Re: [ECOLOG-L] The Hermit Who Inadvertently Shaped Climate-Change Science....

Very interesting. Inspirational, even. 2017-01-24 9:18 GMT-05:00 Judith S. Weis : > What a great story! Many thanks to the Atlantic, David, and Billy. > > > > came across this today about billy barr and ecolog-l's david inouye. > > > > who would have guessed? not

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Reducing Population Size in Natural Populations of Organisms - A Question

Hi, Warren, et al., The idea you mention, that homosexuality or asexuality evolved as a means of regulating population seems flawed to me. For one thing, in human populations, many if not most homosexuals become parents. In the past, in places where homosexuality was forced underground, many of

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Reducing Population Size in Natural Populations of Organisms - A Question

Hi, Howie, You might consider the research by David Lack (I believe) on island populations of birds that decreased their clutch size during times of resource shortage. However, if I remember the study correctly, there are a couple of caveats : Individuals breeding females decreased their clutch

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Authorship (or authority) of Iguana iguana

If you saw all those variants in the same paper, that seems like just sloppy editing. I doubt if there is any implied difference in meaning or emphasis, or that it has to do with how common the organism is. Organizations like the Council of Biological Editors set standards for things like this,

Re: [ECOLOG-L] stressors vs "happy"

It occurs to me that snails and bivalve molluscs, because of the way they add layers onto their shells, preserve a record of their growth history, might therefore also be good organisms to study the effects of the environment on the "happiness" (hey, we've all heard the phrase "happy as a clam")

Re: [ECOLOG-L] stressors vs "happy"

Hi, GW Patton, Trees are excellent organisms to consider with regard to your question. For one thing, a great part of the young tree is contained within the old tree, buried under layers of newer wood. Even a tree whose bole is clear because it has shed its earlier branches still contains

Re: [ECOLOG-L] plant science vs. botany

There's a branch of forestry they call "forest engineering". When I hear of academic disciplines like: "...Agriculture courses like dairy science, feedlot management, swine management, animal nutrition and the like were designated animal science." I wonder if these might not more accurately be

Re: [ECOLOG-L] A Lonely Voice in the Wilderness -- Still Alone

I have no experience with your particular situation, but I can make a few general points. 1. A short letter (to an editor or a governor) is much more likely to be read than a long one. 2. A letter should pick one main focus area and stick to it. 3. You should decide what you really want: getting

Re: [ECOLOG-L] teaching evolution in ecology courses

The NPR article made the point (not very convincingly, in my opinion) that evolution is counter-intuitive, but I think it confuses intuition with learned beliefs. If you've been told all your life that species are immutable (though probably not in those words) then the contrary assertion may be

Re: [ECOLOG-L] pronunciation of a Latin genus name

Another point to consider in any thorough discussion of this topic is that many biological binomials apply to species that are no longer with us. How are we to know if the dinosaur was diplo-DOC-us or di-PLOD-icus, when it has been extinct for millions of years? 2015-05-17 21:29 GMT-04:00

Re: [ECOLOG-L] pronunciation of a Latin genus name

With regard to Di-podo-mus vs. Dip-o-do-mees: In English, there is no rule saying that how we vocally form syllables must correspond to the semantics underlying the syllables. Thus, we can say ki-LOM-eter, even though semantically there aren't any LOMs. Another point: Using Latin rules of

Re: [ECOLOG-L] publication by scientific societies

David, I'm glad to hear that. It seems to me that tropical countries are much more likely to address environmental and ecological issues if the knowledge and recommendations to do so come from their own scientists, and favorable access policies from ESA and other organizations can only

Re: [ECOLOG-L] publication by scientific societies

Hi David Inouye, Several times in recent years there have been lengthy threads on Ecolog discussing the fact that many scientific publications are prohibitively expensive for scholars working in poor countries or who are affiliated with institutions with very limited resources. This seems to

Re: [ECOLOG-L] fabricated reviews lead to retractions of papers

be happening elsewhere, and that BMC is doing the right thing to bring it to light, given the potential tarnish it creates. David Mellor Center for Open Science http://centerforopenscience.org/ (434) 352-1066 @EvoMellor On Mar 27, 2015, at 2:29 PM, Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com

