[ECOLOG-L] Summer jobs (paid), Lyme disease ecology, NY's Hudson River Valley
TWO TYPES OF JOBS AVAILABLE AT THE CARY INSTITUTE - PLEASE SEE BELOW JOB #1 TITLE:Project Assistant - up to 6 positions DURATION: Temporary, full-time. Approximately April 20 to November 1, 2011, although applicants available during summer college break are also welcome to apply. DUTIES:Research the dynamics of mammalian communities and the relationships between mammals, ticks, Lyme disease ecology, tree seed survival, songbirds, and gypsy moths. Location is the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York's Hudson River Valley. Duties include live-trapping small and medium mammals and reliably recording pertinent data, sampling abundance of ticks, tree seed collection, and laboratory assays of tick infection with the Lyme disease bacterium. Early morning and late afternoon hours. On-site housing is available. BACKGROUND:Prior experience handling small-or meso-mammals highly desirable. CLOSING DATE: February 10, 2011 ORIGINATOR:Dr. Richard Ostfeld TO APPLY:To apply, please e-mail a brief cover letter, resume, and the names and full contact information (including email addresses) for three professional references to: Human Resources Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Job Ref. #11001-I P.O. Box AB Millbrook, New York 12545 E-mail: j...@caryinstitute.orgmailto:j...@caryinstitute.org AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER-MIN/FEM/VET/DISAB JOB #2 TITLE:Project Assistant - up to 6 positions DURATION: Temporary, full-time. Approximately May 20 to August 1, 2011. DUTIES:Research the dynamics of blacklegged tick populations in heterogeneous landscapes of Dutchess County, in New York's Hudson River Valley. Location is the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY. Duties include sampling the abundance of ticks and conducting basic vegetation analyses in forested sites throughout the county. On-site housing is available. BACKGROUND:Prior experience in field ecology is desirable. CLOSING DATE: March 10, 2011 ORIGINATOR:Dr. Richard Ostfeld TO APPLY:To apply, please e-mail a brief cover letter, resume, and the names and full contact information (including email addresses) for three professional references to: Human Resources Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Job Ref. #11001-I P.O. Box AB Millbrook, New York 12545 E-mail: j...@caryinstitute.orgmailto:j...@caryinstitute.org AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER-MIN/FEM/VET/DISAB * Richard S. Ostfeld, Ph.D. Senior Scientist Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Box AB, 2801 Sharon Turnpike Millbrook, NY 12545 USA 845 677-7600, ext 136 rostf...@caryinstitute.org http://ecostudies.org/people_sci_ostfeld.html NEW BOOK -- LYME DISEASE: THE ECOLOGY OF A COMPLEX SYSTEM Oxford University Press 2011 http://www.amazon.com/Lyme-Disease-Ecology-Complex-System/dp/0195388127/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1278436447sr=1-2 *
[ECOLOG-L] Coastal Furbearer Technician
Title: Coastal Furbearer Technician Location: Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina Job Description: A technician position is available for a Clemson University graduate project monitoring mink in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, just north of Charleston, SC. The project will begin mid- March. Mink will be captured, transported to a vet, and implanted with a radiotransmitter. From April through August, mink will be monitored to determine activity pattern. The applicant will drive the boat as well as help with trapping, telemetry, PIT tagging kits in late May, and locating dens. The applicant must be motivated, good-humored, and willing to work rotating night and day hours as well as weekends. Time off will be irregular. Qualification: - high school diploma - valid drivers license - motorized watercraft handling skills - experience in coastal marsh systems preferred - able to lift at least 50 lbs To Apply: Submit a cover letter, resume, one letter of recommendation, and contact information for two additional references to: cego...@clemson.edu Salary: $10/h, Housing provided Position extends: March 15, 2011 – August 10, 2011
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening?
