Re: [ECOLOG-L] now I've seen it all
There is a lot of variation among journals in this regard. My first papers in the marine sciences appeared in the Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, now called the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, which was for many years a leading journal in the field (subsequently brought to its knees by the Ottawa mafia). It was a pleasure to write for and the editor, Cam Stevenson, loved to go to meetings and get to know his authors. They were flexible, and created new sections (such as Perspectives) to accomodate useful papers that were not traditional. I have however found that less distinguished journals are more likely to put on airs and make pretensions of being scientific - I try to avoid these, but have had some nasty experiences with journals that were asked to publish conference proceedings, such as the one I referred to a couple of days ago (cited below) which objected to my using cute and fuzzy instead of charismatic. An example of the harm this can do is reflected in an incident whre I was invited to be the opening speaker at a mini-symposium on the ecosystem effects of marine pollution. I gave an overview of the topic, then there was a series of case studies, and finally a summation by another invited speaker. When the papers wre submitted for publication the editor accepted all the case studies but rejected my talk and the summation on the grounds that they did not contain any data, and this journal has standards. The result was that a coherent program was reduced to a collection of unrelated research papers. A subsequent editor of the same journal agreed to publish the proceedings of a symposium on the ecosystem effects of fishing, but the symposium was so popular that the number of papers exceeded the publication budget and and many had to be rejected simply because of lack of space. I suggested that the overflow be published on the web, but he sniffed that web-based publications are worthless and he would not stoop to that. (He did however publish the paper I coauthored, which can be found along with most of my other papers on the web at http://bill.silvert.org) I think that this kind of attitude reflects a much more general social phenomenon. The priests who guard the temple of science are like mediocrities everywhere, they feel a need to assert their status constantly. Those who are self-confident can afford to be more flexible. Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: David M. Lawrence d...@fuzzo.com To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: segunda-feira, 18 de Janeiro de 2010 21:19 Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] now I've seen it all I'm well aware of the pressures to write badly -- bad writers who don't realize how bad they are tend to make bad editors who want everyone else to sink to their level. A lot of the conflict is the pressure to maintain the elite priesthood versus one of the alleged purposes of science, i.e., to communicate ideas and data. Members of the priesthood do not usually realize that their efforts generally do more to undermine science than to promote it. Look at the often negative treatment given to excellent scientists/communicators by their scientific colleagues. It's not unusual for someone who writes a wildly popular (and informative) book, or hosts a wildly popular (and informative) to get a hostile reaction from purist colleagues. Don't get me started about scientists who think it's beneath them to speak to their public information staff, much less the press as a whole. Sure, journalists screw up, but they don't screw up all the time and they would screw up less if they had more cooperation from the source. Besides, given the source of most of the research funding in many disciplines, scientists have an obligation to reach out to the people paying the tab -- i.e., THE PEOPLE. I offer an anecdote about the discomfort too many in the sciences have with speaking in terms understandable by the masses. My first book, Upheaval from the Abyss: Ocean Floor Mapping and the Earth Science Revolution, seemed a natural choice for a review in Eos (Transactions of the American Geophysical Union). The editors declined to review it because it wasn't technical enough. Now, I've been attending scientific meetings off-and-on for three decades now, and I know what kinds of stories scientists tell each other about themselves and their colleagues once they've knocked a few back. I have to say I found the editors' reasoning rather at variance with the facts. Later, Dave On 1/18/2010 4:42 AM, William Silvert wrote: Perhaps then David has managed to escape some of the pressures put on scientists to write badly. On several occasions I have been accused of writing scientific papers in a journalistic style and told that this is not acceptable. Although my reply is usually along the lines of, Aren't journalists the people who are forced to take courses on how to write?, this never
[ECOLOG-L] International Statistical Ecology Conference--abstract submission deadline 25 January 2010
International Statistical Ecology Conference 6-9 July 2010 Univ. of Kent We have a few more available slots for presentations at this conference. Therefore, we have extended the abstract submission deadline until 25 January 2010. Please visit our website at http://www.ncse.org.uk/isec2010 to submit your abstract. While at the conference website, also note the list of distinguished invited speakers and our offering of workshops preceding the conference. If you do not wish to submit an abstract, consider attending the conference. Details regarding conference cost and registration are also at the conference website. The early registration deadline for conference attendance is 31 March. -- Eric Rexstad Research Unit for Wildlife Population Assessment Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling University of St. Andrews St. Andrews Scotland KY16 9LZ +44 (0)1334 461833 The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland : No SC013532
Re: [ECOLOG-L] now I've seen it all -- IQ and SAT Scores
Also, SAT/ACT tests as recently as the 1980's were not required by all schools, especially if you had stellar grades. When I applied to undergrad, if you were in the upper 10% you didn't need to take the test. Now, virtually everyone takes it. Seems like you could get an increase as more and more schools adopted it for all students. This might not only hide the supposed increase, but even create enough noise to miss a decrease! Furthermore, in the case of the ACT didn't they redesign the test in the 90's? And the SAT has been redone several times, and even been subject to racial biases (historically) that no longer appear present. Combine problems with racial biases with the above problem of fewer top students taking it and any increase could be completely cosmetic! On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 11:36 AM, Ken Leonard kleon...@uga.edu wrote: Jane Shevtsov wrote: On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 10:43 AM, Alyson Mack alym...@gmail.com wrote: the sad truth is, our children ARE becoming more stupid every year. The fact Do you have any evidence for this claim? IQ scores have been rising pretty steadily for a century. (Look up the Flynn effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect.) SAT scores are the highest they've been since the 1960s, although a somewhat larger percentage of high school students are taking the test. There are always fluctuations, but are there any measures of intelligence that have been showing a consistent decline? It is my understanding that IQ tests in general and SAT are both normalized to the community. So far as that is true, I must wonder what a student today would score on the IQ test or SAT of forty years ago? ...and what the student of forty years ago would score on today's IQ test or SAT? I even wonder about myself: In Spring 1963 (Junior in high school) I scored 1600 on the SAT (then only two sections of test) and in Spring 2005 I scored 1595 on the GRE (also then only two sections of test). What would my 17-year old self score on SAT in 2009? What would my 21-year old self have scored on GRE in 1967? -- Ken Leonard, Ph.D. Candidate The University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology (Bradford Lab) 517 Biological Sciences Bldg. Athens, GA 30602 US Contrary to populist opinion, facts are not established by populist opinion. -- after Don Watson, ISPE kleon...@uga.edu, ken_leon...@earthlink.net http://kleonard.myweb.uga.edu/ 1+404.307.6425 -- Malcolm L. McCallum Associate Professor of Biology Managing Editor, Herpetological Conservation and Biology Texas AM University-Texarkana Fall Teaching Schedule: Vertebrate Biology - TR 10-11:40; General Ecology - MW 1-2:40pm; Forensic Science - W 6-9:40pm Office Hourse- TBA 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] Paper on longitudinal data