Re: [ECOLOG-L] fabricated reviews lead to retractions of papers

the right thing to bring it to light, given the potential tarnish it creates. David Mellor Center for Open Science http://centerforopenscience.org/ (434) 352-1066 @EvoMellor On Mar 27, 2015, at 2:29 PM, Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com wrote: I wonder if part of the problem

Re: [ECOLOG-L] fabricated reviews lead to retractions of papers

I wonder if part of the problem is that one publisher, BioMed Central, http://www.biomedcentral.com/about puts out 277 journals. That seems like a lot of concentration of power. Martin M. Meiss 2015-03-27 12:46 GMT-04:00 David Inouye ino...@umd.edu: I hope this hasn't been an issue in

Re: [ECOLOG-L] fabricated reviews lead to retractions of papers

:29 PM, Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com wrote: I wonder if part of the problem is that one publisher, BioMed Central, http://www.biomedcentral.com/about puts out 277 journals. That seems like a lot of concentration of power. Martin M. Meiss 2015-03-27 12:46 GMT-04:00 David Inouye ino

Re: [ECOLOG-L] language exam for Ph.D. students?

abdicated teaching grammar. I think this makes learning a foreign language essential to any educated person, including scientists. Martin Meiss 2015-02-04 6:27 GMT-05:00 Akwasi Asamoah asamoa...@outlook.com: Yes, it is a fact that majority of scientists are not native English Speakers. However

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Bad Biology in Science Fiction

(although, I do like the idea of not-yet-valid science). Martin Meiss 2014-11-05 19:55 GMT-05:00 Adam Herbert aherber...@gmail.com: hi Martin, Thanks for sending this along. This is all true; even good sci-fi ignores what is known about the possible evolution of life on other planets. Ancient

[ECOLOG-L] Bad Biology in Science Fiction

Hi, ecologers, Have you ever noticed what bad biology we see in science-fiction stories? How almost every mention of DNA or evolution shows that the writers don't really know much about these topics? One thing that really bothers me is how unimaginatively alien biologies are

Re: [ECOLOG-L] interesting flowering following a California fire last year

I wish the article had addressed the issue of seed dormancy. Had those fire-flower seeds been waiting their chance in-place for forty years, or were they somehow transported into the burned zone after the fire? Martin M. Meiss 2014-05-15 10:34 GMT-04:00 David Inouye ino...@umd.edu:

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Global Warming/Global Climate Change....`

Here is a key quote from Gunnar's post: ...bringing very cold air southwards in one place (e.g. US) and warm air northwards in another (e.g. Europe)... The whole Earth simply cannot change temperature suddenly, for thermodynamic reasons, any more than a bathtub full of hot water can suddenly

Re: [ECOLOG-L] New article demonstrates Impact factor is a poor metric of merit

What I don't like about impact-factor rating schemes, besides the fact that there are so many ways of gaming the system, is that they build a certain kind of unfairness into the system. It happens by way of the rich-get-richer mechanism. However an article first gets a high rating, it then

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Growth and Laissez-faire

or even plausible political or economic solution at this point. On 24 September 2013 20:52, Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com wrote: I'm tired of people expressing deep thoughts about sustainability and green this and green that and steady-state economics and never once mentioning limiting

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Growth and Laissez-faire

I'm tired of people expressing deep thoughts about sustainability and green this and green that and steady-state economics and never once mentioning limiting the human population. I realize that people running for public office dare not mention population control, but does the ban extend to

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Emergent functions contributing to the functional diversity of a community?

Would you consider this to be an example of what you're looking for: How about a parasite that needs an intermediate host before infecting its main host. Perhaps a worm that must live in a snail which must be eaten by a vertebrate before the parasite can enter the vertebrate to reach its adult

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Information sharing and communication clarity WISHES

Hi, Wayne, et al. On the first point, we reduce the mail load a bit when people respond directly, and we don't lose much if the initial querier then posts a summary (although this may at times reduce some valuable give-and-take that posters' responses elicit from other posters).

