Re: [ECOLOG-L] Fwd: [AESS_LIST] EPA Climate Webpage

[Judith S. Weis]

They will probably not take EPA's climate information down, just change
it. Put in their alternative facts.


> Hi All,
>
> A group at the University of Pennsylvania is organizing data refuges:
> http://www.ppehlab.org/
>
> Additionally, although I cannot find the article now, due to backlash
> Trump
> has slowed his roll on forcing the Climate Information off of the EPA
> website. However, I second the sentiment that any data that anyone wants
> to
> use should be downloaded now just in case.
>
> Best,
> Heather
>
> On Wed, Jan 25, 2017 at 4:05 PM, Malcolm McCallum <
> malcolm.mccallum.ta...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> -- Forwarded message --
>> From: "Papadakis, Maria C - papadamc" 
>> Date: Jan 25, 2017 1:38 PM
>> Subject: [AESS_LIST] EPA Climate Webpage
>> To: 
>> Cc:
>>
>> All, I do not believe I have seen this news posted to the list. But
>> Reuters is reporting that EPA has been directed to remove its climate
>> change website. See here: http://www.reuters.com/article
>> /us-usa-trump-epa-climatechange-idUSKBN15906G
>>
>> There are important datasets linked to this site, so if you want/need
>> them, now is the time to download them and any other content pages that
>> you
>> might regularly use.
>>
>> Also, please see this online Washington Post article "11 Stories from
>> President Trump's First 100 Hours that Deserve More Attention." Items
>> include the directive to remove the climate change website, the order to
>> the Agricultural Research Service and NIH to quit "public facing"
>> communication, the EPA contracts and grants freeze, the abrupt
>> cancellation
>> of a CDC conference related to public health and climate change, and the
>> suggestion that President Trump may try to roll back fuel economy
>> standards.
>>
>> Perhaps AESS can throw its weight in with the people trying to organize
>> a
>> scientists march on Washington. Please see
>> https://www.washingtonpost.com
>> /news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/01/24/are-scientists-goin
>> g-to-march-on-washington/?utm_term=.b680d44f32eb.
>>
>> Maria
>>
>> ***
>> Maria Papadakis
>> Professor of Integrated Science and Technology and Geographic Science
>> 801 Carrier Drive
>> MSC 4310
>> Harrisonburg, VA 22807
>> Email: papad...@jmu.edu
>> Office: 540-568-8142 <(540)%20568-8142>
>> Fax: 540-568-8741 <(540)%20568-8741>
>> --
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> To learn more about and/or join AESS, go to www.aessonline.org. Please
>> join us at our annual conference at the University of Arizona, June 21 -
>> 24
>> 2017
>> --
>>
>> To unsubscribe from the AESS list, click the following link:
>> https://listserv.ursinus.edu:88/scripts/wa.exe?TICKET=NzM2Mz
>> g0IG1hbGNvbG0ubWNjYWxsdW1ASEVSUENPTkJJTy5PUkcgQUVTU9YPqhUqb%
>> 2F5%2F&c=SIGNOFF
>>
>>
>

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

[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 me...
>
> https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/01/billy-barr-climate-change/512198/
>
> thank you...
>
> mike nolan
>
>
>
> --
>
> If we are on another line or away from the phone, please leave your
> number, best time to return your call and your e-mail address.
>
> After hours and weekend phone appointments are available upon request.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> J. Michael Nolan, Director
>
> Rainforest and Reef
>
> Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.
>
> -Thomas H. Huxley
>
> *
> "Outstanding-Affordable Field Courses in Rainforest & Marine Ecology"
>
> References/Comments from past Group Leaders and Individual Participants
> can be found at:
> http://rainforestandreef.org/past-participantgroup-leader-comments.html.
>
> U.S.:
> Rainforest and Reef
> 417 Watson St.
> Coopersville, MI 49404
>
> Phone: 616.604.1234
> Toll free: dial: 1.616.604.0472>don't dial the country code when
> prompted to do so>dial: 616.604.1234#
> Cell Phone: 1.616.312.5744
> Phone calls from outside the U.S. or Canada: 011.616.604.1234
> Skype: rainforestandreef
> E-mail: mno...@rainforestandreef.org or travelwithra...@gmail.com
> Web: http://rainforestandreef.org (presently under revision)
> *
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] pressures of a scientific career

[Judith S. Weis]

That may be the case, David, but I can think of two factors that may alter
it:
1. more and more ecologists spending all their time indoors in front of a
computer screen rather than in nature
2. attitudes and pressures from dept. chairs/deans etc. who may value
molecular/cell biologists more highly because they bring in more money.

Judy

> There's an interesting article in the latest issue of Nature about
> mental health issues for scientists facing career pressures:
>
> http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v539/n7628/full/nj7628-319a.html
>
> I wonder whether ecologists, who may get to spend more time outside ("in
> nature"), are less susceptible to depression than researchers in other
> fields.
>
> --
> Dr. David W. Inouye
> Professor Emeritus
> Department of Biology
> University of Maryland
> College Park, MD 20742-4415
> ino...@umd.edu
>
> Principal Investigator
> Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory
> PO Box 519
> Crested Butte, CO 81224
>

[ECOLOG-L] new book of interest!

[Judith S. Weis]

For a change, this is not a job ad!!

http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/life-sciences/animal-behaviour/biological-invasions-and-animal-behaviour?format=HB

Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Judith S. Weis]

Too bad Ben Carson's medical school didn't re


> There are quite a few books out there entitled "Evolutionary Medicine" and
> variations on that theme.  I used one of them in our senior seminar
> course.  There is an incredible wealth of material that has been well
> researched in these books.  There are also several lengthy essays on why
> medical schools really want their incoming students to have a background
> in evolution.  The medical schools feel it is vital to an understanding of
> everything from how our bodies react to pathogens to conditions such as
> metabolic syndrome and why it is considered to be an evolutionary
> consequence of how our bodies responded long ago to  starvation and why we
> now see obesity, diabetes etc.  The medical schools feel they are not
> qualified to really teach the basic evolution, and there is really no time
> in the medical curriculum.  It has to happen sooner.  The students in my
> classes were amazed at the links between evolution and medicine.  I
> learned an amazing amount about the subject as a result of moderating the
> senior seminar course.
>
> Liane
>
> *
> Liane Cochran-Stafira, Ph.D.
> Associate Professor of Biology
> Saint Xavier University
> Department of Biological Sciences
> 3700 West 103rd Street
> Chicago, IL  60655
>
> Ph:773-298-3514
> Fax:  773-298-3536
> coch...@sxu.edu
> http://faculty.sxu.edu/dlc1
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Juan Alvez
> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2016 6:36 AM
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course
>
> Hi Russel and Ecolog,
>
> There are a few books that talk about these issues.
> Here is one of my favorites:
> http://www.amazon.com/Soil-Grass-Cancer-Andre-Voisin/dp/0911311645
>
> - -
> Juan P. Alvez, PhD
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Russell L. Burke
> Sent: Monday, February 01, 2016 9:18 PM
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course
>
> Don't you all think it is high time we had a text book for a course like
> this called why pre-health students should study ecology and evolution?
> We could cover every major topic taught in intro ecology and evolution
> courses using medical examples--human microbiome, evolution of resistance,
> biodiversity and human public health...why hasn't anyone written this
> book?
>
> Lyme disease and malaria would be great case studies for such a book
>
> RBurke
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Emily Moran
> Sent: Monday, February 1, 2016 8:03 PM
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course
>
> If the question is "how do we get more students to see ecology as an
> interesting career path" rather than "how to we get premeds to take
> ecology classes", the key seems to be to expose them to interesting uses
> of ecology and interesting ecological careers as early as possible.
> In most schools, the kids who come in wanting to major in biology tend to
> say they are pre-med, in part because that is the only biology-related
> career they are aware of.
>
> One thing we're trying at UCM is to have ladder-rank faculty give guest
> lectures in the intro bio class - along with delivering the basic
> material, we get the chance to tell students a little about our research
> and have the option of talking about how they can get involved in
> research, other classes they might consider if they like the
> ecology/evolution section of bio 1, or career paths.  It is too early yet
> to see if it is having much effect in recruiting students to the EEB track
> or environmental sciences major, but I know I got some good questions from
> students about options for including plant-related stuff in their
> educational and career trajectory.
>
> Involving students in research and hands on projects in their freshman or
> sophomore year can also be a great way to stoke their interest in biology
> outside of a clinical setting.
>
> Emily Moran
> UC Merced
>
>>
>>
>> On 2/1/16, 11:23 AM, "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs,
>> news on behalf of Kay Shenoy" > kay.yellowt...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology
>>> undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly
>>> focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology
>>> ³unimportant² for their future careers, and it is not addressed in
>>> the MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase
>>> enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do
>>> not have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Judith S. Weis]

Courses like that Ecology for citizens - including pollution,
sustainablility etc. have been around for decades for non-majors - called
environmental science or similar.