Members of Ecolog-L may be interested in the following paper: Using information criteria to select the correct variance-covariance structure for longitudinal data. (2010). By Adrian G. Barnett, Nicola Koper, Annette J. Dobson, Fiona Schmiegelow, Micheline Manseau. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123243869/abstract Kind regards, Graziella Iossa
Re: [ECOLOG-L] now I've seen it all: Decline in education
Dave, you are not being unreasonable at all. The responses that you mention stem from intellectual laziness and/or short-term-oriented learning strategies. I, too, have had my students say, just tell me what I need to know, and it is very clear that they indeed wish to shovel in the information, play it back to me on an exam, and then purge it from their memory banks. The ideal of obtaining a broad education is largely irrelevant for a substantial portion of the student population, whose goal is simply to pass their exams and to get acceptable grades /*now*/. They also consistently ask me to prune or restrict the lecture content: if a fact, concept, or idea will not appear on the MCAT, for example, it is deemed irrelevant because it does not help with their short-term goals (these same students forget that my General Biology course is required of all Biological Science majors, and not just pre-Health Science majors). This problem is particularly apparent during the general botany and the general ecology portions of my 400-student General Biology class, but I help them to /*see*/ the relevance of this material by, for example, pointing out that the human gut is functionally an ecosystem whose microflora obeys the known principles of population and community ecology. One could equally well create teaching slides which refer to the literature that links ecological principles to outbreaks of Lyme disease, or other human pathogens. If you /*show*/ them how and why a key concept or fact is relevant, they are less likely to complain about it. I have stopped pandering to this attitude entirely: I have stuck with question-driven, active learning methods, and I simply accept the increased probability that I will likely receive lower evaluation scores. I also make it very clear within the formal wording of my syllabus that mine is a very demanding and highly interactive class, and that all exams will be based upon a mix of multiple choice + short answer + essay questions (even in the 400-student class; we hire GTAs to grade the short answer and essay sections of these exams after providing each of them with a formal grading rubric). If they choose not to enroll, and wish to wait for a semester when my course has a different professor, then that is their own personal choice. My teaching rigor has not stopped students from nominating me for the best teaching awards that KU offers (some of which I have indeed won), confirming that the student population still contains a significant number of students (including pre-Health Science) who really /*do*/ care about learning, and who respect my methods. Thankfully, I have and am completely supported by an Upper Administration at KU that strongly believes in teaching rigor, and thus I do not risk reprisals; I fear that this is not always the case in every U.S. university or college, however. Best wishes, Val Smith University of Kansas On 1/18/2010 2:18 PM, David M. Lawrence wrote: I watched my evaluation scores decline when I switched to active learning. I got tired of lecturing from powerpoints that the students could memorize, regurgitate on tests, and quickly forget. Somehow, it was unreasonable for me to expect the students to show up for the lectures prepared and willing to participate in class discussions. It was even more unreasonable for me to refuse to just tell us what we need to know, when they couldn't answer very simple questions that I'd toss out to stimulate discussion. It was also unreasonable for me to expect them to ask questions relevant to the material we discussed in class. I had students complain they didn't learn anything from me, but it seems to me that if they weren't asking questions -- either in class, on class discussion boards, or via e-mail -- they couldn't have been trying very hard. Maybe I am unreasonable... Dave On 1/18/2010 12:17 PM, James Crants wrote: On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 2:04 PM, Val Smithvsm...@ku.edu wrote: I lay much of this decline at the feet of their parents, who seem to care progressively less and less about knowledge. I recall a particularly notable incident from over a decade ago, when my youngest daughter's grade school Principal retired. The new Principal unilaterally decided that Science Fair projects for grades 2-6 should become completely voluntary, rather than remaining as a formal requirement that had long been embedded in this school's outstanding science preparation curriculum. On the day of the science project evaluations, I expressed dismay about this undesirable change to another parent, who at that time was almost 20 years my junior. Her response was to shout across the room to her husband, John (not his real name), this guy thinks everybody should have to do a science fair project, and /that this is all about learning science/! and she then turned to me to say, If everyone has to do a project, that lowers the
[ECOLOG-L] GLOBES REU opportunities at Notre Dame
GLOBES SUMMER 2010 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAM UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME June 1 – August 6, 2010 The Program: The GLOBES (Global Linkages of Biology, the Environment, and Society) program at the University of Notre Dame is pleased to sponsor a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program during the summer of 2010. Funded by an NSF-IGERT training grant, GLOBES undergraduate research fellowships provide an exciting opportunity to be involved in cutting-edge research with the intent of providing real world solutions to environmental and human health issues. Research topics include climate change, emerging infectious disease, endangered species, speciation biology, agricultural stream ecology, and the science policy of environmental change. Program Activities: The program consists of 10 weeks of full-time research, developed and mentored by GLOBES fellows and faculty. Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty and fellows about potential projects before submitting applications (go to website http://globes.nd.edu). Other activities include a weekly seminar program and journal club, regular research lab meetings, workshops on career choices in the sciences, research ethics, problem solving, and scientific writing. Lastly, participants have the opportunity to give formal presentations at the end of the summer REU Symposium. Support: The award consists of a $4200 stipend and includes housing on campus, meals, lab supplies and travel (up to $500). Eligibility: Current sophomores and juniors, who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, are eligible to apply; exceptionally well qualified freshmen may be considered. Women, minority students, students with disabilities, and students from small colleges are encouraged to apply. Application Materials: Priority will be given to applications postmarked by February 12, 2010. Application forms can be found at globes.nd.edu and must include (1) a cover letter stating your career goals and research interests; (2) a completed application form; (3), an official transcript, and (4) two recommendation letters from science faculty. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Selection: Preference will be given to sophomores and juniors whose primary interest is a research career, and who will likely pursue a Ph.D. Award notifications will occur in late March/early April. Send Application Materials to: Virginia Anderson, GLOBES Administrative Coordinator University of Notre Dame Department of Biological Sciences Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-0369 Phone: (574) 631-3287 Email: g.ande...@nd.edu If you need to express mail, only send via FedEx or UPS, not the US post office.