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Arguments for Native Plants

This may be a little off from where this thread has lead, but it relates to native vs. non-native plants for landscaping: *1.* Just because a plant evolved in a certain place or habitat, and is presumably adapted to that place, does not mean that it won't do BETTER somewhere else. And I'm not

Re: [ECOLOG-L] video of an ongoing locust swarm in Madagascar

I wonder if that landscape shown in the video is former rainforest. I saw on a nature program recently that Madagascar has lost 80 percent of its original forest cover. It's not hard to believe that could have something to do with locust population dynamics. Martin M. Meiss 2013/3/28 David

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Exclusive homosexuality

Here are what I see as some problems with the idea that homosexuality in humans is rooted in the genetics of kin selection, as proposed earlier in this thread. 1. Suppose an individual is born with a mutation that makes him/her inclined to homosexuality and to avoid reproduction. If this

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Exclusive homosexuality

of an individuals gender) a heritable trait? Just a thought. Patrick Mears On Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 12:42 PM, Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com wrote: Here are what I see as some problems with the idea that homosexuality in humans is rooted in the genetics of kin selection, as proposed earlier

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Exclusive homosexuality

explanation. Mitch Cruzan On 3/28/2013 10:42 AM, Martin Meiss wrote: Here are what I see as some problems with the idea that homosexuality in humans is rooted in the genetics of kin selection, as proposed earlier in this thread. 1. Suppose an individual is born with a mutation that makes him

Re: [ECOLOG-L] wildlife crossing sign design?

Hi, Brett, Unfortunately, I can't help you with sign design, but it would be neat if you got a couple of seasons of road-kill data before you put the signs up. That way you could conduct a before-and-after study and see if the signs actually do any good, or with enough time and data,

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Tree stump removal in sensitive area

Hi, Scott, Depending on the tree's rooting system, specifically whether it has a tap root, you might be able to do most of the ax work while standing on the stump, if the sawyers can leave you a nice flat stump about a foot high or lower. I have heard that you can accelerate

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Eco-exploitation

2013/1/11 Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com Hi, Jon, Without regard to permaculture or any other particular field, what do you mean by stealing an idea? Once research is published, the ideas belong to everyone. Patenting and copyrighting protect certain uses of certain types of idea

Re: [ECOLOG-L] terrarium/aquarium expts for a spring Pop/Com Ecology course

Hi, Danielle, One old-standby aquarium experiment is reproductive rate and competition among floating plants. You can use various species of duck weed (*Lemna, Wolfia*) liverwort (*Riccia*) and ferns (*Azolla, Salvinia*) and vary light levels, temperature, etc. You could also test the affect of

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Is there a Water Quality Index for lakes?

2012/11/5 Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com Howdie, Ecologers, As others have pointed out, based on their knowledge of ecology, using a single axis (good, fair, poor) to evaluate ecosystems is inherently flawed. I would extend this to say that it is inherently flawed for mathematical

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Biologists giving back? Ideas needed

Hi, Wendee, Although I have a PhD in evolutionary biology, I've never worked as a biologist after graduate school. I had some good reasons for a career change (to software engineering) but I still have some regrets for never having contributed to the growth of biological knowledge, and in

Re: [ECOLOG-L] correlation v. causation

Hi, Shelley, I'm not an epistomologist, philosopher of science, or theory-of-knowledge guy, but I submit that once a correlation between two phenomena is identified, the only thing we can demand in determining which one is causal is that it precede the presumptive effect in time. Of

Re: [ECOLOG-L] FIRE Wildland and Urban Interface Myth or Truth 1 Fire dependent plants?

Wayne, I don't know if this rises to the level of knowledge, but I have often heard that the cones of certain pines won't open to release their seeds unless toasted in a fire. It seems that it would take just the right amount of fire, though, because toasting for too long would surely

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Visualizing functional diversity

Nicolas, Why would you restrict your interest to the flow of energy, and not include the flow of material, such as a nutrient like fixed nitrogen, or potassium? Martin M. Meiss 2012/9/27 Katharine Miller kmill...@alaska.edu Hi, I wanted to thank everyone for their responses and

[ECOLOG-L] An idea for energy policy

Hello, ecologgers, I recently had an idea which is surely not new, but which I have not heard in the national discussion of US energy policy. Most of us would agree that it is important to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, which means that we must develop alternative, preferably

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Unsustainable sustainability (reply to WT)

Hi, Matt, I'm not sure how to interpret this line from your post: But it's naive to project our values, preferences and capabilities (maybe even our anatomies and physiologies) into an unknowable future and seek to impose them on our successors. Are you saying that because we can't