Jason, I'm unaware of any clean line between conservation-oriented land management and gardening with a focus on natives. Honestly, within the context of conservation activities, I don't see the point in drawing that line. The relevant question is, are the results of conservation activities worth the resources they consume? If you think they are, you're more likely to call the activities conservation (implying that you're saving something worth saving), but if you don't, you're more likely to call them gardening (since that term, implying artificiality, contradicts the motivation behind conservation: to conserve the natural world). Conservation organizations usually try to stay as far as they can from anything most people would call gardening. It's not that they're averse to that label (though I think they are), but because they want to accomplish the most they can with their limited resources. If maintaining, restoring, or re-creating an ecosystem takes too much intervention, the money and effort is usually better spent on habitats that are less degraded, all else being equal. (An exception would be demonstration gardens, where the goal is to educate, not to conserve.) I DO see a point in drawing a line between gardening and conservation in the political arena. Conservation agencies would be wise to be sure people recognize their efforts as conservation and not gardening. If they don't want to dirty their hands by branding their activities as conservation in the political sphere, there are others who will gladly brand the same activities as gardening. Jim Crants -- James Crants, PhD Scientist, University of Minnesota Agronomy and Plant Genetics Cell: (612) 718-4883
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening?
Jason, And if a species is beyond saving with conservation, how worthwhile is it to save that species with gardening? At this point, it might be pertinent to ask what other species are dependent (for their life processes) on the gardened species. For example, is there an exclusive mutualism that needs to be preserved? Colleen Grant --- On Mon, 1/17/11, Jason Hernandez jason.hernande...@yahoo.com wrote: From: Jason Hernandez jason.hernande...@yahoo.com Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening? To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Date: Monday, January 17, 2011, 5:08 PM This question is inspired by a conversation with a former employer. When do our interventions cease to be conservation and become gardening? For the sake of argument, I was taking the purist position: that ideally, we want to be able to put a fence around a natural area and walk away, letting nature manage it. But as my employer rightly pointed out, that is just not a realistic expectation in the 21st century, what with invasive species, systemic pollution, human pressures on surrounding areas, and countless other factors which will not go away. But of course, she also knew that there is a degree of intervention which crosses the line from conservation to gardening, that is, caring for a population that no longer participates in its ecosystem processes. There is, of course, a continuum of interventions. Removal of invasive competitors is a relatively light intervention; growing seedlings in a greenhouse and then planting them out is more intensive; maintaining an in vitro germplasm collection still more intensive. Are there any recognized criteria for determining the boundary between conservation and gardening? And if a species is beyond saving with conservation, how worthwhile is it to save that species with gardening? Can we determine when a species' only hope is gardening? Jason Hernandez Biological Science Technician, USDA Forest Service
[ECOLOG-L] Job Announcement: Biology (Assistant Professor, tenure-stream)
Biology (Assistant Professor, tenure-stream), beginning Fall 2011. Ph.D. and commitment to teaching undergraduates required; postdoctoral research preferred. Responsibilities include teaching general introductory biology courses, biology courses for non-biology majors, and upper-level major courses in one or more of the following areas: ecology, field biology, invertebrate zoology and/or genetics; as well as supervising undergraduate research/internships. Submit letter of application, C.V., unofficial transcripts, statements of teaching philosophy and research interests, and three letters of recommendation to Dr. Lauren Yaich (ya...@pitt.edu), Search Committee Chair, c/o Cathy Holzwarth, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, 300 Campus Drive, Bradford, PA 16701. http://www.upb.pitt.edu/acadsearch.aspx. Review of completed applications will begin January 15, 2011, and continue until position is filled. Pitt-Bradford is a beautiful, friendly campus with an emphasis on teaching. While faculty have the advantage of the expansive resources and research opportunities available through the University of Pittsburgh system, they also enjoy one-on-one contact with their students in a secure, personalized environment. Applicants representing all aspects of diversity are encouraged to apply. AA/EOE.