Re: [ECOLOG-L] now I've seen it all: Decline in education
I've been teaching college biology and ecology for more than 20 yrs, and I'm not convinced that this supposed decline in student preparedness and attitudes is real. I've always had a mix of poorly- prepared, bad attitude students and well-prepared, intellectually adventurous ones. Of course, that's just another piece of anecdotal evidence. Where are the data that show education is really getting worse? Charles Charles W. Welden Departments of Biology and Environmental Studies Southern Oregon University Ashland, OR USA 97520 wel...@sou.edu 541.552.6868 (voice) 541.552.6415 (fax) On Jan 19, 2010, at 6:28 AM, Val Smith wrote: Dave, you are not being unreasonable at all. The responses that you mention stem from intellectual laziness and/or short-term- oriented learning strategies. I, too, have had my students say, just tell me what I need to know, and it is very clear that they indeed wish to shovel in the information, play it back to me on an exam, and then purge it from their memory banks. The ideal of obtaining a broad education is largely irrelevant for a substantial portion of the student population, whose goal is simply to pass their exams and to get acceptable grades /*now*/. They also consistently ask me to prune or restrict the lecture content: if a fact, concept, or idea will not appear on the MCAT, for example, it is deemed irrelevant because it does not help with their short-term goals (these same students forget that my General Biology course is required of all Biological Science majors, and not just pre-Health Science majors). This problem is particularly apparent during the general botany and the general ecology portions of my 400-student General Biology class, but I help them to /*see*/ the relevance of this material by, for example, pointing out that the human gut is functionally an ecosystem whose microflora obeys the known principles of population and community ecology. One could equally well create teaching slides which refer to the literature that links ecological principles to outbreaks of Lyme disease, or other human pathogens. If you /*show*/ them how and why a key concept or fact is relevant, they are less likely to complain about it. I have stopped pandering to this attitude entirely: I have stuck with question-driven, active learning methods, and I simply accept the increased probability that I will likely receive lower evaluation scores. I also make it very clear within the formal wording of my syllabus that mine is a very demanding and highly interactive class, and that all exams will be based upon a mix of multiple choice + short answer + essay questions (even in the 400- student class; we hire GTAs to grade the short answer and essay sections of these exams after providing each of them with a formal grading rubric). If they choose not to enroll, and wish to wait for a semester when my course has a different professor, then that is their own personal choice. My teaching rigor has not stopped students from nominating me for the best teaching awards that KU offers (some of which I have indeed won), confirming that the student population still contains a significant number of students (including pre-Health Science) who really /*do*/ care about learning, and who respect my methods. Thankfully, I have and am completely supported by an Upper Administration at KU that strongly believes in teaching rigor, and thus I do not risk reprisals; I fear that this is not always the case in every U.S. university or college, however. Best wishes, Val Smith University of Kansas On 1/18/2010 2:18 PM, David M. Lawrence wrote: I watched my evaluation scores decline when I switched to active learning. I got tired of lecturing from powerpoints that the students could memorize, regurgitate on tests, and quickly forget. Somehow, it was unreasonable for me to expect the students to show up for the lectures prepared and willing to participate in class discussions. It was even more unreasonable for me to refuse to just tell us what we need to know, when they couldn't answer very simple questions that I'd toss out to stimulate discussion. It was also unreasonable for me to expect them to ask questions relevant to the material we discussed in class. I had students complain they didn't learn anything from me, but it seems to me that if they weren't asking questions -- either in class, on class discussion boards, or via e-mail -- they couldn't have been trying very hard. Maybe I am unreasonable... Dave On 1/18/2010 12:17 PM, James Crants wrote: On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 2:04 PM, Val Smithvsm...@ku.edu wrote: I lay much of this decline at the feet of their parents, who seem to care progressively less and less about knowledge. I recall a particularly notable incident from over a decade ago, when my youngest daughter's grade school Principal retired. The
Re: [ECOLOG-L] now I've seen it all: Decline in education
Try the Socratic Method sometime. I did, for my entire career of 40 years. But, it was not popular, though I was sometimes (and sometimes definitely not) a popular instructor. The general word was that I refused to answer questions (because I responded with questions intended to elicit better understanding). I did not refuse to answer questions, I chose to lead students to the answer or to the skills needed to find the answer. I had great success with some, but it was like pulling teeth with most, and a good many were too willing to give up. It worked best in a laboratory situation. I had resolved early on that, patterned after a mentor whom I admired greatly, I would use active learning primarily, and I assigned groups to investigate and so on. For sanity and survival I had to revert to more traditional lecture format for a lot of the teaching I did, but I always tried to mix in more active, including Socratic, approaches. Of course, lab is the place where that was easiest to accomplish, but for students trained to follow a cook book, that was sometimes difficult, too. The inevitable question (when extension of content went beyond what students expected) of, Will this be on the test, was also a challenge to my commitment. For the average to moderately good student the bottom line to any course always seemed to be the test, not taken as a challenge, but as a barrier. Oh well. All in all, I enjoyed teaching. It was just frustrating at times. I miss it a lot, btw. David McNeely On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 2:18 PM, David M. Lawrence wrote: I watched my evaluation scores decline when I switched to active learning. I got tired of lecturing from powerpoints that the students