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Bias for positive results in science was Sarewitz on Systematic Error

But Pedro, how do you go about understanding a system without, either formally or informally, generating and testing hypotheses? If I observe that caterpillars are eating daisies and catbirds are eating caterpillars, my mind automatically thinks, Hmm, maybe the catbird population density affects

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Cemeteries as habitat

While I was doing my thesis research I traveled from Maine to Florida taking pictures of trees. I was specifically interested in open grown crowns whose shape had not been modified by pruning, as city street trees usually are. Not surprisingly, cemeteries were one of my best sources. For many

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Families in Science - Balancing your personal and professional life

Interesting observations, Robert H., perhaps summed up by the metaphor The best steel goes through the fire. But what does it imply for implementing social policy, or academic policy? Deliberately harsh or downright brutal conditions might be appropriate for training Navy Seals, and tough

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Plants Invasive natives? Re: [ECOLOG-L] Invasion, or progression?

How about if we consider that invaders have become native when all efforts to eradicate them are futile? Martin M. Meiss 2012/4/26 David Duffy ddu...@hawaii.edu I feel that competition without a doubt is beneficial, perhaps necessary, for an ecosystem to continue progressing towards a more

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Invasion, or progression?

Hi, Ling Huang and other Ecologers, Here where I live in central New York, we have a large wetland call the Montezuma Marsh. It has had nearly half of its over 3,200 acres under management dominated by purple loosestrife, which crowds out other plants and eliminates nesting areas and

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Plant/Gall cooling

Hi, Malia, Depending on the timing of the measurements relative to changes in air temperature and sunlight exposure, such temperature differences are easy to imagine without there being any cooling mechanism. If the gall is a large mass, it will have a much lower surface-to-volume ratio than

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Plant/Gall cooling

Actually, evaporative cooling does not necessarily bring leaf temperature below ambient temperature. Because the leaf is absorbing light, it may be, say, 10 degrees warmer than the surrounding air. Depending on the details, the evaporative cooling may be able to bring this down only to perhaps 5

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Families in Science - Balancing your personal and professional life

One problem not addressed here so far is that science is very competitive for jobs, publication, and grants. Let us imagine two young scientists with similar intelligence and education beginning their careers: Case 1. This person has a spouse who assumes most of the responsibility in the

[ECOLOG-L] Where have all the earthworms gone?

Greetings, Ecologers, This year, in turning my compost and digging my garden beds in Syracuse, NY, I have noticed markedly fewer earthworms than in previous years, and I am wondering of others of you have observed this also. This could be one of those natural, mysterious population fluctuations,

[ECOLOG-L] Where have all the earthworms gone?

-- Forwarded message -- From: Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com Date: 2012/4/10 Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Where have all the earthworms gone? To: Susannah Woodruff susan...@wyom.net Yeah, it's a reply-all vs. repy-to-sender thing, but I'm not sure of the exact wording because I have my

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Hilton Pond 03/19/12 (Signs Of Early Spring)

Hi, Bill H. and Ecologers: I accept the scientific evidence that global warming is occurirng, but I think we should be careful about pointing to various warmer-than-usual events and saying, Aha, evidence for global warming! I don't think doing so is statistically valid, and here's an

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Ecology terminology Re: [ECOLOG-L] definition of native

*There is no precise terminology*, and can never be, for many concepts in ecology. The problem is that reality presents us with continua, with gradients without clear boundaries. Physicists who study light, don't, as far as I know, argue about the definition of red; they accept the nature of the

Re: [ECOLOG-L] definition of native

Right-on Chris. I've been thinking about it for a long time and still have not thought of or head of a definition of species that covers all they ways we use the word in biology. But then, it may be a faulty expectation to think we should be able to. Nature is under no obligation to conform to

Re: [ECOLOG-L] definition of native

Even if we agree as to what native means, phrases such as native to Texas are problematic, and not just because, as Matt Chew points out, human political constructs vary with time. If a tree is native to one little corner of Texas, then the statement native to Texas applies, but what does it

Re: [ECOLOG-L] definition of native

to corral. Cordially yours, Tacy Fletcher (uses pseudonym Cayt Fletch on facebook) also tflet...@pnc.edu Fletch From: Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 8:39 AM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Digital/electronic set-ups for organizing research?