[ECOLOG-L] PhD research at UW-Madison Ecological change in Pine Barrens
Graduate Research Assistantship Ecological change in Pine Barrens. A 50% time graduate research assistantship is available beginning in June or July 2011. The work involves carefully resurveying pine barrens sites first surveyed by J.T. Curtis and students more than 50 years ago to assess ecological changes. We will also collect plants for genetic analyses and measure functional traits. The successful candidate should be skilled in field plant taxonomy and vegetation sampling and have strong quantitative skills. MS level preferred. The assistantship supplies a monthly stipend, tuition and benefits for up to 2-3 years, perhaps in combination with a Teaching Assistantship. A valid drivers license is required. Interested persons should contact Dr. Don Waller, Univ. WI-Madison, Dept. of Botany (dmwaller at wisc.edu; 263-2042), Dr. Tom Givnish (givnish at wisc.edu, 265-5718), or Sarah Johnson (sejohnson7 at wisc.edu; 265-2191).
[ECOLOG-L] Student looking for phD opportunity in ecology and evolutionary biology
I am an environmental engineering student and I will be graduating with a bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech in the Fall of 2011. My interest is in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and I am looking for an opportunity to pursue a phD. I will take classes after I graduate to catch up on Biology course work that I may be missing and then hopefully start graduate school in the Fall of 2012.
[ECOLOG-L] Decrease of carbon concentration in late stage of decomposition?
Hi, Fellows in Ecolog-L I would like to ask for your suggestion on one of our decomposition experiment. We have some wood materials that decomposed for three years. After 2 years, the carbon concentration (mg/g, that is X mg carbon to 1 g of dry material) started to drop below 500mg/g. It reached around 300 mg/g at the end of the 3 years. I'm wonder if there is any reason for the decrease of this carbon concentration. One reason I think possible is that the carbon was respired while O and H were accumulated and form humic like materials. We'll appreciate any input. Thanks. Zewei Song University of Minnesota Dept. of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering Lab of Biodegradation
[ECOLOG-L] Society of Ethnobiology 2011 Conference
The 34th Annual Meeting of the Society of Ethobiology “Historical and Archaeological Perspectives in Ethnobiology” will be held from May 4– May 7, 2011 in Columbus, Ohio. We welcome all papers that touch on relationships between humans and other organisms, both past and present. In keeping with the conference theme, we are particularly interested in soliciting presentations that address the following topics and approaches: •History and evolutionary significance of important ethnobiological patterns, such as plant and animal domestication, food processing, hunting, environmental management, and the use of animals and plants in ceremony, crafts, and traditional medicine •Application and integration of multiple lines of archaeological and paleoenvironmental evidence •Incorporation of ethnographic and documentary information into studies of past relationships between humans and culturally important animals and plants •Human paleoecology, including human impact on past environments Our annual conference banquet will be held on Friday evening, May 6th, at 6:00pm at the conference venue (the Hyatt Regency). This is a great opportunity to visit with friends (or make new ones) and reflect upon the conference while enjoying a meal with fellow conference-goers. Participate in incredible field trips to Magee Marsh Wildlife Area on Lake Erie, Larksong Farm in Fredricksburg, Ohio, or Hopewell Culture National Historic Park. Deadline for abstracts is February 15, 2011. For information, see http://ethnobiology.org/conference/upcoming
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening?