could memorize, regurgitate on tests, and quickly forget. Somehow, it was unreasonable for me to expect the students to show up for the lectures prepared and willing to participate in class discussions. It was even more unreasonable for me to refuse to just tell us what we need to know, when they couldn't answer very simple questions that I'd toss out to stimulate discussion. It was also unreasonable for me to expect them to ask questions relevant to the material we discussed in class. I had students complain they didn't learn anything from me, but it seems to me that if they weren't asking questions -- either in class, on class discussion boards, or via e-mail -- they couldn't have been trying very hard. Maybe I am unreasonable... Dave On 1/18/2010 12:17 PM, James Crants wrote: On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 2:04 PM, Val Smith wrote: I lay much of this decline at the feet of their parents, who seem to care progressively less and less about knowledge. I recall a particularly notable incident from over a decade ago, when my youngest daughter's grade school Principal retired. The new Principal unilaterally decided that Science Fair projects for grades 2-6 should become completely voluntary, rather than remaining as a formal requirement that had long been embedded in this school's outstanding science preparation curriculum. On the day of the science project evaluations, I expressed dismay about this undesirable change to another parent, who at that time was almost 20 years my junior. Her response was to shout across the room to her husband, John (not his real name), this guy thinks everybody should have to do a science fair project, and /that this is all about learning science/! and she then turned to me to say, If everyone has to do a project, that lowers the chance that our child will win the Best Science Project award. That's unfair competition. And she walked away. As I was reading your post, I was hoping you would mention the role of parents in any decline in the quality of the American education. I think it started with the baby boom. After the Depression and World War II, parents wanted the best for their children, but by providing the best materially, many raised children with an inflated sense of entitlement and self-importance. When these children raised my generation, self-esteem was seen as the most important quality you could promote in a developing mind, so many of us grew up feeling even more entitled and important. Also, since self-important people like today's parents don't respect authority figures, parents now tend to side with their children over teachers when there is a student-teacher conflict. Worse, since the entire class is, on average, not as prepared as it should be to learn the material you're trying to teach, disgruntled students can look to low average performance for the whole class to assure themselves that it's your fault if they don't get high marks. With students and parents both blaming you for low grades, and a low class average apparently supporting their arguments, it's easiest to lower your expectations and standards. (And you'll probably get higher teaching evaluation scores if you do.) When you do, you
[ECOLOG-L] Ph.D. Opportunity at University of Alabama
University of Alabama: Ph.D. opportunity in benthic nitrogen cycling for Fall 2010. Application deadline is March 15, 2010. We have space available in the Biogeochemistry Lab (http://bama.ua.edu/~bmortazavi/Mortazavi_Lab/Welcome.html) that currently has active projects in Weeks Bay Alabama, and Toolik Lake Alaska. Our work focuses on effects of climate change on trace gas fluxes, and how eutrophication affects coastal regions. The successful applicant will work on elucidating spatial and temporal patterns in nitrogen cycling in coastal waters located within the vicinity of Dauphin Island, a barrier island in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. The initial work will focus on using membrane inlet mass spectrometry to detect rates of denitrification. Future work may involve tracing sources and utilization of nitrogen in coastal waters. The assistantship will include (1) a tuition waiver, (2) an annual stipend and (3) health insurance. For additional information, contact Dr. Behzad Mortazavi, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa AL 35487, email: bmortaz...@ua.edu, ph: 251-861-2189. Application information and forms are available at http://bsc.ua.edu/gradstudies.htm. Funding is primarily in the form of research assistantships.
[ECOLOG-L] Graduate student funding: Stream ecology, invasive species and ecosystem subsidies
Graduate student funding (Master's or PhD) available: Stream ecology, invasive species and ecosystem subsidies I have openings for two new graduate students in my Stream and Riparian Ecology Lab at the University of Montana. Current research directions in our lab include investigations of the ecology of New Zealand Mud Snails; the landscape level consequences of aquatic subsidies; climate change implications for stream ecosystem function (organic matter dynamics); and quantitative data investigations of the effects of omnivory on food web structure. Funding is available in the form of teaching-assistant stipends for approximately half of the student's tenure (1 yr for MS, 2 yrs for PhD); research assistant stipends may be available for the second half of the degree program, and I will work with successful applicants to develop proposals for additional funding. I am looking for candidates who: - have both the ability and an interest in working independently; - have significant prior experience with ecological field work, preferably in aquatic systems; - have either significant quantitative skills or a strong interest in acquiring these; and - find ecological research engaging and (most of the time) fun. Please send a cover letter describing your research interests, a CV and the contact information (name, affiliation, email address) for three professional or academic references to Laurie Marczak (laurie.marc...@cfc.umt.edu) by February 18th. I will contact a shortlist of candidates to schedule a telephone interview. The University of Montana is located in Missoula, a community of 80,000 people in the northern Rocky Mountains. The city has often been singled out in national publications for its high quality of life. Abundant recreational opportunities in surrounding state and national forests, wildlife refuges, wilderness areas and National Parks complement a thriving intellectual atmosphere. Information about the University of Montanas College of Forestry and Conservation can be found at: http://www.forestry.umt.edu/.