Hi, Kevin, For organizing thoughts and/or data that are hierarchical in nature I find Microsoft Word to be quite useful. Yes, you read right: MS-Word, set in outline mode. In this mode Word brings up a special toolbar with convenient tools for increasing and decreasing levels of indentation

Re: [ECOLOG-L] ECOLOGY Slicing and dicing? Re: [ECOLOG-L] Tenure track position at VCU - deadline approaching

Wayne, et al.. Is it possible that institutions are moving away from the term ecology to avoid the onslaught coming from the right wing against ecology, which after all is linked at some level with the environmental movement and there stands in the way of turning the national patrimony

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Technological Progress, the Economy, and the Environment

I don't think the point Mr. Czech discusses is quite a trivial truism, since one can point to cases where technological advances can indeed limit the consumption of resources, or otherwise lower environmental impact. For instance, LED lighting uses less engergy than incandescent lighting. Given

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Climate Change Models May Vasty Underestimate Extinctions

I have not looked at the original model or report, but the summary statements that were included in the initial posting are troublesome, to whit: ...Their results showed that animals and plants that can adjust to climate change will have a competitive advantage over those that don't... and

Re: [ECOLOG-L] UC-Berkeley and other 'public Iv ies'in fiscal peril

(but growing) percentage of students who are slightly less qualified than needier applicants but have the ability to pay the full price. Dawn Stover On Dec 28, 2011, at 10:05 AM, Martin Meiss wrote: Hi, Rick, I don't think the answer is that simple. I went to a small, private, liberal

Re: [ECOLOG-L] UC-Berkeley and other 'public Iv ies'in fiscal peril

Ph.D. Professor/PCSU Unit Leader/CESU Director PCSU/CESU/Department of Botany University of Hawaii Manoa - Original Message - From: Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com Date: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 8:10 am Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] UC-Berkeley and other 'public Iv ies'in

Re: [ECOLOG-L] UC-Berkeley and other 'public Iv ies'in fiscal peril

Hi, Rick, I don't think the answer is that simple. I went to a small, private, liberal arts college from 1970 through 1974 and it cost my father about $3,000 per year for room, board, and tuition. Now it would cost about $42,000, about a 14-fold increase. Inflation, which I'm guessing has

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Plant Physiology Drought tolerance Re: [ECOLOG-L] course and symposium on plant breeding for drought tolerance

science should be done before we squander a lot of grant money on applications of dubious future. It seems that the application cart is getting ahead of the basic science cart . . . WT - Original Message - From: Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Wednesday

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Plant Physiology Drought tolerance Re: [ECOLOG-L] course and symposium on plant breeding for drought tolerance

To Wayne and others: Sorry about the C4/CAM confusion. It has been many years since I have thought about them and I forgot some important distinctions (but it did seem to make the thread come to life). Wayne, in answer to your question regarding this question I put forth: ...Is

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Plant Physiology Drought tolerance Re: [ECOLOG-L] course and symposium on plant breeding for drought tolerance

Well, Wayne, wouldn't you consider C4 metabolism to be a form of drought tolerance that doesn't require restriction of biomass production? C4 plants can open their stomata at night, when water loss will be less than during the day, absorb C02 and store it in the C4 molecule. When the sun rises

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Plant Physiology Drought tolerance Re: [ECOLOG-L] course and symposium on plant breeding for drought tolerance

C4 metabolism (also known as Crassulacean acid metabolism) is accomplished by special biochemical pathways which have their basis in genetics. Since these pathways evolved in some plants, it seems theoretically plausible, however difficult, that various manipulations could cause them to appear in

Re: [ECOLOG-L] What Can I DO?? Re: [ECOLOG-L] Message from Paul Ehrlich

Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Martin Meiss Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 9:37 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] What Can I DO?? Re: [ECOLOG-L] Message from Paul

Re: [ECOLOG-L] What Can I DO?? Re: [ECOLOG-L] Message from Paul Ehrlich

Robert Hamilton, Your statement implies that we mustn't confuse causes with effects. Fine, but how do we tell what is really going on in phenomena as complex as global climate? I don't see how one can justify an opinion unless actually running a climate model, or subscribing to the

