there's any difference in allelopathy and toxicity to Daphnia magna. There's more information at http://www.rockethub.com/projects/44188-trait-versus-origin-invasive-plants-and-their-native-cousins-face-off If you can support this project, or help spread the word about it, or offer any feedback, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
[ECOLOG-L] Two days left to apply for a (paid) Earth Stewardship Initiative Fellowship!
Calling all students and recent graduates. Time is running out to apply for the 2014 Earth Stewardship Initiative Fellowship! Not only will this fellowship provide you with unparalleled experience, a KILLER line on your CV and science outreach that will get the NSF drooling, but you also get paid ($400!) to do it! The deadline is midnight, June 17th. Visit www.EarthStewardshipESA2014.com http://www.earthstewardshipesa2014.com/ for more information and to apply. *Alexander J. Felson, PhD RLA* Yale Soa and fes Urban Ecology Design Lab www.uedlab.org alexander.fel...@yale.edu *Rushyan Yen* Yale School of Architecture School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Joint Degree M. Architecture I M. Environmental Management 2015 ru-shyan@yale.edu | 412-956-7201 www.EarthStewardshipESA2014.com
[ECOLOG-L] Mid Atlantic biological control workshop
The Mid Atlantic Invasive Plant Council (MAIPC) will be holding a biocontrol workshop in the DC area on July 29th (field trips July 28th). The title of the workshop is Managing Invasive Plants: Beyond Pull, Cut, and Spray. The workshop will focus primarily on biocontrols that target terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants, particularly those problematic in the Mid- Atlantic region. More details available here: http://www.maipc.org/Workshop2014/ Norris Muth Juniata College
[ECOLOG-L] Volunteers needed for NYC's Jamaica Bay terrapin conservation project-Now
Volunteers needed for Jamaica Bay terrapin conservation project Once again I am seeking volunteers to help with the diamondback terrapin (DBT) research and conservation project at Jamaica Bay in June and July 2014. We’ve had a long and cold winter and we have lots of new projects so this is likely to be a particularly interesting spring. Volunteer work can be arranged around anyone's summer schedule. Prospective volunteers should contact me via email or here on Facebook. Most volunteers decide to come out one or two days/week, others come out for one longer stretch of days or weeks. Work mostly involves walking thru known nesting areas and looking for nesting DBT, then following a standard protocol for marking nests, capturing DBT, and data collection. We also go in areas where visitors are not allowed. When you do this, you must be wearing an official terrapin volunteer t-shirt. No one under 16 without a parent or guardian along. It is helpful if you have a pair of binoculars. Volunteers are never more than a 20 minute walk to the Jamaica Bay Visitor Center, which is air conditioned and has water and restrooms. The first step is Scheduling: Please go to the Google home page (www.google.com) and sign in to the jbterp2...@gmail.com google account (see the button on the upper right hand corner of the page labeled “sign in”). The password is Malaclemys2014. After you sign into the account, click on the set of nine dots in the top right, a drop down menu will pop up with a Calendar button. When the calendar opens up, you can type an appointment for any days when you can volunteer. Please include your name and phone number with each entry, so if I have to cancel for some reason I can reach you. I need people every day, more or less 7am-7pm. Feel free to sign up for the same time as other people; I usually need more than one person at a time. Newbies: On your first day go to the visitor center at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Center (directions below) and call on the DBT phone (646.415.2074). BTW--I only have this phone on during the DBT season. One of us will answer and direct you to wherever the action is, and start training you. Special DBT Researcher Volunteer T-shirts are available free for those that make a serious volunteer commitment. Remember: always schedule your volunteer time on the Google calendar before coming out, so I know to expect you. The Visitor Center is on Cross Bay Boulevard just south of the town of Howard Beach. You should bring water, a cell phone, binoculars and camera if you have them, food/snacks, sun block, and a hat. You can wear shorts and sandals are OK. I supply all note-taking equipment. It's good to be prepared for rain since DBT do come out on days when there are showers followed by sun. There are mosquitoes/no-see-ums especially around dawn/dusk so you might want to bring your favorite bug repellant. Communication: I can’t stay on top of phone calls all the time, but I can do emails and Facebook. If you haven’t already, you can join us at the Facebook group Jamaica Bay Terrapin Research and Conservation. You can always email me (bio...@hofstra.edu). And you can always leave messages on the DBT phone (646.415.2074). Dr. Russell Burke Department of Biology Hofstra University
[ECOLOG-L] Conference Deadline: Unifying Ecology Across Scales
Deadline to Apply: JUNE 22, 2014 Conference Time and Place: July 19-25, 2014 at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine Conference Description: Ecological patterns and processes occur at multiple scales of space, time, and organization. This complexity makes predicting ecological responses challenging because changes in one scale can have profound impacts on patterns and processes at other scales. Because subdisciplines have traditionally focused on one or two scales, we have few approaches that enable us to predict the connections and feedbacks across scales that shape biodiversity. This Gordon Research Conference, titled Unifying ecology across scales: the roles of nutrients, metabolism, and physiology will bring scientists together to explore how the flow of energy and nutrients can be used to understand patterns and processes across scales. Research interests of the participants will span diverse areas of ecology, evolution, and physiology, but are united by the goal of use energetics and stoichiometry to unify subdisciplines of ecology. The schedule includes a 5-day research conference (co-chaired by Morgan Ernest Michael Angilletta) preceded by a 2-day research seminar oriented toward students and postdocs (co-chaired by Sarah Supp Sarah Diamond). To see the conference program or for more information: http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2014program=unifying or contact Conference Co-Chairs: Morgan Ernest (morgan.ern...@usu.edu) or Michael Angilletta (angille...@asu.edu)