> I've been thinking for a long time now that we need an "Ecology for
> Citizens" type class in high school and for non-science majors in college.
> It could replace the current biology topics that people forget after the
> test is done and never use again unless it comes up in a trivia game.  It
> would cover the basics, such as the Three Laws of Ecology, overview of
> various cycles, the difference between weather and climate, different
> pollution types, sustainability. etc.  The intent is offer students what
> they need to know in order to realize how human actions impact the
> environment, regardless of career.  I think something akin to this could
> be
> tailored to the biology students in question.  It they have an
> understanding of topics like pollution vectors, bio-magnification, how
> biodiversity loss leads to disease outbreaks, etc.  they might be a in a
> better position to advise on policy and recognize oppurtunites to prevent
> problems in there communities.
> 
> This
> email has been sent from a virus-free computer protected by Avast.
> www.avast.com
> 
> <#DDB4FAA8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
>
> On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 7:03 PM, Emily Moran  wrote:
>
>> If the question is “how do we get more students to see ecology as an
>> interesting career path” rather than “how to we get premeds to take
>> ecology
>> classes”, the key seems to be to expose them to interesting uses of
>> ecology
>> and interesting ecological careers as early as possible.
>> In most schools, the kids who come in wanting to major in biology tend
>> to
>> say they are pre-med, in part because that is the only biology-related
>> career they are aware of.
>>
>> One thing we’re trying at UCM is to have ladder-rank faculty give
>> guest
>> lectures in the intro bio class - along with delivering the basic
>> material,
>> we get the chance to tell students a little about our research and have
>> the
>> option of talking about how they can get involved in research, other
>> classes they might consider if they like the ecology/evolution section
>> of
>> bio 1, or career paths.  It is too early yet to see if it is having much
>> effect in recruiting students to the EEB track or environmental sciences
>> major, but I know I got some good questions from students about options
>> for
>> including plant-related stuff in their educational and career
>> trajectory.
>>
>> Involving students in research and hands on projects in their freshman
>> or
>> sophomore year can also be a great way to stoke their interest in
>> biology
>> outside of a clinical setting.
>>
>> Emily Moran
>> UC Merced
>>
>> >
>> >
>> > On 2/1/16, 11:23 AM, "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs,
>> news
>> on
>> > behalf of Kay Shenoy" > > kay.yellowt...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology
>> >> undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly
>> >> focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology
>> >> ³unimportant² for their future careers, and it is not addressed in
>> the
>> >> MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase
>> >> enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do
>> not
>> >> have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Tamathy Stage
> Master's Candidate
> Antioch University New England
>

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

[Judith S. Weis]

It was around 1990 that the American Society of Zoologists changed its
name to Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. In addition to
sounding "trendier" it also allows for inclusion of some plant biology.



> This kind of “rebranding” has been happening for some time. In
> ornithology, I recall a debate about changing the name of our flagship
> journals, The Auk and The Condor. A compromise, I guess, was to give each
> subtitles. One driving force I heard was that administrators doing bean
> counting of faculty productivity thought that the journal titles looked
> unscientific or like a place where amateurs would publish. I’ve also
> seen Integrative Biology taking over from some classical terms. Whether
> all of this improves our science or just canalizes it into a new direction
> that purges natural history and taxonomy will be interesting to track.
>
> Check out this classic article:  Thomson, K.S. 1989. A light in the attic.
> American Scientist. 77(May-June):264-266.  You’ll learn why you should
> never use the terms descriptive (use characterization), observation (use
> experiment), museum (use either institute, center, academy), or museum
> collections  (use research collections).  So this is not a new trend.
>
> Angelo Capparella
> Illinois State University
> Curator of the research collections of vertebrates (aka museum
> specimens).
>
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Malcolm McCallum
> Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 11:53 AM
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] plant science vs. botany
>
> Over the past several years I have noticed a trend that plant-focused
> vacancies will refer to the vacancy as plant science and less frequently
> what used to be typically referred to as zoology will be instead referred
> to as animal science.
>  When I was an undergraduate, agronomy, pomology, forestry, and course
> related to agriculture were designated plant science.  Agricutlure
> courses like dairy science, feedlot management, swine management, animal
> nutrition and the like were designated animal science.
>
> The current widespread lack of distinction between zoology vs. animal
> science, and botany vs. plant science creates a lot of confusion, and
> doesn't really make any sense to me.
>
> Is there a reason that people have stopped using the term zoology/botany
> and in its stead began using animal science/plant science?   It seems like
> an inappropriate muddying of the academic waters to me.
>
> A Plant Scientist and a Botanist are not the same thing, nor is an animal
> scientist and a zoologist the same thing.  Although some people might
> cross these fields (a ruminant ecologist might cross these areas for
> example).
>
> I know most people probably couldn't care less about this, but I feel it
> is a pretty important issue.  If we are not consistent with terminology,
> why should we expect students and others to take it seriously?
>
> Please feel free to contact me off list because some members of the ECOLOG
> discussion list get annoyed when it actually involves discussion, so be
> it.
>
> --
> Malcolm L. McCallum, PHD, REP
> Link to online CV and portfolio :
> https://www.visualcv.com/malcolm-mc-callum?access=18A9RYkDGxO
>
>  “Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich
> array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a
> many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature
> lovers alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as
> Americans.”
> -President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of 1973
> into law.
>
> "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" -
> Allan Nation
>
> 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea"  W.S. Gilbert
> 1990's:  Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
> and pollution.
> 2000:  Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
>   MAY help restore populations.
> 2022: Soylent Green is People!
>
> The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi)
> Wealth w/o work
> Pleasure w/o conscience
> Knowledge w/o character
> Commerce w/o morality
> Science w/o humanity
> Worship w/o sacrifice
> Politics w/o principle
>
> 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.
>

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

[Judith S. Weis]

Not many departments named "Zoology" any more either. It appeared
antiquated a couple of decades before "Botany" did (for some reason).


> Hi Chris,
>
> Our Department at NC State University changed its name from Botany to
> Plant Biology (not Plant Science) a number of years ago. We did so
> primarily because of a perception that the public sees "botany" as an
> antiquated term, not inclusive of the vibrant programs in our
> department, which cover the plant realm from molecules to ecosystems. We
> also believed that prospective student searching for "botany" programs
> were more likely to use keywords like "plant" and "biology." We avoided
> "Plant Science" because we thought that too inclusive of ALL plant
> studies, given that at NC State (a Land Grant university) we still have
> departments of Crop Science, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Forestry, etc.
>
> Tom Wentworth
>
> On 11/18/2015 1:00 PM, Christopher Graham wrote:
>> Hi Malcolm,
>>
>> Interesting question. I studied in the plant biology department at the
>> University of Georgia, which until recently had been the botany
>> department. My understanding (and I think this was corroborated by
>> certain faculty members) was that the change reflected the gradual shift
>> from "traditional" botanists, who studied plants at a macroscopic or
>> organismal level and thus were facile with (at least some members of)
>> the regional flora; to academics who focused at the cellular or
>> molecular level to such a degree that many of them do not particularly
>> know or care about the real, wild plants growing around them. I don't
>> doubt that these plant scientists do important things, but it's a shame
>> to me that the former type, the traditional botanist, has been largely
>> displaced by them.
>>
>> chris
>>
>>
>> - Original Message -
>> From: "Malcolm McCallum" 
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 12:52:32 PM
>> Subject: plant science vs. botany
>>
>>
>> Over the past several years I have noticed a trend that plant-focused
>> vacancies will refer to the vacancy as plant science and less frequently
>> what used to be typically referred to as zoology will be instead
>> referred to as animal science.
>> When I was an undergraduate, agronomy, pomology, forestry, and course
>> related to agriculture were designated plant science. Agricutlure
>> courses like dairy science, feedlot management, swine management, animal
>> nutrition and the like were designated animal science.
>>
>>
>> The current widespread lack of distinction between zoology vs. animal
>> science, and botany vs. plant science creates a lot of confusion, and
>> doesn't really make any sense to me.
>>
>>
>>
>> Is there a reason that people have stopped using the term zoology/botany
>> and in its stead began using animal science/plant science? It seems like
>> an inappropriate muddying of the academic waters to me.
>>
>>
>> A Plant Scientist and a Botanist are not the same thing, nor is an
>> animal scientist and a zoologist the same thing. Although some people
>> might cross these fields (a ruminant ecologist might cross these areas
>> for example).
>>
>>
>> I know most people probably couldn't care less about this, but I feel it
>> is a pretty important issue. If we are not consistent with terminology,
>> why should we expect students and others to take it seriously?
>>
>> Please feel free to contact me off list because some members of the
>> ECOLOG discussion list get annoyed when it actually involves discussion,
>> so be it.
>>
>>
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Dissertation defense in Sweden vs. USA

[Judith S. Weis]

I was particularly impressed by the amount of work for the outside
"opposition" - much more than for any committee member here. Do they give
a generous honorarium?