Jason, You may be interested in Dan Janzen's concept of the wildland garden. See: Janzen, D. 1998. Gardenification of wildland nature and the human footprint. Science 279:1312-1313 and Janzen, D. 1999. Gardenification of tropical conserved wildlands: multitasking, multicropping, and multiusers. PNAS 96: 5987-5994. - Jim ~ Jim Armacost, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Biology Department Lamar University Beaumont, TX 77710 409-880-1756 jim.armac...@lamar.edu ~ - Original Message - From: Jason Hernandez jason.hernande...@yahoo.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 7:08:59 PM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening? This question is inspired by a conversation with a former employer. When do our interventions cease to be conservation and become gardening? For the sake of argument, I was taking the purist position: that ideally, we want to be able to put a fence around a natural area and walk away, letting nature manage it. But as my employer rightly pointed out, that is just not a realistic expectation in the 21st century, what with invasive species, systemic pollution, human pressures on surrounding areas, and countless other factors which will not go away. But of course, she also knew that there is a degree of intervention which crosses the line from conservation to gardening, that is, caring for a population that no longer participates in its ecosystem processes. There is, of course, a continuum of interventions. Removal of invasive competitors is a relatively light intervention; growing seedlings in a greenhouse and then planting them out is more intensive; maintaining an in vitro germplasm collection still more intensive. Are there any recognized criteria for determining the boundary between conservation and gardening? And if a species is beyond saving with conservation, how worthwhile is it to save that species with gardening? Can we determine when a species' only hope is gardening? Jason Hernandez Biological Science Technician, USDA Forest Service CONFIDENTIALITY: Any information contained in this e-mail (including attachments) is the property of The State of Texas and unauthorized disclosure or use is prohibited. Sending, receiving or forwarding of confidential, proprietary and privileged information is prohibited under Lamar Policy. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender and delete this e-mail from your system.
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening?
IN an economy like that of the US where we spend more on the military than the next 10 nations combined, and the budget for putting out one fighter jet exceeds the entire budget of all the environmental and natural resource agencies combined, one must ask are resources really that limited? Do we really have to ask whether it is worth it to devote resources to preserve a species that is extinct in the wild? Would it not be nice if we could begin incorporating wildlife/natural areas into urban planning? There comes a point where you must admit that some things that SHOULD are not going to happen, and you need to take a course that is necessary. No point, just thoughts after reading your post. Malcolm McCallum On Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 7:08 PM, Jason Hernandez jason.hernande...@yahoo.com wrote: This question is inspired by a conversation with a former employer. When do our interventions cease to be conservation and become gardening? For the sake of argument, I was taking the purist position: that ideally, we want to be able to put a fence around a natural area and walk away, letting nature manage it. But as my employer rightly pointed out, that is just not a realistic expectation in the 21st century, what with invasive species, systemic pollution, human pressures on surrounding areas, and countless other factors which will not go away. But of course, she also knew that there is a degree of intervention which crosses the line from conservation to gardening, that is, caring for a population that no longer participates in its ecosystem processes. There is, of course, a continuum of interventions. Removal of invasive competitors is a relatively light intervention; growing seedlings in a greenhouse and then planting them out is more intensive; maintaining an in vitro germplasm collection still more intensive. Are there any recognized criteria for determining the boundary between conservation and gardening? And if a species is beyond saving with conservation, how worthwhile is it to save that species with gardening? Can we determine when a species' only hope is gardening? Jason Hernandez Biological Science Technician, USDA Forest Service -- 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] Position announcement: GIS Technician
Position announcement: GIS Technician Job Description: The Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center in Davie, Florida is seeking an enthusiastic individual to work as part of a multi-agency team engaged in research in support of Everglades ecology and restoration. Duties Include: This individual will be the primary GIS/Remote Sensing specialist in a research group that includes scientists and managers from the University of Florida, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Park Service. The individual will assist in ongoing projects that monitor and assess responses of the Greater Everglades system to ecological restoration, evaluate the distribution and effects of invasive species in the region, and forecast the possible effects of climate change on endangered species. Specific duties will include (1) compiling geospatial data from collaborators, online warehouses and in-house field data; (2) extensive QA/QC of data; (3) geospatial analysis using ArcGIS, R and other open source tools and software; (4) preparing metadata and developing/documenting protocols used in data analysis; (5) assisting colleagues in the preparation of proposals, project reports, and peer-reviewed publications and (6) maintaining ongoing communication with collaborators across a diverse range of government agencies and research institutions. This is a full time position with an initial one-year appointment. Ongoing employment will be dependent on performance and funding. Qualifications: Applicant should have at least a Bachelors degree (Masters preferred) in geography, ecology, environmental science, or related field and at least one year of GIS experience. Applicant must be able to work well independently and with others in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience using GIS to support ecological research, be proficient in ArcGIS and have experience in R, and have excellent written and oral communication skills. Technical writing, problem solving and organizational skills are essential. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States and have all paperwork completed prior to accepting the position. Salary: $15.00-20.00/hour depending on experience Position Starts: As soon as a suitable candidate can be identified. Review of applications will start immediately. To Apply: Please send resume or CV and letter of interest by email to: Dr. James Watling, watli...@ufl.edu, with the subject line GIS Technician. In your letter please address how you have worked as part of a team, your GIS experience, and examples of your ability to juggle multiple projects efficiently while maintaining high standards of quality, including documentation of metadata and data collection/analysis protocols. AA/EA/EEO. If an accommodation is needed to apply for this position, please call 954.577.6304
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening?