[ECOLOG-L] Spring Internship Opportunity Growing Native Wetland Plants
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY: SPRING 2010 Description: General internship in a wholesale native wetland plant nursery Start date: MARCH 1, 2010 Length of Internship: 12 weeks; 40 hours/week Hourly wage: $9.00 Applicant requirements: At least 2 years of college with focus in horticulture, botany, plant science, or a related field; strong interest in ecological restoration. Application deadline: FEBRUARY 3, 2010 Environmental Concern's Wholesale Native Wetland Plant Nursery has been providing quality native plants for successful wetland restoration projects for 38 years. We are seeking a spring intern who is interested in developing skills in the horticulture and nursery industry and shares a passion for native plants and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. The intern will receive specific training in native plant propagation and plant health care, and gain work experience in the wholesale native plant nursery industry. He or she will work along side other nursery staff and will work closely with nursery management to develop one independent research project. The intern may also have the opportunity to participate in outplanting and environmental education projects with EC's Restoration and Education Departments. Who should apply: Applicants must have completed at least 2 years of college with a focus/strong interest in horticulture, botany, plant science, or a related field and should be capable of rigorous outdoor work, including lifting up to 50 lbs. Applicants also need reliable transportation to and from work each day. Please send cover letter, resume, and references to: Environmental Concern Inc. Attn: Leslie Hunter-Cario P.O. Box P St. Michaels, MD 21663 Phone: (410) 745-9620 Fax: (410) 745-3517 horticult...@wetland.org __._,_.___ Reply mailto:horticult...@wetland.org?subject=spring%20internship%20opportunity%2 0Growing%20Native%20Wetland%20Plants to sender | Reply mailto:chesapeake...@yahoogroups.com?subject=spring%20internship%20opportun ity%20Growing%20Native%20Wetland%20Plants to group Messages http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChesapeakeCLC/message/828;_ylc=X3oDMTMzMmludD duBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEyMTY3ODU0BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NDI2NARtc2dJZAM4Mj gEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDdnRwYwRzdGltZQMxMjYzOTE4NDgzBHRwY0lkAzgyOA-- in this topic (1) Recent Activity: . http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChesapeakeCLC/members;_ylc=X3oDMTJndnFqM2RkBF 9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEyMTY3ODU0BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NDI2NARzZWMDdnRsBHNsaw N2bWJycwRzdGltZQMxMjYzOTE4NDgz?o=6 New Members 1 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChesapeakeCLC;_ylc=X3oDMTJmbXA1ZjJ2BF9TAzk3Mz U5NzE0BGdycElkAzEyMTY3ODU0BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NDI2NARzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBH N0aW1lAzEyNjM5MTg0ODM- Visit Your Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChesapeakeCLC/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmbjgxcWR2BF9TA zk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEyMTY3ODU0BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NDI2NARzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNud HBjBHN0aW1lAzEyNjM5MTg0ODM- Start a New Topic MARKETPLACE Going http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=14kn9sq0a/M=493064.13814333.13821539.13298430/D =groups/S=1705064264:MKP1/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1263925684/L=/B=xMzAIUPDhCw-/J=1263918 484115992/K=kvYzDxxV1ljdynkdd3gQ3Q/A=5922843/R=0/SIG=11ckn2mo6/*http:/advisi on.webevents.yahoo.com/green/ Green: Your Yahoo! Groups resource for green living http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlbGxyaGpiBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzEyM TY3ODU0BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NDI2NARzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTI2MzkxODQ4N A-- Yahoo! Groups Switch to: mailto:chesapeakeclc-traditio...@yahoogroups.com?subject=change%20delivery% 20Format:%20Traditional Text-Only, mailto:chesapeakeclc-dig...@yahoogroups.com?subject=email%20delivery:%20Dig est Daily Digest . mailto:chesapeakeclc-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com?subject=unsubscribe Unsubscribe . http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Terms of Use . Web Bug from http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=12167854/grpspId=1705064264/msgId =828/stime=1263918483/nc1=5522126/nc2=5741392/nc3=5922757 http://www.mailscanner.tv/1x1spacer.gif __,_._,___ -- This message has been scanned by http://www.lastspam.com LastSpam eMail security service, provided by Micro http://www.microperformance.com Performance.
[ECOLOG-L] WETLAND RESTORATION SUMMER INTERNSHIP
WETLAND RESTORATION INTERN (multiple positions available): June 1 - August 15th Environmental Concern Inc. is seeking to hire highly motivated interns to help restore a 14 acre tidal wetland on Fishing Bay in Dorchester County Maryland. This restoration will include planting approximately 350,000 marsh plantings. This wetland restoration effort is funded by the EPA under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The grant is administered by the Maryland Department of the Environment. Interns must not be afraid of hard physical labor. 100% of work will be outdoors and conducted in all weather conditions. The planting effort is strenuous. This effort includes frequent lifting and bending, and the ability to operate hand tools. Former wetland experience and interest a plus. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY : click http://www.wetland.org/downloads/2010%20internship%20position.pdf here TO APPLY: Please send resume and cover letter electronically to: Jessica Lister, Wetland Restoration Project Manager restorewetla...@wetland.org
[ECOLOG-L] Postdoc in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies
Research Associate (Post Doctoral position) - Forestry and Climate Change We are recruiting for a full-time Research Associate position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). This is a 2-year position, from early Spring 2010 through Spring 2012. Salary will begin at $40,000 per year plus benefits. The start date for this position is negotiable. Description: This position serves to evaluate climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies for Wisconsin's forestry resources as part of the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI). WICCI is a collaboration between the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin DNR focused on developing adaptation strategies to address climate change. The goal of the WICCI Forestry Working Group is to collaboratively synthesize existing climate research as it pertains to Wisconsin, set priorities for research, and generate management strategies to address future climate change impacts utilizing applied research, modeling, and adaptive management. The working group furthers the collaborative efforts between scientists at the university, DNR, and US Forest Service to develop research and management strategies to address the impacts of climate change in Wisconsin. Information on WICCI can be found at http://wicci.wisc.edu/index.htm A Research Associate position is available to evaluate climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies for Wisconsin's forests. The project will review and evaluate potential climate change adaptation strategies on public and privately-owned forests in Wisconsin. Research will examine the synergies and trade-offs among forest adaptation strategies such as resisting change, increasing resilience, and facilitating adaptive change, mitigation strategies such as carbon sequestration and replacing fossil fuel use with woody biomass energy production, and other ecosystem services such as biodiversity conservation. A spatial component of this research will model alternative strategies for selected areas and land use categories. Finally, the position will develop a