O> That was a REALLY INTERESTING read.
>
> I think some aspects of the Swedish defense would scare the bajeezes out
> of
> doctoral candidates. The use of an opponent and the committee members all
> from outside your university is very interesting.  IT doesn't sound like,
> in the grand scheme of things, that means do much to change the ends.
> However, it mentions that in Finland you have to wear tails if your a guy
> and a long dress if a woman.  It always amazes me how differently people
> do
> things in different places.  It is a good reminder that when you walk over
> the tracks, you might have to adjust because the other side isn't going to
> adjust to you! :)
>
> M
>
> On Tue, Jun 9, 2015 at 10:47 AM, David Inouye  wrote:
>
>> Opportunities for graduate research in Europe are posted not
>> infrequently
>> on ECOLOG-L. If you're considering such an opportunity in Scandinavia,
>> you
>> might be interested in this comparison of the dissertation defense
>> process
>> between Sweden and the US, from a friend who recently participated in
>> defenses in both countries.
>> https://boggslab.wordpress.com/2015/06/08/a-good-dissertation-defense-is/
>>
>> David Inouye
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Malcolm L. McCallum, PHD, REP
> Environmental Studies Program
> Green Mountain College
> Poultney, Vermont
> Link to online CV and portfolio :
> https://www.visualcv.com/malcolm-mc-callum?access=18A9RYkDGxO
>
>  “Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich
> array
> of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a
> many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers
> alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as
> Americans.”
> -President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of 1973
> into law.
>
> "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" -
> Allan
> Nation
>
> 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea"  W.S. Gilbert
> 1990's:  Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
> and pollution.
> 2000:  Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
>   MAY help restore populations.
> 2022: Soylent Green is People!
>
> The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi)
> Wealth w/o work
> Pleasure w/o conscience
> Knowledge w/o character
> Commerce w/o morality
> Science w/o humanity
> Worship w/o sacrifice
> Politics w/o principle
>
> 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.
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Graduate School Advice

[Judith S. Weis]

It's really unfortunate that the first, longest and most detailed answer
to this student's questions was so very negative and discouraging. That is
not a typical experience and many of us are happy we followed our
interests.


> where should i click on the "like" buttom for this last answer?
>
> Eve
> On May 27, 2015 5:55 PM, "Stephen L. Young"  wrote:
>
>> Wow! I couldn¹t think of any worse advise. If I had followed these
>> guidelines I would have not been anywhere near where I am today and
>> would
>> have not met some of the most inspiring, motivating, creative, and smart
>> people, who have become some of my best friends and colleagues.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 5/27/15, 6:56 PM, "Aaron T. Dossey"  wrote:
>>
>> >1) I wouldn't go to grad school for science these days. Universities
>> and
>> >faculty are far too exploitative and the career opportunities requiring
>> >a graduate degree are far too few (especially in academia and
>> >government).  Best to get out there and get a job and experience with
>> >those years, or even start your own organization or company.
>> >You may be interested in the articles and "Notes" posted on this page:
>> >https://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Postdoc-Union/275402225908673
>> >
>> >2) It is the responsibility (one of an ever waning list) of the faculty
>> >boss (referred to some as "mentor" or "adviser") to provide projects
>> >(well funded ones) for their students, then spend time TEACHING them
>> the
>> >projects, techniques and science behind the projects.   I would be
>> >suspicious of any lab that requires you to come up with your own
>> >project, especially if they require you to come with your own funding.
>> >
>> >3) If you do have project ideas, best to pursue them on your own time
>> >and well separate from the lab and/or involvement of any university
>> >faculty member.  Basically if you know what you want to do and more or
>> >less how to do it, you don't need grad school:  you need
>> >resources/facilities to pursue it.  So, find (sit down for this)
>> >COLLABORATORS (not bosses) and some sort of funding or access to lab
>> and
>> >equipment you need.  You can even try crowdfunding, or like I said,
>> >start a company or non-profit.
>> >
>> >4) If you DO dive into graduate school for some reason:  selecting a
>> >decent ethical faculty boss who actually cares about YOUR career (very
>> >rare) will be your most critical decision/task.  the following are
>> >criteria and methods you should use: a) talk to as many people IN the
>> >lab and especially FORMER lab members as possible, b) ask the faculty
>> >boss how joining their lab will help your career, what you will BE
>> >TAUGHT, what projects are available and what FUNDING is driving those
>> >projects (and listen closely to the answers), c) ask if you would be
>> >allowed to pursue independent side projects without the faculty boss'
>> >involvement (ie: do a side project that's your idea with other students
>> >or other labs in your own side collaboration - this is critical to
>> build
>> >toward an independent career in science, which is the main reason to go
>> >to grad school in science at all).  This means publishing at least one
>> >paper without that faculty member and possibly even applying for a
>> grant
>> >or two (toward the end of your term in the lab) without their name on
>> >it.  If they say no, immediately find another lab.  While many will
>> tell
>> >you no one will do this and this is unusual and you shouldn't expect
>> >this freedom, that is nothing short of a lie.  If you accept that lie,
>> >you will find out the hard way when you try to pursue your real career
>> >after grad school.  d) Be SURE the lab or department will pay you a
>> FULL
>> >stipend you can live on AND health insurance for at least 5 years while
>> >you complete your degree. e) be sure that no one in the labs you are
>> >considering has taken more than 5 years to finish their Ph.D. or 3
>> years
>> >for Masters.  f) if you determine that a graduate degree is ABSOLUTELY
>> >REQUIRED for your career goals (think about this carefully) then do a
>> >Ph.D. rather than a masters.  g) I do not recommend young professors
>> >without tenure, or working for older or higher ranking professors that
>> >also have adminstrative appointments on top of their professor job
>> >(things like also being the "director of the center for X" etc. I
>> >consider moonlighting and almost a guarantee that you'll never see
>> them,
>> >which means you'll never learn anything or be taught anything by them
>> >which is the entire point of grad school). h) Also have a frank
>> >discussion about how authorship is handled in the lab AND if you are
>> >expected to write grants (don't do it if you won't be listed as a
>> >co-PI), and even about how patents will be handled... and get those
>> >things IN WRITING!
>> >
>> >5) Do not be placated, pacified, bribed, distracted or fooled by
>> >anything else.  a LITTLE higher salary, a boss that s

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Organizations that promote public awareness (education) about invertebrate animals?

[Judith S. Weis]

Look into the Xerxes Society.



> Organizations that promote public awareness (education) about invertebrate
> animals?
>
> Hello Ecolog-Listers:
>
> In addition to the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (
> https://www.aza.org/ and http://www.titag.org/ ,
> http://www.titag.org/ieccmain.html , note list of participants and
> organizations), are there other units  that promote public awareness
> (education) about invertebrate animals? Thus far, I am not detecting many
> in my first searches. Thank you.
>
> If you have any suggestion, please, feel free to email me. Apologies for
> any potential duplicate email.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Jorge
>
> Jorge A. Santiago-Blay, PhD
> blaypublishers.com
>
> 1. Positive experiences for authors of papers published in *LEB*
> http://blaypublishers.com/testimonials/
>
> 2. Free examples of papers published in *LEB*:
> http://blaypublishers.com/category/previous-issues/.
>
> 3. *Guidelines for Authors* and page charges of *LEB*:
> http://blaypublishers.com/archives/ *.*
>
> 4. Want to subscribe to *LEB*? http://blaypublishers.com/subscriptions/
>
>
> http://blayjorge.wordpress.com/
> http://paleobiology.si.edu/staff/individuals/santiagoblay.cfm
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Question for the Professionals

[Judith S. Weis]

Feeling targeted here, I respond. I did not mean to imply that learning
about cellular and molecular biology was not useful. I criticized biology
departments that have only courses about those aspects of biology and no
ecology courses. A good biology major should have both.