Jason, et al- The purist position is untenable. If human agency marks the difference between wild and managed, as soon as we take any action to change (+/-) the fitness of any population or species we move it from the roster of wild biota to the roster of managed biota. Even dividing wild from managed along the lines of intentionally vs unintentionally affected becomes problematic; that puts unintentionally subsidized fitness (e.g., weeds) into the wild category. Attempts to parse all this began in the 1830s. Natural historians then were distinguishing natural history from human history based on evidence of human agency. Absence of such evidence was all that made natives native or wild things wild. This remains the case. In short, ecologists need to 'get over' such distinctions. They aren't ecological. They're cultural. Human agency, intentional or otherwise, now affects everything, and will for the foreseeable future. Matthew K Chew Assistant Research Professor Arizona State University School of Life Sciences ASU Center for Biology Society PO Box 873301 Tempe, AZ 85287-3301 USA Tel 480.965.8422 Fax 480.965.8330 mc...@asu.edu or anek...@gmail.com http://cbs.asu.edu/people/profiles/chew.php http://asu.academia.edu/MattChew
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening?
Jason and Ecolog: Many years ago (early 1980's?) I did a paper that I think I called Ecosystem Restoration and Landscaping: A Comparison. I don't remember the name of the conference and I'm not sure of the place, but it might have been one of the early conferences of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), maybe it's less-formal precursor, Native Plant Restoration or something like that, and I believe it was held in Berkeley, at some big old wooden hotel in the Berkeley Hills. I was a pretty young upstart, and I don't recall anyone paying much attention to it. [Note: I looked through some old files and found a folder: Restoration and Landscaping: a Comparison. 2nd Native Plant Revegetation Symposium, 1987, but there was no paper in it. I was close but a bit foggy. Even it might be wrong; a search revealed other papers which said it was 1987 and the location was San Diego. Maybe a better searcher can find it, or maybe someone has the Proceedings--however, I can't even be sure that it was published. I wasn't so young as it turns out, but an upstart nonetheless, I guess.] Anyway, I hope Jason or others can do a better job than I did in communicating what I still think is an important--in fact, crucial point: that landscaping/gardening is a whole different paradigm from ecosystem restoration and management, and recognizing that crucial distinction is fundamental to a real understanding of the interplay between Nature and culture. I spent at least 15 years making the same fundamental mistake over and over again-using gardening/agronomic/landscaping practices in the attempt to restore/manage ecosystems. Failure after failure after failure, even though I had training in ecology and botany-and in gardening/agronomy/landscaping/landscape architecture. My fundamental error was letting the latter paradigm contaminate the former; I probably made the same mistake that remains common-thinking that they were synonymous. I could have not been more wrong-they are in fundamental opposition to each other. Not wanting to blather on and one with this post, I'll stop here for now . . . WT - Original Message - From: Jason Hernandez jason.hernande...@yahoo.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 5:08 PM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening? This question is inspired by a conversation with a former employer. When do our interventions cease to be conservation and become gardening? For the sake of argument, I was taking the purist position: that ideally, we want to be able to put a fence around a natural area and walk away, letting nature manage it. But as my employer rightly pointed out, that is just not a realistic expectation in the 21st century, what with invasive species, systemic pollution, human pressures on surrounding areas, and countless other factors which will not go away. But of course, she also knew that there is a degree of intervention which crosses the line from conservation to gardening, that is, caring for a population that no longer participates in its ecosystem processes. There is, of course, a continuum of interventions. Removal of invasive competitors is a relatively light intervention; growing seedlings in a greenhouse and then planting them out is more intensive; maintaining an in vitro germplasm collection still more intensive. Are there any recognized criteria for determining the boundary between conservation and gardening? And if a species is beyond saving with conservation, how worthwhile is it to save that species with gardening? Can we determine when a species' only hope is gardening? Jason Hernandez Biological Science Technician, USDA Forest Service No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.449 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3386 - Release Date: 01/17/11 07:34:00