policy portfolio approach that integrates and prioritizes among adaptation and mitigation strategies. The Research Associate will be supervised by Dr. Adena Rissman in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology and Dr. Eunice Padley of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Research Associate will have the opportunity to collaborate on grant proposals and new research projects related to climate change depending on the Research Associate's interests and Forestry Working Group needs. Predictions of climate change in Wisconsin will be produced by the WICCI Climate Working Group and available to the WICCI Forestry Working Group. Knowledge and experience required: - Ph.D. in forestry, natural resources management, environmental science and policy, or related field required, - expertise in GIS and mathematical modeling, - knowledge of climate change impacts on forests - knowledge of forest mitigation and adaptation strategies, - proven oral and written communication skills Contact: Send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, unofficial transcripts of graduate academic record, and contact information for three references (email correspondence preferred) to the address below. Applications will be considered through January 25, 2010. Adena R. Rissman Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin 1630 Linden Drive Madison, WI 53706-1598 e-mail: arriss...@wisc.edu
[ECOLOG-L] Summer field course in Arctic science
ANNOUNCEMENT: SUMMER FIELD COURSE IN ARCTIC SCIENCE The Arctic is experiencing an unprecedented change in climate. How will arctic ecosystems respond to the changes that are occurring and what are the potential feedbacks to global climate? Find out and experience these ecosystems first-hand through the intensive Field Course in Arctic Science, offered through Summer Sessions at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This 4-week, 5-credit course will be taught at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the remote Toolik Field Station in northern Alaska from May 18 to June 11, 2010. Students will learn about the ecology of arctic and boreal ecosystems through daily lectures delivered by a variety of scientists and guest faculty, active participation in field sampling and discussions of the relevant science literature. The field course will span a broad range of disciplines, including natural history, fire ecology, vegetation description, animal biology, patterned-ground forms, carbon budgets and the implications of a warming climate. The students will gain a firm background in the structure and function of the ecosystems in northern Alaska and become familiar with the tools and techniques used to measure the ecological impacts of climate change. The course is limited to ten finishing undergraduate or starting graduate students. The cost of food, lodging and travel between the field sites will be covered. Students are expected to pay for their round-trip travel to Fairbanks, Alaska, tuition at the University of Alaska (summer tuition is at the in-state rate) and their food when based in Fairbanks. Students will need to bring all-weather clothing including winter jackets, rubber boots and a warm sleeping bag. Interested students should submit a current resume and a cover letter stating how the course would benefit them to Dr. Anja Kade (ank...@alaska.edu) by March 7, 2010.
[ECOLOG-L] Summer Field Research Opportunities--paid
Summer field research internships Are you interested in gaining field research experience and learning about the ecology and evolution of plants and plant-animal interactions in fragmented prairie? We are looking for 3-5 summer field researchers for an NSF-funded project on habitat fragmentation of the tallgrass prairie. We are investigating how small plant population size influences inbreeding, demography, pollination, and herbivory in the purple coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia. This is a great summer internship or co-op for those interested in field biology or conservation research. No experience is necessary, but you must be enthusiastic and hard-working. You will survey natural plant populations, measure plant traits in experimental plots, hand-pollinate plants, observe collect insects, and assist in all aspects of research. Housing is provided and there is a stipend. Undergraduate students have the opportunity to do an independent project as an REU participant. If you want more information or wish to apply, please visit this website http://echinacea.umn.edu/ or contact Stuart Wagenius. Applications due 5 March 2010. - Stuart Wagenius, Ph.D. Conservation Scientist Division of Plant Science and Conservation Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe, IL 60022 phone: 847 835 6978 fax: 847 835 6975 email: stuar...@echinaceaproject.org web: http://echinacea.umn.edu/
Re: [ECOLOG-L] now I've seen it all: Decline in education
Just for information's sake, more than a decade ago I helped to create the University of Kansas' Center for Teaching Excellence (http://www.cte.ku.edu), and like other teaching faculty at KU, I follow its well-thought-out, professional recommendations with regards to assuring the consistency and fairness of exam grading. The grading of 400 exams containing up to 3-4 short answers and 1-2 essays can take the better part of 12-15 hours or more even when we obtain the assistance of as many as ten highly knowledgeable grading assistants who are already serving as GTAs in the laboratory portion of the course. A grading rubric that defines the best or preferred answers to the questions in any exam is created and provided to all graders (which include the teachers of record): there can after all be only a small subset of completely correct answers to any given question, such as the correct direction of heat energy or material flows in counter-current exchange systems, or the correct direction of water flow in a plant's xylem, or the correct absolute value of Avogadro's number, or the correct equation for exponential population growth, or the correct balanced equation for photosynthesis, or the correct name for the enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of lactose, or the correct definition for gastrovascular cavity, or the major taxonomic characteristics that are considered to be unique to a specific Order of plants (I'm sure that you surely must see my point here). Typically one or two graders (including both of the faculty members who are the teachers of record) are then assigned a certain question, and exam grading proceeds. If there is any concern about a particular student's answer for any particular question, then the entire group stops and deliberates/discusses whether the particular answer under consideration was either correct (100% credit), partially correct (for partial credit), or incorrect (0% credit). The grading rubric is provided electronically to all students taking the course after the exam, and each student then has further recourse by making a formal appointment with the instructors of record to discuss any and all questions for which they might dispute the grading. Just curious: did you intend for your tone in this message to be as hostile to academia, and as intentionally and deliberately derogatory as I perceived it? If so, very tacky, and one might wonder whether you have ever bothered to read the literature on exam grading and learning assessment methods, or whether you have ever actually taught in the classroom? Please explain clearly to me, and also to the readers of ECOLOG, how the extremely lengthy, objective, completely transparent, and highly deliberative grading process above might constitute professorial laziness. It is unfortunately very easy in an electronic forum such as this to write a three-sentence zinger that is completely without basis or merit. Val H. Smith On 1/19/2010 2:29 PM, Meenan, James wrote: Let me see if I have this clear. You criticize students for asking you to just tell me what I need to know and then you grade their essay questions by using a rubric (tell me what I want to hear) that is interpreted by a GTA. Professorial laziness? -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of