> (not targeting Ben here, just replying to thread)
>
> I know there has been talk about the cellular level and how it seems
> tangent or outside the realm of ecology, but it is not.
> Much of ecotoxicology deals with cellular elements.  Stress responses can
> be read in immunofunction, antioxidant levels, and heatshock protein up
> regulation.  Genetic technology is increasingly important, in fact, I have
> seen a growing number of genomics-wildlife vacancies in recent years.
> Further, many of the wildlife problems are pathogenic leading to the need
> for a firm understanding in the microscopic and submicroscopic world.
> Never under-estimate the value of what you can learn, always shoot to
> learn
> as much as you can, and continue to learn new things even after you are in
> school.  If you do this, you will continue to grow as a person, a
> professional, and as a scientist.  Unfortunately, most people really do
> stop learning the moment the leave school (some stop earlier than this).
> The stagnation that results will gradually lead to an array of phenomena
> that are neither healthy nor productive.  You can never know too much, and
> the one thing in life that is certainly true is that the more you learn,
> the more easily you learn who is full of it, and who is not! :)  Stepping
> outside of your comfort zone and learning crazy new stuff often leads to
> the biggest and neatest results.  When you take ideas from one field and
> apply them to another where they have not been introduced, it can be
> pretty
> amazingly enlightening.  So, don't be afraid of getting stuck in a course
> on membranes!  It just turns out that one of the easiest ways to detect
> stress is to detect free radical attack on lipid membranes, and these
> tests
> constitute very important stress markers in all organisms!  And, of course
> stress is fundamental to what drives evolutionary change, population
> stability and change, and ultimately ecosystem function.
>
> So, its not all that distantly related to the big picture! :)
>
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 8, 2015 at 10:03 AM, Ben Fertig 
> wrote:
>
>> Hi Matt,
>>
>> To answer your question: Yes, you probably can become a successful
>> ecologist or wildlife biologist with either environmental studies or
>> biology. A Masters and possibly a PhD would also likely give you helpful
>> credentials, depending on your interests and the degree to which you
>> want
>> your career to be based in hard science.
>>
>> My two cents is that undergraduate years are what one makes of them.
>> While
>> the focus of a department may influence a student’s interests, I
>> believe
>> self-motivation is ultimately critical in pursuing science. While maybe
>> not
>> the norm for a small liberal arts university such as Brandeis, I
>> graduated
>> in 2003 with a BA in Biology and an Env. Studies minor (there was no
>> major
>> at that time). After internships and working for a few years I went to
>> U.
>> of Maryland for my Ph.D. (2010) in Marine, Estuarine and Environmental
>> Science with an Ecology area of specialization. I have always felt that
>> the
>> rigor of the (essentially pre-med) Biology major at Brandeis has been
>> extremely helpful beyond college despite that my interests lay outside
>> the
>> cellular level.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Ben Fertig
>> https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benjamin_Fertig
>>
>> On Apr 8, 2015, at 8:21 AM, Judith S. Weis 
>> wrote:
>>
>> > I haven't looked at it lately, but last I knew, the Bio Dept at
>> Brandeis
>> > was not interested in anything outside the cell membrane - which would
>> > explain some of these policies. I would suggest transferring to a
>> school
>> > that appreciates ecology.
>> >
>> >
>> >> Dear Matt,
>> >>
>> >> What a crazy biology department you must have! Studying abroad,
>> enrolling
>> >> in a SFS program (or, better, helping conduct scientific research in
>> a
>> >> more formal setting, or taking an Organization for Tropical Studies
>> >> course) is EXACTLY what you should be doing! Students without
>> research
>> >> experience in ecology will always have a hard time getting into top
>> >> ecology departments.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >&

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Question for the Professionals

[Judith S. Weis]

I haven't looked at it lately, but last I knew, the Bio Dept at Brandeis
was not interested in anything outside the cell membrane - which would
explain some of these policies. I would suggest transferring to a school
that appreciates ecology.


> Dear Matt,
>
>  What a crazy biology department you must have! Studying abroad, enrolling
> in a SFS program (or, better, helping conduct scientific research in a
> more formal setting, or taking an Organization for Tropical Studies
> course) is EXACTLY what you should be doing! Students without research
> experience in ecology will always have a hard time getting into top
> ecology departments.
>
>
>  In my experience, environmental studies programs can weak in the hard
> sciences ... and you do need to know some physics and chemistry,
> certainly math (calculus, linear algebra, probability) and statistics
> (means and variances, t-tests, ANOVA, MANOVA, regression, multiple
> regression) and ... some real biology - get to know the ecology and
> systematics (and physiology) of at least one group very well, and it will
> serve as an inspiration and strength forever.
>
>
>  Cheers, Tom
>
>
> Thomas J. Givnish
> Henry Allan Gleason Professor of Botany
> University of Wisconsin
>
> givn...@wisc.edu
> http://botany.wisc.edu/givnish/Givnish/Welcome.html
>
> On 04/07/15, Matt Smetana  wrote:
>> Hey Everyone!
>>
>> My name is Matt Smetana, and I’m a current sophomore at Brandeis
>> University out near
>> Boston. I have been subscribed to this listserve for a few months and
>> have been
>> applying to various summer internships within the ecological/biological
>> field. I am certain
>> this is the career path I want to take but am unclear of the skill set
>> required to be
>> successful in this field.
>>
>> My current degree is Environmental Studies, but I am also highly
>> interested in Ecology,
>> Wildlife Biology, and Forestry. I am most drawn to internships and jobs
>> pertaining to the
>> biological field but enjoy my course work and have a real passion for
>> the environment.
>> My question is, can I become a successful ecologist or wildlife
>> biologist with a degree in
>> environmental studies or must I switch my major in order to obtain the
>> necessary skills
>> for the career that I want.
>>
>> My main concern with choosing biology is that it inhibits me from taking
>> many desired
>> courses, studying abroad at a School for Field Studies programs,
>> participating in
>> independent research opportunities, and possessing an internship this
>> summer (I would
>> need to enroll in Chemistry this summer).
>>
>> I will have already taken all of the requirements for the biology degree
>> such as the
>> introductory courses, biology lab, one semester of general chemistry and
>> lab, and all
>> required electives. But I have not finished general chemistry, organic
>> chemistry, or
>> physics. As ecologists, do you think it is more important to go for the
>> biology degree or
>> stay with environmental studies and gain experience through research,
>> study abroad,
>> and internships?
>>
>> Any input would be very helpful and could potentially change the course
>> of my future!
>>
>> Best,
>> Matt Smetana
>
> --
>  Thomas J. Givnish
>  Henry Allan Gleason Professor of Botany
>  University of Wisconsin
>
>  givn...@wisc.edu
>  http://botany.wisc.edu/givnish/Givnish/Welcome.html
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] predatory journals

[Judith S. Weis]

I assure you I'm not sending any manuscripts to them! I avoid even
legitimate journals with page charges.


> Hi Judith,
>
> Jacobs publisher is what you would call a 'predatory journal'. Poorly
> edited email texts with errors are a red flag. Predatory publishers are
> also notorious for sending bulk poorly targeted spam messages. The
> publisher is in fact on Beal's list <http://scholarlyoa.com/publishers/>.
> A
> lot of predatory journals have registered addresses in the US and Europe,
> and many legitimate publishing operations will be found in countries where
> you would expect to find most predatory publishers, e.g. in India.
>
> It is very unfortunate that the open access model has been hijacked by
> predatory publishing operations. Legitimate open access publishers should
> be registered with OASPA <http://oaspa.org/membership/members/>, I would
> check this list before submitting any manuscripts.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Alexandre Chausson
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 28, 2015 at 2:18 AM, Judith S. Weis
> > wrote:
>
>> I frequently get messages like this from journals I've never heard of.
>> The
>> stilted English writing suggests it's not written by an American, yet
>> the
>> address is given as Austin TX. Don't know if its strictly "predatory"
>> but
>> it raises suspicions.
>>
>>
>>
>>  Original Message
>> 
>> Subject: Aquaculture and Research-Manuscript Request
>> From:"Editor - Aquaculture and Research"
>> 
>> Date:Fri, March 27, 2015 6:23 pm
>> To:  jw...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
>> --
>>
>> Description: Banner-Aquaculture
>>
>>  <http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php> Jacobs Publishers -Jacobs
>> Journal of Aquaculture and Research
>> <
>> http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php/journal-of-aquaculture-and-resear
>> ch-home
>> <http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php/journal-of-aquaculture-and-research-home>
>> >
>> <
>> http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php/order-i-to-r/radiation-oncology/a
>> quaculture-and-research
>> <http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php/order-i-to-r/radiation-oncology/aquaculture-and-research>
>> >
>>
>> Dear Dr. Judith S Weis,
>>
>>
>>
>> Warm greetings from Jacobs Publishers
>>
>>
>>
>> Quality research and its access are important to Scientific Community!
>>
>>
>>
>> We, Jacobs Publishers are committed in association with the research
>> community and our motto is to serve the scientific and research
>> community.
>>
>>  Quality research and its access is an important aspect of
>> scientific
>> community and ours is an open access publishing group  publishes  peer
>> reviewed articles in various aspects like Medical, Life Sciences,
>> Pharma,
>> Chemistry and Engineering.
>>
>>
>>
>>  We have a pioneered journal called Jacobs Journal of Aquaculture
>> and
>> Research in which, Articles/Manuscripts are run through a detailed
>> review
>> by
>> our eminent panel of Editorial Board who spend their valuable time to
>> review
>> these articles.
>>
>>  The mission of our Journal is to equip with authentic information
>> on
>> the current development in the form of review articles, case reports,
>> brief
>> communications etc., to Aquaculture research.
>>
>>
>>
>> Kindly go through the link below for clear and detailed information
>> regarding author guidelines
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php/author-guidelines-in-foremostlinks
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> You may submit your valuable research with the following link.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php/journal-of-aquaculture-and-researc
>> hsubmit-manuscript
>> <http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php/journal-of-aquaculture-and-researchsubmit-manuscript>
>>
>>
>>
>> We request the authors to pay 499 USD as article processing charges,
>> after
>> the completion of Peer Review process and accepted by our esteemed
>> editorial
>> board members.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Looking forward for a fruitful scientific relationship!
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanking you,
>>
>>
>>
>> Neil Jacobson
>> Jacobs Journal of Aquaculture and Research
>> Jacobs Publishers
>> 900 Great Hills
>> Trail # 150 w
>> Austin, Texas
>> 78759(Travis County)
>> E-mail: aquaculture <mailto:aquacult...@jacobspublishers.org>
>> @jacobspublishers.org
>>
>>
>>
>> *Note: If you are not interested to participate, please
>> <mailto:unsubscr...@jacobspublishers.info?subject=Unsubscribe>
>> Unsubscribe
>>
>
>
>
> --
>

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

[Judith S. Weis]

The system is falling apart - so many people decline to do reviews these
days (well, maybe for Science or Nature..) that editors have to keep
looking for more. And lots of the folks who decline to do reviews don't
recommend another potential reviewer.