[ECOLOG-L] Advancing theory in biology (NSF)
This is the final year of the Advancing Theory in Biology competition. The Directorate for Biological Sciences will continue to encourage proposals that develop new theory to account for independent phenomena at two or more levels of biological organization. These should be submitted to the appropriate core program(s) in the Directorate for Biological Sciences for review. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11523/nsf11523.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25WT.mc_ev=click Dr. David W. Inouye Program Director Population and Community Ecology Cluster Division of Environmental Biology National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22230 dino...@nsf.gov 703-292-8570
[ECOLOG-L] Job: field research aide, Toolik field station
JOB: FIELD RESEARCH AIDE AT TOOLIK FIELD STATION, ALASKA We are seeking applications from enthusiastic persons who are interested in summer ecological field research in northern Alaska. Responsibilities will include collecting data on plant phenological events, small-mammal population dynamics and physical lake parameters as well as data entry and organization under general supervision. Assistance with other tasks related to the overall goals of the long-term environmental monitoring program and routine lab equipment maintenance may be necessary. The position will report to the Toolik manager of the Environmental Data Center. Our field site is located near the Toolik Field Station, Alaska, and is the focus of research by nearly 100 scientists who work on a variety of terrestrial and aquatic ecology projects. The overall objective of the research program is to expand the collection of baseline environmental data complementary to and in extension of those already collected by other long-term studies, such as the Arctic LTER, and make them available to the research community. One area of focus is on the timing of biological events in relation to climatic conditions. We established a long-term plant-phenology monitoring program, in which the dates of first occurrences such as leaf emergence, flower development and seed dispersal are recorded. We also record data on bird migration and breeding behavior and plan to develop a small-mammal inventory. This is a full-time, temporary position (June through August 2011). If you are interested, please submit a cover letter, your resume and the contact information of three references online at https://www.uakjobs.com/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsphttps://www.uakjobs.com/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp (University of Alaska Fairbanks, Human Resources, Temporary Jobs, Posting Number 61342, Position Number PCN 924225) by February 4, 2011. If you have any additional questions, please contact Anja Kade at mailto:ank...@alaska.eduank...@alaska.edu. Knowledge, skills and abilities required: - Ability to participate in rigorous fieldwork under sometimes adverse conditions - Strong organizational skills and attention to detail - Computer skills sufficient to assist with data entry in Excel and word processing in Word - Ability to work independently in a team setting and to stay on task with a minimum of supervision - Ability to seek input from supervisor as needed and to learn quickly by experience and instruction - Willingness to work in a remote field site and live in a cultural setting without much privacy - Previous college-level work in biological sciences
[ECOLOG-L] Faculty Position - One Year, Environmental and Earth Sciences
Position: Full-time, one-year Visiting Assistant Professor in Environmental and Earth Sciences. Description: The Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences (EES) seeks a broadly trained teacher and scholar whose teaching responsibilities will include: two sections of Introduction to Environmental Science, two upper-level electives (with lab) based on expertise, with preference given to Biogeography, Ecology, Forestry, Marine Sciences, GIS, and Natural Resources Policy, and advising 4-6 senior thesis projects. For more information on the position and how to apply please see http://www.willamette.edu/dept/hr/employment/faculty/visitingpro_environsci_2011/index.html
[ECOLOG-L] Undergraduate Research (P biogeochemistry)