Re: [ECOLOG-L] What Can I DO?? Re: [ECOLOG-L] Message from Paul Ehrlich

Hi, Rob Hamilton, It seems like you are saying that water vapor is causing global warming. If so, why is the climate getting warmer now? Has the amount of water vapor in the air increased since the industrial revolution? Given that most of the planet's surface is covered with water

Re: [ECOLOG-L] religion RE: [ECOLOG-L] What Can I DO?? Re: [ECOLOG-L] Message from Paul Ehrlich

In addition to the points made by Sarah Frias-Torres, there is this to consider: Wide swaths of Christian conservatives think the end-times are at hand. Those who see environmental degradation as a sign of the end-times are not going to hasten to undo a sign from God. Some progressive

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Monarch butterfly migration status

Hi, Paul, David, et al., Paul's informal survey is quite interesting to me, not only because of the subject of monarchs, and the landscapes from a part of the country I am not familiar with, but also because of its implications for informal research. One issue is inferences that may or

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Suggestions wanted: world's weirdest plants

If I may have another go at it: 1. How about the duckweeds, especially *Wolfia*, because it is so small and featureless (like grains of sand). 2. Bladderworts, because of the neat way they trap arthropods, and because they have aquatic and terrestrial species. 3. The aquatic floating ferns, like

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Wildlife management Captive permits proposal

I don't think chip implantation is practical for little animals like poison dart frogs and many aquarium fish. Also, I'm not sure implantation would work well in arthropods (many hobbyists keep tarantulas and scorpions). Martin M. Meiss 2011/7/3 Wayne Tyson landr...@cox.net All: This is not

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Know any great plant places for our botanical/ecology-focused roadtrip?

Here are two places you could consider: 1. Fire Island National Seashore, which is on a barrier island south of Long Island, New York. It has a unique habitat call the Sunken Forest. This forest is composed of a very odd mixture of tree species: Tupelo, sassafras, holly, and service berry, with

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Science Communication to the nonscience population Re: [ECOLOG-L] Plant roots matter Re: [ECOLOG-L] Communication Science to Public Plant Roots

? - Original Message - From: David L. McNeely mcnee...@cox.net To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2011 6:21 AM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Plant roots matter Re: [ECOLOG-L] Communication Science to Public Plant Roots Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com wrote: While we're

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Plant roots matter Re: [ECOLOG-L] Communication Science to Public Plant

When you consider the timing of observations of root position relative to available water, the situation can be even more confusing. When conditions in the soil are favorable to do so (say, during a rainy season) roots may grow deep, passing through soil that will later not support the growth of

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Plant roots matter Re: [ECOLOG-L] Communication Science to Public Plant Roots

While we're on the topic of the public being exposed to junk science, consider these other common areas of misconception: Most of us were taught a misleading version of how the greenhouse affect is purported to work, and most people cannot explain the concept of relative humidity without straying

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Communication Science to Public Plant Roots

Well, I can't say what the narrator was basing his/her statement upon, but it can be justified. Roots are, for the most part, programmed to grow downward (positive geotropism), and in many if not most soil environments, water is more abundant at lower levels. Thus, growing downward means growing

Re: [ECOLOG-L] TWS website design...Anyone familiar with JOOMLA?

Here's the link to the Joomla website, with links to their documentation: http://docs.joomla.org/ Hope this helps. MMM 2011/5/16 V. Tilden ginnypep...@comcast.net Hi! I represent the PA chapter of TWS (The Wildlife Society). We recently switched board members and our new Webmaster

Re: [ECOLOG-L] where do edible plants retain lead and other contaminants?

not? Is it as simple as semipermeable membranes, whether or not they are soluble and under what conditions? Is something going on in the rhizosphere that evades some analytical procedures? WT - Original Message - From: Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent

Re: [ECOLOG-L] where do edible plants retain lead and other contaminants?

A long time ago, when I was learning about plant ecotypes, I heard of research on the adaptation of plants to high lead levels found in piles of mine tailings. If I remember correctly, local races of plants were forming that were able to adapt to toxic soils. This raises these questions:

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Rhetorical question on trees

It's probably more reasonable to think of the soil-building properties of leaves (and other things that fall out of trees, like twigs, fruit, bird poop, etc.) at the level of the forest rather than at the level of the individual tree. After all, leaves don't fall straight down, and after

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Disseminating scientific thought to the general public: are scientists making science readily accessible?