 I usually do a Google Scholar search and find 2-3 people who have done
> work
> that crosses over.
> For example, lets say the paper was toxicology of amphibian larvae in an
> agronomic landscape.
> I might get one reiewer who is versed in amphibians and one who is versed
> in ecotox (especially involving agrochemicals), then maybe a third who
> does
> amphibian tox.  When I solicity the reviewer, I always ask him/her to
> recommend someone else if they are unable to do it.  This is INCREDIBLY
> productive and successful.  We don't take reviewer recommendations at HCB.
> I always get really flustered when a journal asks for reviewers too.  I'm
> always concerned about the balance between naming someone who I think is
> well-qualified and someone who is not connected to me in some way.  It
> gets
> really hard because as a journal editor, you rapidly start to know a lot
> of
> people and you also tick off your fair share.  Also, if you are doing
> research in a particular area, it is almost assured you are going to end
> up
> communicating with others who do similar stuff.  It isn't long, and
> everyone knows everyone.
>
> Malcolm
>
> On Fri, Mar 27, 2015 at 5:34 PM, Menges, Eric
> 
> wrote:
>
>> As an editor, I rarely choose reviewers that authors suggest. When I do,
>> it is because I know the person is capable of giving a serious, unbiased
>> review
>>
>> Eric S. Menges
>> Editor, Natural Areas Journal
>> 
>> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [
>> ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] on behalf of David Mellor [
>> mellor.da...@gmail.com]
>> Sent: Friday, March 27, 2015 3:51 PM
>> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] fabricated reviews lead to retractions of papers
>>
>> It appears to be an issue with fraudulent “translation services”
>> that pose
>> on behalf of the foreign language researcher and use the “suggested
>> reviewer” feature in the submission process to mislead editors into
>> contacting reviewers who aren’t who they claim to be. The BMC blog
>> post
>> http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/bmcblog/2015/03/26/manipulation-peer-review/
>> <
>> http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/bmcblog/2015/03/26/manipulation-peer-review/>
>> explains the fraud. My insight is that this could 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 
>> (434) 352-1066 @EvoMellor
>>
>> > On Mar 27, 2015, at 2:29 PM, Martin Meiss  wrote:
>> >
>> > I wonder if part of the problem is that one publisher, BioMed Central,
>> >  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 :
>> >
>> >> I hope this hasn't been an issue in ecology.
>> >>
>> >> http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/
>> >> 27/fabricated-peer-reviews-prompt-scientific-journal-to-
>> >> retract-43-papers-systematic-scheme-may-affect-other-journals/
>> >>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Malcolm L. McCallum, PHD, REP
> Environmental Studies Program
> Green Mountain College
> Poultney, Vermont
>
>  “Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich
> array
> of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a
> many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers
> alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as
> Americans.”
> -President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of 1973
> into law.
>
> "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" -
> Allan
> Nation
>
> 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea"  W.S. Gilbert
> 1990's:  Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
> and pollution.
> 2000:  Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
>   MAY help restore populations.
> 2022: Soylent Green is People!
>
> The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi)
> Wealth w/o work
> Pleasure w/o conscience
> Knowledge w/o character
> Commerce w/o morality
> Science w/o humanity
> Worship w/o sacrifice
> Politics w/o principle
>
> 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] predatory journals

[Judith S. Weis]

I frequently get messages like this from journals I've never heard of. The
stilted English writing suggests it's not written by an American, yet the
address is given as Austin TX. Don't know if its strictly "predatory" but
it raises suspicions.



 Original Message 
Subject: Aquaculture and Research-Manuscript Request
From:"Editor - Aquaculture and Research"

Date:Fri, March 27, 2015 6:23 pm
To:  jw...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
--

Description: Banner-Aquaculture

 <http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php> Jacobs Publishers -Jacobs
Journal of Aquaculture and Research
<http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php/journal-of-aquaculture-and-resear
ch-home>
<http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php/order-i-to-r/radiation-oncology/a
quaculture-and-research>

Dear Dr. Judith S Weis,



Warm greetings from Jacobs Publishers



Quality research and its access are important to Scientific Community!



We, Jacobs Publishers are committed in association with the research
community and our motto is to serve the scientific and research community.

 Quality research and its access is an important aspect of scientific
community and ours is an open access publishing group  publishes  peer
reviewed articles in various aspects like Medical, Life Sciences, Pharma,
Chemistry and Engineering.



 We have a pioneered journal called Jacobs Journal of Aquaculture and
Research in which, Articles/Manuscripts are run through a detailed review by
our eminent panel of Editorial Board who spend their valuable time to review
these articles.

 The mission of our Journal is to equip with authentic information on
the current development in the form of review articles, case reports, brief
communications etc., to Aquaculture research.



Kindly go through the link below for clear and detailed information
regarding author guidelines




http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php/author-guidelines-in-foremostlinks




You may submit your valuable research with the following link.




http://www.jacobspublishers.com/index.php/journal-of-aquaculture-and-researc
hsubmit-manuscript



We request the authors to pay 499 USD as article processing charges, after
the completion of Peer Review process and accepted by our esteemed editorial
board members.





Looking forward for a fruitful scientific relationship!



Thanking you,



Neil Jacobson
Jacobs Journal of Aquaculture and Research
Jacobs Publishers
900 Great Hills
Trail # 150 w
Austin, Texas
78759(Travis County)
E-mail: aquaculture <mailto:aquacult...@jacobspublishers.org>
@jacobspublishers.org



*Note: If you are not interested to participate, please
<mailto:unsubscr...@jacobspublishers.info?subject=Unsubscribe> Unsubscribe

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

[Judith S. Weis]

Editors need to vet them for appropriate expertise in the field, and use
them carefully and sparsely.


> Many journals ask the authors for up to five recommended referees. Those
> aren’t always the only ones chosen, but in my experience it happens often.
>
>> On Mar 27, 2015, at 11:51 AM, Judith S. Weis
>>  wrote:
>>
>> How can this happen when the editors of the journal invite the
>> reviewers?
>> That's the type of peer review I'm familiar with.
>>
>>
>>> I hope this hasn't been an issue in ecology.
>>>
>>> http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/27/fabricated-peer-reviews-prompt-scientific-journal-to-retract-43-papers-systematic-scheme-may-affect-other-journals/
>>>
>
>
>
>

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

[Judith S. Weis]

How can this happen when the editors of the journal invite the reviewers?
That's the type of peer review I'm familiar with.


> I hope this hasn't been an issue in ecology.
>
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/27/fabricated-peer-reviews-prompt-scientific-journal-to-retract-43-papers-systematic-scheme-may-affect-other-journals/
>

[ECOLOG-L]

[Judith S. Weis]

Pardon the shameless self-promotion, but many (I hope!) on the list should
be interested in this book.

My new book is coming out! From Oxford University Press, it covers all
types of pollution. As the title says, it is about what "everyone" needs
to know - not just scientists, but students, nature lovers,
environmentalists, fisherfolk, divers, and any one interested in and
concerned about the environment and the oceans.
 Find out more at:
http://global.oup.com/academic/product/marine-pollution-978016681?cc=us&lang=en&;

Judy Weis


.·'¯`·.¸ ><o> .·'¯`·.¸¸.·'¯`·.¸ >=}},/o>

  ><o>><o>

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's:  Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
MAY help restore populations.


Dr. Judith S. Weis
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Rutgers University
Newark NJ 07102
Phone 973 353-5387   FAX  973 353-5518

http://runewarkbiology.rutgers.edu/weis%20lab/Home.html

Re: [ECOLOG-L] NSF and the House Science Committee

[Judith S. Weis]

The adversarial relationship of these House members with the NSF is caused
by their adversarial relationship with science itself.