Phosphorus Dynamics in High-Elevation Catchments of the Sierra Nevada NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates University of California, Riverside We invite applications for a twelve-week undergraduate research program during summer 2011 (June 13-September 16, 2011) at UC Riverside. The selected undergraduate student will participate in a research program aimed at understanding P dynamics in lake sediments of high-elevation lakes of the Sierra Nevada, CA. Applicants should have backcountry experience and the ability to carry heavy (50+ lb.) loads extended distances over steep and uneven terrain. They should be comfortable using small inflatable boats and will be expected to work independently and, at times, without supervision. A general understanding of limnology, environmental chemistry, and computer use are desirable. Eligibility limited to currently enrolled and entering undergraduates. This REU program will provide a stipend of $5,500 in addition to food and travel allowance to field sites. Please visit http://www.envisci.ucr.edu/jobs/homyak2011.html for additional information and application form. Applications are due by April 15, 2011. Contact: Peter Homyak (peter.hom...@email.ucr.edu)
[ECOLOG-L] Sage Grouse Field Technician
Sage Grouse Field Technician Contract length: April 4, 2011 October 14, 2011 Field Course: Participate an undergraduate/graduate-level field-based environmental methods course on the Black Rock NCA Location: Positions will be filled in each of the five following BLM Nevada Districts: Battle Mountain, Carson City, Elko, Ely, Las Vegas, and Winnemucca. Terrain is typical of the Great Basin and Mojave Desert, with wide long valleys bordered by mountain ranges. Field conditions include hot, arid days with high exposure to the sun, and potentially cold, damp winter weather. Resources include big game habitat, Wilderness Study Areas, active grazing allotments, abandoned mine lands, historic and prehistoric cultural sites, and wild horse management areas. Compensation: o $8,457 Living Stipend o $2,675 AmeriCorps Education Award* o Student loan forbearance* o Daily field per diem Position Objectives: The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management Battle Mountain, Carson City, Elko, Ely, Las Vegas, and WinnemuccaDistrict Offices, is recruiting field technicians for six (6) land health assessment teams. Teams will consist of three to four members including a GIS Lead. Each team will be comprised of environmental scientists (ecologists) having diverse areas of training and expertise to work cooperatively in a field based setting. The overall objective of the team is to perform land health assessments through inventory and monitoring (Proper Functioning Condition) of the geomorphic, hydrologic and vegetative characteristics; water quality and quantity sampling; wildlife habitat monitoring for Sage Grouse (endangered species candidate) and other indicator species. Data areutilized for management and adaptive management decisions, restoration projects, and/or to improve sage grouse habitat to achieve a healthy and productive ecological condition.The principle purpose of this project is to generate an understanding of the process used to develop land health assessments, including the data capture and evaluation. Duties: General field duties include walking long distances over uneven terrain, and will require Field Technicians to collect GPS and photo points, observe and monitoring wildlife, and/or identify vegetative demographics and distribution. Office tasks may include assisting with data organization, processing and QA/QC; post-processing GPS points;and contributing to report writing. Qualifications: Bachelors degree in one of the major natural sciences Understanding of basic principles related to field science and data collection Ability to navigate and set a bearing using a compass and to read a topographical map; Ability to collect data using handheld GPS units, preferred; Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience; Willingness to work collaboratively in a team setting; Physically fit to work outdoors, carry personal and field equipment, and withstand working and camping in an arid environment; Possess a clean, valid, state-issued drivers license and the ability to operate a 4WD vehicle on and off paved roads;and Meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: (1) U.S. citizenship or legal resident alien status, (2) eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (limit of four in a lifetime or the equivalent of two full-time education awards), and (3) pass National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR) and federal criminal background checks. for a complete position description please visit our website at www.TheGreatBasinInstitute.org. How to Apply: Qualified and interested applicants should forward a cover letter, their résumé, and a list of three professional references to Bridget Walden, at bwal...@thegreatbasininstitute.org. Please include where you found this position posted.
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening?