Something weird is happening on this thread. The original post related to how scientists should communicate their research results to the general public. The implicit assumption behind this question is that communication with the public is *not the same as* communication among scientist

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Disseminating scientific thought to the general public: are scientists making science readily accessible?

It seems to me that some contributors to this thread are being naive about how journalism and news coverage influence public opinion. There seems to be a consensus that people, in general, make up their minds about things based on logic, understanding of facts, and reliable sources. This

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Hypothesis Testing in Ecology: Precision is what makes it valuable

for the researcher who naively makes observations and gathers data without specifically looking for anything in particular. Martin Meiss 2011/3/9 Paul Grogan grog...@queensu.ca Hi, I am fascinated by the varying use of hypotheses in ecology, and have been following the recent emails

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Hypothesis Testing in Ecology

or sub-field matures, or as society's needs change, but there's still room for everyone. I think this is especially true when we consider how new information technology can get more data before more people, even data that were gathered a hundred years ago. Martin Meiss 2011/3/9

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Hypothesis Testing in Ecology

I am amazed by Pat Swain's statements implying that unless a program of work includes formal hypothesis testing, it's not even research. (...I think that pure survey of a property for species (making a list of all the species of some taxonomic group) encountered isn't research..., ...some of the

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Hypothesis Testing in Ecology

near water hazards, we can put wide confidence intervals on our graphs. Martin 2011/3/8 mcnee...@cox.net Martin Meiss mme...@gmail.com wrote: I am amazed by Pat Swain's statements implying that unless a program of work includes formal hypothesis testing, it's not even

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Hypothesis Testing in Ecology

I'm not sure I understand Manuel's distinction between statistical hypootheses and scientific hypothesis. Is not the former supposed in some way to mathematically embody/parameterize the latter? But in any case, it seems to me that it is often hard to rigorously formulate a null

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening?

I would add that gardening is directed toward different goals than conservation or restoration. The gardener wants to produce beauty, food, or some other harvestable product. Also, gardening is almost invariably based on plant varieties that have been in domestication for a long time, sometimes

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening?

Warren, your list of human interventions in nature leaves out one of the most important: rape. The slaughter of the buffalo, deforestation followed by abandonment, etc. Martin 2011/1/18 Warren W. Aney a...@coho.net The terms conservation and gardening do not cover the full range

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Defining Biodiversity

This thread contains statements of the kind that I think get us in trouble, if not with the public, then with our scientific rigor. Axel Ringe's post begins with what looks like an inclusion from a previous post with this statement ...one metaphor for biodiversity that I remember was the

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Defining biodiversity, and does the term capture the public's attention?

Just in case you missed it, be sure to check out Andrew Yost's post on a parallel thread addressing this same topic. He gives the history of term biodiversity and quotes some authors with very interesting insights. Now for my one-fiftieth of a dollar: I think it is futile and wrong

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Defining biodiversity, and does the term capture the public's attention?

If you want to appeal to a broad spectrum of the U.S. public, any phrase with diversity in it has been poisoned by wingnuts. It raises the haunting spectre of being forced to rub shoulders with people of undesirable race, ethnicity, sexual preference, social standing, state of health, funny

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Defining biodiversity, and does the term capture the public's attention?

Despite the apparent cynicism of my earlier post on this thread, I would like to accept Wayne T's optimism that the public can be brought to an understanding of biodiversity that is more sophisticated than a mere species list. However, in one sense this is opening a Pandora's box. When

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Intellectual and anti-intellectual society

I would define an intellectual as one who loves the life of the mind. This person need not be particularly intelligent, but merely derive pleasure from pondering issues in theology, art, history, philosophy, science, etc. If this same person also loves, say, team sports, his/her appreciation

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Model Fitting and Data Quality

of this level of subjectivity? Martin Meiss 2010/12/4 William Silvert cien...@silvert.org An interesting aspect of this story is that Kepler's decision to accept the accuracy of Tycho's data was based on his subjective evaluation of the quality of the data. The idea that we can drive all

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