> There is an unfortunate adversarial relationship between some members
> of the House Science Comittee and the National Science Foundation,
> described in an article at
> http://news.sciencemag.org/policy/2014/10/battle-between-nsf-and-house-science-committee-escalates-how-did-it-get-bad.
> An outcome could be a negative effect on funding of some ecological
> research.
>
> Several ecological projects are among the 50 NSF awards for which the
> House Science Committee has requested (and received) NSF records
> including the proposals, reviewer comments on their merit,
> correspondence between program officers and principal investigators,
> and any other information that had helped NSF decide to fund the project.
>
> Communicating Climate Change (C3)
>
> Ecosystem Resilience to Human Impacts: Ecological Consequences of
> Early Human-Set Fires in New Zealand
>
> CNH: Does Community-Based Rangeland Ecosystem Management Increase the
> Resilience of Coupled Systems to Climate Change in Mongolia?
>
> CRPA: How do We Learn the Fate of Tropical Forests under Climate
> Change? -- A Multimedia Exhibition of Photographic Art Portraying
> Scientists and Students at Work in Amazonia
>
> CNH-Ex: An Analysis of Disturbance Interactions and Ecosystem
> Resilience in the Northern Forest of New England
>
> I've had some experience with similar political involvement with NSF
> funding, as my previous grant was #35 on a list issued by two U.S.
> Senators of the top 100 most wasteful uses of funding from the 2009
> "Stimulus Bill".
>
> David Inouye
> President, Ecological Society of America
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] GRE Scores In Picking a PhD Student. Do they Matter?

[Judith S. Weis]

Yes, but
I have had a number of foreign students who could not write English very
well and I had to do a lot of re-writing on their dissertations - but the
research itself was excellent and we produced many publications. Just more
work on the major professor's part.




> I agree with this assessment - especially since some small liberal arts
> colleges engage in grade inflation - GPA's are not always reliable.  I
> think there is considerable value to the GRE scores and having a minimum
> is useful.  Above that, scores vary widely and are not always predictive
> of ultimate success.  The most important thing that should be assessed -
> and the GREs do not do an adequate job here - is writing ability.  Even
> mediocre students can complete a research project and muddle through the
> data analysis, but when it comes to writing, the grain and chafe fall
> into two distinct piles. The worse thing you can do for your career is
> to take on mediocre students with poor writing skills.  If a project is
> never published then it will count for zero to your CV and career
> development.  I suggest getting the student to send you a writing
> sample, or evaluate their writing skills based on the materials they
> have submitted.
> Mitch Cruzan
>
>
> On 9/3/2014 6:07 AM, Gary Grossman wrote:
>> I think that we all look at this issue from a personal perspective,
>> especially those that did well on standardized tests,  and I've had this
>> same argument with colleagues for 30 years, including the exact same
>> situation where the student was up for a competitive assistantship with
>> a
>> mediocre GRE score and a senior-authored publication in an international
>> journal. You don't tell us how low the score was and I'd be concerned if
>> it
>> was a low quantitative score, because grad students need to have a good
>> quantitative background.  But for researchers, publications are the sine
>> quo non and render a low GRE score moot, provided the student actually
>> earned the senior authorship (we don't have that info either and I view
>> senior authorship differently than junior authorship, especially if
>> there
>> are more than two authors).  The one valid argument that the "keepers of
>> the gates" regarding the GRE is that it is the one evaluator that is
>> equivalent across all applications,i.e., as faculty we don't have the
>> time
>> to evaluate if an A at Furman University is the equivalent of an A at
>> Chapel Hill. But in the end I've found that the GRE isn't very
>> indicative
>> of performance by a researcher (I mean really, how could it be, it
>> contains
>> no information on motivation, persistence, intuition or many other
>> characteristics that great researchers have). In fact, I've seen some of
>> the biggest flops as graduate students come from students with very high
>> GRE scores --- they just happen to be good at taking standardized tests
>> but
>> not necessarily at research.  My own story -- I took the GRE in 1975 and
>> earned somewhere between 1150 and 1190 can't remember exactly, but I do
>> remember it was a mediocre score. I have 110+ journal articles,
>> including
>> multiple papers in Am. Nat, Ecology, Ecol. Monogr, Oecologia, Freshwater
>> Biol. etc. The math is pretty easy to do .  cheers, g2
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 2, 2014 at 2:03 PM, Alex M. L 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Last weekend I got into a long discussion on the value of GRE score in
>>> a
>>> PhD
>>> student. As the 2015 applicants start, I open up the discussion to the
>>> community:
>>>
>>> I have a female student that has both a Masters (thesis) and
>>> publication
>>> with
>>> several years research experience. However, her GRE score are quite
>>> poor.
>>> Should I really pass up a seemingly great applicant because of low
>>> scores?
>>>
>>> If a student has a biology Masters or a publication... do GRE scores
>>> matter?
>>> Have we not moved past GRE scores when picking the next round of PhD
>>> researchers for our lab(s)?
>>>
>>> If you have a personal story of low scores and still attaining your PhD
>>> or
>>> accepting a similar student... I would love to hear from you!
>>>
>>> Cheers!
>>> Alex M.L
>>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> 
> Mitch Cruzan
> Professor of Biology
> Portland State University
> Department of Biology, SRTC rm 246, PO Box 751
> Portland, OR 97207 USA
> http://web.pdx.edu/~cruzan/
> 
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Some ideas for advancing grad education in the face of scarcity

[Judith S. Weis]

Why should some ecologists look down their noses at other ecologists when
we already have the molecular biologists looking down their noses at all
of us?



> To adapt a well-known aphorism, ALL ECOLOGY IS LOCAL. That is, the outcome
> of all ecological interactions – and thus, the abundance of individual
> species, the composition and structure of communities, and the nature of
> energy and nutrient flows in ecosystems – is context-dependent. Any
> theoretical ecologist worth her/his salt must recognize that fact. The
> idea that working on a particular set of organisms, or in a particular
> geographic area would be viewed as "provincial" is therefore deplorable.
> Theoretical generalities are either built from empirical findings in a
> wide variety of specific settings, or must be tested in such settings.
>
>
> But I must confess that – while recently working with a certain
> slumgullion editor at a journal well known to all of us, and while
> presenting evidence for the operation of an entirely novel ecological
> mechanism structuring Midwestern prairies – my student and I had this
> same ridiculous criticism hurled at us. And this despite the fact that my
> lab is viewed as innovating at the interface between theoretical and
> empirical ecology. So there is an attitude, lamentably, among at least
> some ecologists that support Kenneth Brown's experience.
>
>
> Such people deserve as much discomfort and illumination as we can provide
> them!
>
>
> Cheers, Tom
>
> Thomas J. Givnish
> Henry Allan Gleason Professor of Botany
> University of Wisconsin
>
> givn...@wisc.edu
> http://botany.wisc.edu/givnish/Givnish/Welcome.html
>
>
> On 08/26/14, Kenneth M Brown  wrote:
>> A good point which brings up a larger question. I know colleagues who
>> only value basic ecological research and testing theory. Applied ecology
>> and working in a particular geographic area or on particular organisms
>> is considered provincial. Do we as professional ecologists need to
>> rethink our own hiring priorities as well as graduate education
>> philosophy?
>>
>> **
>>
>> Dr. Kenneth M. Brown
>> Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences
>> Louisiana State University
>> Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803
>> 225-578-1740
>> kmbr...@lsu.edu
>>
>> **
>>
>> 
>> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
>>  on behalf of Mitchell, Kendra
>> 
>> Sent: Monday, August 25, 2014 3:08 PM
>> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Some ideas for advancing grad education in the
>> face of scarcity
>>
>> The idea that an academic position is "winning", that it is the only
>> worthwhile endeavour for scientists to undertake, is one of the biggest
>> problems in ecological education today. This is the reason that many PhD
>> students don't talk to advisers about non-academic careers; suggesting
>> that we don't want to follow in your footsteps moves us into the loser
>> category. Becoming an expert in an ecological field has many important
>> applications beyond training more experts. Only accepting students that
>> say they want to follow the academic track is not the way to advance
>> ecological education, its the continuation of the status quo and a good
>> way to ensure that ecology is seen as a vanity science rather than
>> essential for managing our society and world.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Kendra Maas, Ph.D.
>> Post Doctoral Research Fellow
>> University of British Columbia
>>
>>
>> 
>> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
>> [ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] on behalf of Ryan McEwan
>> [the.ts...@gmail.com]
>> Sent: Monday, August 25, 2014 5:00 AM
>> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Some ideas for advancing grad education in the face
>> of scarcity
>>
>> As the semester kicks off, I wanted to share some thoughts I had over
>> the
>> summer on graduate eduction:
>> ---
>>
>> August 25, 2014
>>
>>
>>
>> Some ideas for advancing graduate education in ecology in a time of
>> scarcity
>> The science of Ecology, like most scientific disciplines, is in the
>> midst
>> of a crisis of sorts stemming from at least two underlying factors.
>> First,
>> funding for science at a national level is stable or in decline, while
>> the
>> number of labs that need funding to persist is rising sharply. Second,
>> the
>> number of PhDs being granted is vastly outpacing the job market.
>> According
>> to some analyses the percentage of newly granted PhDs that got a job as
>> a
>> tenure track academic in the 1970s was nearly 50%, while that number
>> today
>> is less than 10%
>> 
>> .
>> In the face of this gloomy picture, action is required and I believe
>> there
>> are some clear steps we can take. In my view, lobbying for more federal
>> money, tweaking how funds are distributed,

Re: [ECOLOG-L] PNAS

[Judith S. Weis]

On a slightly different topic about PNAS, I found the article very
interesting in this week's issue that showed that gender bias can be
lethal: people don't take hurricanes with female names as seriously as
those with male names, so don't take enough precautions and are more
likely to be killed or injured. Amazing.