I like Colleen's point and would like to add that sometimes there is more to be learned from the hopeless species that might inform saving others. Plus, the educational value... Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry -Original Message- From: Colleen Grant psorotham...@yahoo.com Sender: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2011 08:24:46 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Reply-To: Colleen Grant psorotham...@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening? Jason, And if a species is beyond saving with conservation, how worthwhile is it to save that species with gardening? At this point, it might be pertinent to ask what other species are dependent (for their life processes) on the gardened species. For example, is there an exclusive mutualism that needs to be preserved? Colleen Grant --- On Mon, 1/17/11, Jason Hernandez jason.hernande...@yahoo.com wrote: From: Jason Hernandez jason.hernande...@yahoo.com Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening? To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Date: Monday, January 17, 2011, 5:08 PM This question is inspired by a conversation with a former employer. When do our interventions cease to be conservation and become gardening? For the sake of argument, I was taking the purist position: that ideally, we want to be able to put a fence around a natural area and walk away, letting nature manage it. But as my employer rightly pointed out, that is just not a realistic expectation in the 21st century, what with invasive species, systemic pollution, human pressures on surrounding areas, and countless other factors which will not go away. But of course, she also knew that there is a degree of intervention which crosses the line from conservation to gardening, that is, caring for a population that no longer participates in its ecosystem processes. There is, of course, a continuum of interventions. Removal of invasive competitors is a relatively light intervention; growing seedlings in a greenhouse and then planting them out is more intensive; maintaining an in vitro germplasm collection still more intensive. Are there any recognized criteria for determining the boundary between conservation and gardening? And if a species is beyond saving with conservation, how worthwhile is it to save that species with gardening? Can we determine when a species' only hope is gardening? Jason Hernandez Biological Science Technician, USDA Forest Service
[ECOLOG-L] grad student policy internship
Graduate Student Policy Internship Available The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) and American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) are pleased to announce the availability of an internship in the Washington, DC, AIBS Public Policy Office. The internship is open to ASM members who are currently enrolled in a graduate program and who are engaged in research that will contribute to the understanding and conservation of mammals. The internship is for 3 months during fall 2011, and carries a generous monthly stipend. Selection criteria include demonstrated interest in the public policy process, strong communications skills, and excellent academic record. For details and requirements, please visit http://aibs.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a2886d199362c2554974f78afid=cb476d35a3e=86677c1c7ahttp://www.aibs.org/public-policy/student_opportunities.html.
[ECOLOG-L] Wetland Algal Ecology Field and Laboratory Technician
Wetland Algal Ecology Field and Laboratory Technician Florida International University The Southeast Environmental Research Center (http://casgroup.fiu.edu/serc/) at Florida International University (www.fiu.edu) is seeking a full time research technician to aid in collection, processing and identification of algae from the Florida Everglades. The technician will participate in several multidisciplinary studies that investigate effects of long-term natural and anthropogenic environmental change on Everglades communities. Field work includes traveling by helicopter and airboat to collect algae from Everglades wetlands, and entails long days in hot, wet conditions. Laboratory responsibilities include sample processing for biomass and nutrient analyses, microscopic identification of algae and data entry. Enthusiasm for rigorous field work and previous experience with algae are desirable. FIU has an exceptional interdisciplinary history of research in ecological sciences, particularly in the Everglades and adjacent marine habitats. In particular, FIU is home to the NSFfunded Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research Program (FCE-LTER) which is comprised of 130 scientists from 27 institutions conducting research on ecological processes and coupled human interactions in the South Florida landscape (http://fcelter.fiu.edu/). The FCE-LTER, together with programs associated with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program, create a stimulating atmosphere for Everglades research. Qualifications: B.S. with experience or M.S. in biology or related field. Salary commensurate with experience. To Apply: Applicants should send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae and contact information for three references by e-mail to Dr. Evelyn Gaiser (gais...@fiu.edu). Selection process will begin 1 March 2011. For more information see: http://algae.fiu.edu/. Florida International University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of diversity among its faculty, staff, and students. Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.