Val Smith Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 9:28 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] now I've seen it all: Decline in education Dave, you are not being unreasonable at all. The responses that you mention stem from intellectual laziness and/or short-term-oriented learning strategies. I, too, have had my students say, just tell me what I need to know, and it is very clear that they indeed wish to shovel in the information, play it back to me on an exam, and then purge it from their memory banks. The ideal of obtaining a broad education is largely irrelevant for a substantial portion of the student population, whose goal is simply to pass their exams and to get acceptable grades /*now*/. They also consistently ask me to prune or restrict the lecture content: if a fact, concept, or idea will not appear on the MCAT, for example, it is deemed irrelevant because it does not help with their short-term goals (these same students forget that my General Biology course is required of all Biological Science majors, and not just pre-Health Science majors). This problem is particularly apparent during the general botany and the general ecology portions of my 400-student General Biology class, but I help them to /*see*/ the relevance of this material by, for example, pointing out that the human gut is functionally an ecosystem whose microflora obeys the known principles of population and community ecology. One could equally well create teaching slides which refer to the literature that links ecological principles to outbreaks of Lyme
Re: [ECOLOG-L] now I've seen it all: Decline in education
I can't imagine what data could objectively show whether education has gotten worse. Education has changed with changes in both technology and education theory. Even if standardized tests (and the pool of students taking them) had not changed, scores on them probably would, yet those changes in scores might have nothing to do with changes in the quality of education. Rather, the changes could reflect the changing relevance of the skills and knowledge the tests were intended to assess. Snopes.com has an example of a supposed graduation test for eighth graders in Kansas in 1895 that most of us on this list would probably fail. If the exam really served the purpose described, its difficulty mostly reflects the steady shift in the skills and knowledge considered important for an educated person over the past 115 years (e.g., few of us need to know how big an acre or a rod is, and we can look it up if needed). Charles may be right that there is no real decline in student preparedness and attitudes. I taught labs and discussions for just 10 years, and the changes I saw in student attitudes over that time could be due to differences between students in Wisconsin, where I started, and Michigan, where I finished. My perceptions have been reinforced by the anecdotes of professors with much longer teaching careers, but I don't expect to ever see any more persuasive evidence for a decline in standards or attitudes. Maybe it's best to go with the adage that most people rise or sink to meet your expectations, so you should keep your expectations high, in the best interest of your students. Jim Crants On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 11:30 AM, Charles Welden wel...@sou.edu wrote: I've been teaching college biology and ecology for more than 20 yrs, and I'm not convinced that this supposed decline in student preparedness and attitudes is real. I've always had a mix of poorly-prepared, bad attitude students and well-prepared, intellectually adventurous ones. Of course, that's just another piece of anecdotal evidence. Where are the data that show education is really getting worse? Charles Charles W. Welden Departments of Biology and Environmental Studies Southern Oregon University Ashland, OR USA 97520 wel...@sou.edu 541.552.6868 (voice) 541.552.6415 (fax) On Jan 19, 2010, at 6:28 AM, Val Smith wrote: Dave, you are not being unreasonable at all. The responses that you mention stem from intellectual laziness and/or short-term-oriented learning strategies. I, too, have had my students say, just tell me what I need to know, and it is very clear that they indeed wish to shovel in the information, play it back to me on an exam, and then purge it from their memory banks. The ideal of obtaining a broad education is largely irrelevant for a substantial portion of the student population, whose goal is simply to pass their exams and to get acceptable grades /*now*/. They also consistently ask me to prune or restrict the lecture content: if a fact, concept, or idea will not appear on the MCAT, for example, it is deemed irrelevant because it does not help with their short-term goals (these same students forget that my General Biology course is required of all Biological Science majors, and not just pre-Health Science majors). This problem is particularly apparent during the general botany and the general ecology portions of my 400-student General Biology class, but I help them to /*see*/ the relevance of this material by, for example, pointing out that the human gut is functionally an ecosystem whose microflora obeys the known principles of population and community ecology. One could equally well create teaching slides which refer to the literature that links ecological principles to outbreaks of Lyme disease, or other human pathogens. If you /*show*/ them how and why a key concept or fact is relevant, they are less likely to complain about it. I have stopped pandering to this attitude entirely: I have stuck with question-driven, active learning methods, and I simply accept the increased probability that I will likely receive lower evaluation scores. I also make it very clear within the formal wording of my syllabus that mine is a very demanding and highly interactive class, and that all exams will be based upon a mix of multiple choice + short answer + essay questions (even in the 400-student class; we hire GTAs to grade the short answer and essay sections of these exams after providing each of them with a formal grading rubric). If they choose not to enroll, and wish to wait for a semester when my course has a different professor, then that is their own personal choice. My teaching rigor has not stopped students from nominating me for the best teaching awards that KU offers (some of which I have indeed won), confirming that the student population still contains a significant number of students (including pre-Health Science) who really /*do*/ care about
[ECOLOG-L] Wildlife research technician needed (1)
Wildlife Research Technician Position description: Parks Canada in collaboration with the Western Transportation Institute (Montana State University), the Miistakis Institute for the Rockies (University of Calgary) and US- and Canadian-based conservation foundations, are carrying out long-term research in the Canadian Rocky Mountains investigating the ecological effects of roads on wildlife populations and the efficacy of measures designed to reduce their impacts. The wildlife research technician will be expected to assist in a variety of road ecology research; primarily data collection and management, and to a lesser extent data analysis, and communicating science. The long-term research (13 years) takes place in the Canadian Rocky Mountain national parks (Banff, Kootenay, Yoho) and is centred in Banff National Park, Alberta and the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH). The position will start around February 15, 2010 and run for 6 months (approx August 15, 2010), with the possibility of extension depending on performance. Position duties: Primary: 1. Conduct weekly camera and track-pad monitoring of wildlife use at 34 crossing structures on the TCH in the Banff-Bow Valley. 2. Photo-classification and data entry from remote camera monitoring data. 3. Help maintain the track pads and camera monitoring systems. 