> I had a paper go through peer review at PNAS last fall, and although
> the paper got rejected, it was certainly very well peer reviewed.
> This paper compares current extinction rates of vertebrates in modern
> times to that in the Cretaceous mass extinction (using fuzzy
> computational approaches).  One reviewer caught a typo in the table on
> mammals and it fed down the column.  The other reviewer alerted me to
> a couple of Pimm's articles which I had missed citing, pretty
> important since he had done similar stuff with point estimates a good
> decade or more before.  I went back, corrected the error, required me
> to recalculate the column of numbers, and now its back in peer review
> with a different journal.  Of course, the hardest part is that so few
> people have any background in fuzzy math that they make a lot of
> invalid interpretations of the numbers.  This means I have to be extra
> careful to relate things well.  Its pretty hard in that respect.  But,
> hopefully, it will get published this time around.  Its obviously an
> important study, but you have to dot your i's and cross your t's.  I
> was pretty embarrassed to have such an error, but even though others
> had read it for me prior to submission, none would have recognized it.
> In fact, the reviewer who knew fuzzy math caught it.  Pretty
> disappointing too, but you know what?  Its water under the bridge now.
> :)
>
> I would not hesitate to send a paper into PNAS if I felt it was that
> important.
> Now, would would you like me to relay my experiences with PLoS One?
> Ok, I'm in a good mood today, not going there. :)
> M
>
> On Wed, Jun 18, 2014 at 2:30 PM, David Duffy  wrote:
>> Problems with peer review at PNAS and trendiness at Science and Nature
>>
>> http://www.nature.com/news/scientific-publishing-the-inside-track-1.15424?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140619
>>
>> --
>> David Duffy
>> 戴大偉 (Dài Dàwěi)
>> Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit
>> Botany
>> University of Hawaii
>> 3190 Maile Way
>> Honolulu Hawaii 96822 USA
>> 1-808-956-8218
>
>
>
> --
> Malcolm L. McCallum, PHD, REP
> Department of Environmental Studies
> University of Illinois at Springfield
>
> Managing Editor,
> Herpetological Conservation and Biology
>
>  “Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich
> array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a
> many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature
> lovers alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share
> as Americans.”
> -President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of
> 1973 into law.
>
> "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" -
> Allan Nation
>
> 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea"  W.S. Gilbert
> 1990's:  Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
> and pollution.
> 2000:  Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
>   MAY help restore populations.
> 2022: Soylent Green is People!
>
> The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi)
> Wealth w/o work
> Pleasure w/o conscience
> Knowledge w/o character
> Commerce w/o morality
> Science w/o humanity
> Worship w/o sacrifice
> Politics w/o principle
>
> 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.
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] tagging small fishes

[Judith S. Weis]

If you're not tagging a huge number of fishes there are dyes that can be
injected subcutaneously in various colors, quantities, and places that
could be used to identify individuals.


> Hello,
>
> I need to tag small amphibious fishes (2-10 cm) for individual
> identification on a behavioural study. Where could I find appropriate
> tags?
>
> Best,
> Gianluca
>
>
>
>
> --
> Gianluca Polgar PhD
> Lecturer
> Environmental and Life Sciences
> Faculty of Science
> Universiti Brunei Darussalam
> Jln Tungku Link, BE1410
> Brunei Darussalam
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Loss of field-based courses

[Judith S. Weis]

Also field trips/courses may be more expensive to run with transportation
of groups of students to field sites etc etc.
I don't think we should worry about the status thing. We all know that
what we do is the most fun, and students often rate the field trips as the
best part of the class.


> It's not just a US issue - we have seen similar pressures to reduce the
> field component in degrees in the UK and across Europe.
> It's worth reading the piece by Robert Arlinghaus  (pages 212-215) in the
> May issue of Fisheries http://fisheries.org/docs/wp/UFSH395_final_web.pdf
> (PDF), where he makes the point that the academic status of those doing
> dirty/field stuff is less than that of their peers doing 'clean' lab work.
>
> Arlinghaus, R. (2014) Are current research evaluation metrics causing a
> tragedy of the scientific commons and the extinction of university-based
> fisheries programs? Fisheries, 39, 212-215.
>
> Chris
>
>
>><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
> Dr Chris Harrod*
> Senior Lecturer in Fish & Aquatic Ecology,
> School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
> Queen Mary University of London
> 1.31 Fogg Building
> Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
>
> Email: c.har...@qmul.ac.uk
> Twitter: @chris_harrod
> UK Mobile: +44 (0) 797 741 9314
> UK Office:  +44 (0) 207 882 6367
> http://webspace.qmul.ac.uk/charrod/
> http://www.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk/research/researchgroups/aquaticecology
>
> *Chile address
> Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander Von Humboldt,
> Universidad de Antofagasta,
> Avenida Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
>
> *Chile Mobile: +56 9 7399 7792
> *Chile Office: +56 55 637400
> <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Fisher, Shannon J
> Sent: 14 May 2014 12:36
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Loss of field-based courses
>
> At the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in Kansas City this past
> January, I noted the absence of many University graduate students that
> once represented the cutting edge of natural resource research.  The
> programs that have nearly all but vanished are from large research
> institutions that followed the path Mike described below.  In fact, one
> major university in my area has fisheries students - yes, fisheries
> students, that graduate with both B.S. and M.S degrees that have never
> once set a net, measured a fish, or run a boat.  It is very shocking to
> potential employers when these "trained" fresh employees are put in the
> field and are basically helpless.  The good students are securing those
> experiences through summer internships, etc... but many are not.
>
> The programs that were prominent at the Midwest, those that are not only
> surviving by thriving, are mostly small to mid-sized academic units that
> continue to have a strong foundation in field labs, field research, and
> applied sciences.  I was told that during a past North-Central Division
> Presidents Luncheon for the American Fisheries Society, that our incoming
> President even made note of the changes she has seen in the prominent
> programs.  Those large programs are no longer leading the way in field
> biology/ecology, and she called out specific smaller programs that were
> truly represented at the conference.  Even here, however, where we can
> show success of our field/applied sciences graduates, there is constant
> pressure to move faculty lines to other programs.  I, along with a few
> other faculty, are doing everything we can to not only maintain, but grow
> our field and applied sciences program.  It is a tough battle, though,
> because we are one of those "biology" departments and field faculty
> positions are almost always prioritized very low.  For example, we have a
> solid foundation of plant, wetland, environmental science, and
> ecology-based courses, and we are in one of the richest crop-producing
> areas of the world, but yet we do not have a soil scientist within the
> faculty, and our colleagues do not make this expertise a high priority -
> when it is needed so badly.
>
> Kudos to all that brought this issue up and have commented.
>
> Dr. Shannon J. Fisher, Professor and Director Water Resources Center
> Minnesota State University, Mankato
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:ECOLOG-L@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of Mike Nolan
> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 10:23 AM
> To: ECOLOG-L@listserv.umd.edu
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Loss of field-based courses
>
> Thanks for bringing this topic up Dr. Inouye.
>
> You know what they say"Specialists learn more and more about less and
> less until someday they will know everything about nothing".
>
> It's even happening at the High School level. I was once given carte
> blanche to to re-design an ailing advanced Biology program at a hig

Re: [ECOLOG-L] What has changed in ecology/evolution this year?

[Judith S. Weis]

Epigenetics!!
(not brand new, but much more beginning to be learned)



 I'm planning to end my ecology/evolution courses this semester with a
> section on what we have learned as recently as this year, which might
> cause the course to be taught differently next year. Some examples
> I've thought of already:
>
> - increased recognition of the problem of antibiotic resistance, and
> some efforts to address it (e.g., large meat producers announcing
> they will stop prophylactic use of antibiotics)
>
> - discovery of new human (and other) fossils that will probably
> result in changes in how we understand the history of our species
>
> - new results from genomic analysis of hominids such as Homo
> neanderthalensis, and the discovery of 20% of their genome in our species.
>
> - increased information about the consequences of climate change;
> e.g., the report yesterday of the National Climate Assessment
>
> - A greater understanding of the significance of gut microbiomes
>
> What other examples should I include that will help document how
> rapidly and significantly ecological science and evolution are changing?
>
> David Inouye
> .
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] edible parasites?