4. Participate in large mammal species occupancy surveys in fall and winter, including use of snowshoes and backcountry skis. 5. During winter, conduct weekly data collection and monitoring of below-grade culverts used by small- and medium-sized mammals along the TCH. 6. Conduct weekly camera monitoring of wildlife intrusions at Texas gates (cattle guards) on paved roads in Banff National Park. Secondary: 7. Assist in analyzing and summarizing data on wildlife crossing use and incidence of wildlife-vehicle collisions. 8. Assist in preparing technical reports from research and monitoring. 9. Ability to effectively communicate with agency and academic colleagues. 10. Regularly communicate with project director and other wildlife staff on progress. Qualifications: · Should be in excellent physical condition and capable of strenuous hiking, snowshoeing and backcountry skiing with a heavy pack in steep, rocky terrain. · Experience in GPS, backcountry navigation and the use of handheld computers (PDA). · B.Sc. degree in biological/environmental sciences. · Proficient in database use (MS Access, Excel) and basic statistical and ArcGIS analysis. · Personable and able to work in team environment. · Takes initiative to learn on their own, can work independently, and long hours if needed. · Clean driving record the last 3 years. Evaluation: There will be an initial 8-week trial period and at the end of this period the technician will have a performance review. Upon a successful performance review the contract will be continued to through to August 15, 2010. An unsatisfactory performance review will result in termination of the contract. Salary: $CD 15-17/hr depending on experience Benefits: Park housing provided with nominal rental fee. All applicants must be Canadian citizens or be students in Canada Deadline for applications February 10, 2010 Please send cover letter indicating your qualifications, current student status, citizenship, winter field work experience, resume and contact information for 3 references (must include email and phone) should be sent to: Tony Clevenger (e) apcleven...@gmail.com
[ECOLOG-L] Graduate Assistantships available at Fort Hays State Univeris
Graduate assistantship opportunities in the Department of Biological Sciences at Fort Hays State University have dramatically increased for Fall 2010. We currently have five graduate teaching, one graduate curatorial assistantship at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, and three graduate wetlands assistantships at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center for a total of at least nine graduate research assistantships available. Thus, we would appreciate it if you would tell seniors about our program. Our faculty have ongoing research on The Nature Conservancys Smoky Valley Ranch in western Kansas, at the Cheyenne Bottoms State Wildlife Area, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, in the Platte River Valley, and in the Prairie Pothole Region of Minnesota. In addition to this, we have excellent programs in biogeography, botany, conservation biology, entomology, extinction and range contraction, fisheries management, grassland soils, herpetology, ichthyology, mammalogy, ornithology, plant ecology, plant ecophysiology, plant physiology, range management, and wildlife biology. We have developed a program in microbiology, have developed a DNA sequencing laboratory, recently added expertise in stable isotope ecology, and have a SEM laboratory with digital imaging capabilities. In addition we recently began a Professional Science Masters for students interested in combining business and natural resource management. Graduate students in our program have successfully gone onto excellent PhD programs and employment within their subdisciplines. Please look at our web page at www.fhsu.edu/biology/ and encourage your students to do so also. Have them contact me or an appropriate faculty member with questions about opportunities. Thank you for your time and effort. We look forward to hearing from you or your students.
[ECOLOG-L] Two PhD Studentsips in Plant, Soil and Ecosystem Ecology
Hi. Below is an advert for two new PhD positions in our research group. I would be most pleased if you could forward them onto anyone who you think might be intetrested. Thanks. David TWO PhD STUDENTSHIPS IN PLANT, SOIL AND ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY Two new Ph.D. studentship positions are available with the Department of Forest Ecology and Management at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, at Umeå, Sweden. Both are fully financed (including salary and benefits) for a period of four years. The start date for both positions is September 1 2010, although there is some flexibility around this. These positions are: 1. Ref. nr 12/10. The ecological significance of within-species leaf trait variability: a test using an island area gradient (Supervisors: Prof. David Wardle, Prof. Marie-Charlotte Nilsson and Dr. Michael Gundale). Plant leaf characteristics or traits are important determinants of ecological processes, and while much work has focused on the ecological importance of trait differences among species, little is known about the importance of trait variability within species. This project will use a well characterized system of 30 contrasting forested lake islands in the boreal region of N Sweden to study the significance of within-species leaf trait variability relative to that across species, through a mixture of empirical and experimental field-based approaches. As such, this work will enhance our understanding about whether within-species trait variability can contribute to explaining ecological processes in a manner that cannot be achieved by focusing on only across-species trait variation. This project would be ideal for students who have a primary interest in plant or boreal forest ecology. 2. Ref. nr 13/10. The influence of wildfire-derived charcoal on ecosystem carbon storage and fluxes (Supervisors: Prof. David Wardle, Prof. Marie- Charlotte Nilsson and Dr. Michael Gundale). Charcoal produced during wildfire can persist in the soil for thousands of years. As such there is much recent interest in the contribution of charcoal (‘biochar’) to long term carbon storage in soil, and its potential to offset human-induced increases in atmospheric CO2 levels. However, our most recent data suggests that charcoal can cause large losses of soil carbon, bringing into question its supposed benefits. This project will consist of both laboratory and field-based experiments to determine whether and how charcoal addition to boreal forest ecosystems affects ecosystem carbon loss (through breakdown of soil carbon) and carbon gain (through plant productivity), and will therefore provide new information about how charcoal affects biological processes that influence ecosystem carbon balance. This project would be ideal for students with an interest in working at the interface of forest ecology, ecosystem science and climate change. Requirements for both positions include a M.Sc. (or comparable degree) in Ecology or a related discipline, with an emphasis on plants and/or soils. Having a degree (minimum 180 ECTS) with similar emphasis is also acceptable. Applications from both Sweden and elsewhere in the world are welcome. SLU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Enquiries and further information about these positions and projects can be made to Prof. David Wardle (david.war...@svek.slu.se). Please send applications, marked with Reference Number, together with a letter motivating your interest, your CV, and the contact information for two referees whom we can approach, to the Registrar, SLU, P.O. Box 7070, SE- 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. If you are applying for both positions, you must send in two separate applications (one for each position). Applications should arrive at the latest on 31 March 2010.
[ECOLOG-L] Coal Comfort: Margaret Palmer interviewed on Colbert Report...
... and my blog post about it: http://blog.reconciliationecology.org/2010/01/coal-comfort-or-why-you-must-toss-those.html Madhu ~ Madhusudan Katti Assistant Professor of Vertebrate Biology Department of Biology, M/S SB73 California State University, Fresno Fresno, CA 93740-8034 Email: mka...@csufresno.edu Tel:559.278.1460 Fax:559.278.3963 Lab:http://www.reconciliationecology.org/ ~