[Judith S. Weis]

I've never heard of pea crabs being consumed on purpose. It's usually when
you pop a mussel in your mouth, get a surprise, and go "pfah" and see the
little crab on your plate!




> At a dinner conversation with Carl Zimmer (author of Parasite Rex,
> etc.) the question came up of whether there are any parasites
> regularly consumed as food (not unintentionally with your food).  I
> came up with one animal (pea crab) and one fungus (huitlacoche; corn
> smut).  Do you know of others?
>
> David Inouye
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] fake papers, the h-index, and publish or perish

[Judith S. Weis]

Absolutely right! But how do you give essays in a very large class?
Grading them is an enormous job. And that's not what TA's are paid for
(unless the university provides a "grader" which I've never come across)
J

> Use short answer and essay questions. It's more work, but students can't
> cheat and they (are more likely to) learn the concepts.
>
> Steve
>
>
> ...
> Stephen L. Young, PhD
> Weed Ecologist
> University of Nebraska-Lincoln
> http://ipscourse.unl.edu/iwep
> Twitter: @NAIPSC
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Malcolm McCallum
> Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 1:27 PM
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] fake papers, the h-index, and publish or perish
>
> This is what happens when two things are paired together.
> 1) impact ratings driving science instead of the other way around
> 2) lacking control over cheating in college/grad school.
>
> I have been shocked at the large amount of cheating that goes on, and that
> is ignored, even in professional schools. Here is a nice link for anyone
> who does online grading automatically...
>
> http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/1347802-Cheating-on-an-online-test/page2
>
> On Tue, Feb 25, 2014 at 12:18 PM, David Duffy  wrote:
>> "Labbé says that the latest discovery is merely one symptom of a
>> "spamming war started at the heart of science" in which researchers
>> feel pressured to rush out papers to publish as much as possible"
>>
>>
>> *Publishers withdraw more than 120 gibberish papers*
>>
>> Conference proceedings removed from subscription databases after
>> scientist reveals that they were computer-generated.
>>
>> Nature.com
>>
>> 24 February 2014
>>
>> The publishers Springer and IEEE are removing more than 120 papers
>> from their subscription services after a French researcher discovered
>> that the works were computer-generated nonsense.
>>
>> Over the past two years, computer scientist Cyril Labbé of Joseph
>> Fourier University in Grenoble, France, has catalogued
>> computer-generated papers that made it into more than 30 published
>> conference proceedings between
>> 2008 and 2013. Sixteen appeared in publications by Springer, which is
>> headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, and more than 100 were published
>> by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), based
>> in New York. Both publishers, which were privately informed by Labbé,
>> say that they are now removing the papers.
>>
>> Among the works were, for example, a paper published as a proceeding
>> from the 2013 International Conference on Quality, Reliability, Risk,
>> Maintenance, and Safety Engineering, held in Chengdu, China. (The
>> conference website says that all manuscripts are "reviewed for merits
>> and
>> contents".) The authors of the paper, entitled 'TIC: a methodology for
>> the construction of e-commerce', write in the abstract that they
>> "concentrate our efforts on disproving that spreadsheets can be made
>> knowledge-based, empathic, and compact". (Nature News has attempted to
>> contact the conference organizers and named authors of the paper but
>> received no reply*; however at least some of the names belong to real
>> people. The IEEE has now removed the paper).
>>
>> *Update: One of the named authors, Su Wei at Lanzhou University,
>> replied to Nature News on 25 February. He said that he first learned
>> of the article when conference organizers notified his university in
>> December 2013; and that he does not know why he was a listed co-author
>> on the paper. "The matter is being looked into by the related
>> investigators," he said.
>>
>> How to create a nonsense paper
>>
>> Labbé developed a way to automatically detect manuscripts composed by
>> a piece of software called SCIgen, which randomly combines strings of
>> words to produce fake computer-science papers. SCIgen was invented in
>> 2005 by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
>> in Cambridge to prove that conferences would accept meaningless papers
>> - and, as they put it, "to maximize amusement" (see 'Computer
>> conference welcomes gobbledegook paper'). A related program generates
>> random physics manuscript titles on the satirical website arXiv vs.
>> snarXiv. SCIgen is free to download and use, and it is unclear how
>> many people have done so, or for what purposes. SCIgen's output has
>> occasionally popped up at conferences, when researchers have submitted
>> nonsense papers and then revealed the trick.
>>
>> Labbé does not know why the papers were submitted - or even if the
>> authors were aware of them. Most of the conferences took place in
>> China, and most of the fake papers have authors with Chinese
>> affiliations. Labbé has emailed editors and authors named in many of
>> the papers and related conferences but received scant replies; one
>> editor said that he did not work as a program chair at a parti

Re: [ECOLOG-L] ESA member testifying in court

[Judith S. Weis]

Here's an article about Tyrone Hayes, an environmental biologist at
Berkeley (who is probably not a member of ESA) who has had considerably
worse treatment from industry people who don't like his findings. Scary
...

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/02/10/140210fa_fact_aviv


>   A nice article about long-time Ecological Society of America member
> Dr. Margaret Palmer, who has been involved in research on the effects
> of mountain-top removal mining on aquatic habitats.
>
> http://www.sciencemag.org/content/343/6171/592.full
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Recent PhDs on Food Stamps - Overwhelmed with Replies

[Judith S. Weis]

The existence of many good and rewarding jobs outside academia - in
federal agencies (EPA, NOAA, FWS, USGS, FDA etc.) as well as in state
agencies, the private sector (e.g. consulting firms) and non-profits
(environmental groups) or for those who love teaching, teaching in K-12
seems to be ignored in this discussion.



> If we agree that jobs for ecologists are resource limited, and
> If we agree that resources are not increasing,
> then it follows that ecologists who wish to produce intellectual offspring
> (MS and PhD) should produce such offspring in a way that maximizes the
> probability that they will be represented in the next generation's career
> 'gene pool'.
>
> If ecologists believe the current job market is competitive, they should
> reproduce like albatrosses, maximizing their investment in a very few
> highly competitive offspring with a wide array of attractive skills
> (K-slection).
> If they believe the current job market is essentially a crap shoot, then
> they should spawn like salmon, investing little or nothing, with
> subsequent
> massive mortality, and only a few offspring surviving (r-selection)
>
> The present situation seems to be more salmonid in an albatross
> environment
> with considerable human carnage. What can be done?
>
> Individuals can look into other fields but that means giving up a dream
> and
> acquiring more debt if they go back to school to retrain. If they stay,
> they risk remaining on the outside of academic/professional leks,
> opportunistically exploiting irregular and marginal rewards. They can
> teach, becoming contingent faculty, a growing national scandal where
> untenured faculty with precarious teaching positions may rely on food
> stamps to get by. If they have a large debt from student loans, they will
> end up taking just about any job that allows them to make their monthly
> repayments.
>
> The long term solution is a ZPG for ecologists: professors should
> essentially only reproduce themselves. Some may reply that they need
> 'excess' grad students as teaching assistants. In reality these positions
> could be filled and better taught by what are now contingent faculty. Make
> these better paid, give them a heavier load than one or two classes a
> semester and provide five-year contracts that would give them with more
> security.  Faculty should not admit grad students unless they can be fully
> supported by fellowships.
>
> With fewer degrees each year, agencies might consider increasing the
> number
> of independent post docs that are long enough to be useful (5 years?) to
> allow people to develop. Funders should be prepared, if they fund projects
> with interns, to fund them at a living wage. Funding agencies should also
> support programs that support those in overcrowded fields who wish to
> retrain for teaching or health fields. We make a big point of wanting more
> people to enter the STEM fields, maybe we need to think more about how to
> retain them.
>
>
>
> David Duffy
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 9, 2014 at 10:57 AM, David L. McNeely 
> wrote:
>
>>  Kevin Klein  wrote:
>> > I haven't been able to follow the entire thread but one thing I draw
>> from
>> > what I have read is that it is incumbent on those of us who work with
>> > students at all stages in their academic careers to also advise them
>> to
>> > consider the job market in their chosen disciplines.  In so doing,
>> they
>> > make more informed decision and they study with eyes open wide on the
>> > possibilities open to them at the next stage in their life and career
>> > journey.  Much easier said than done.  It reminds me of two PhD
>> markets
>> in
>> > recent years.  One, where hundreds of applicants vied for the reported
>> 2
>> or
>> > 3 job openings that year and second the hundreds of positions open for
>> the
>> > 2 or 3 PhD candidates graduating each year.  Hopefully we advise our
>> > students of the job market realities.  One place a student might look
>> for
>> > this information can be found here.
>> > http://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm
>> >
>> >
>> Hmmm .  I was an academic biologist for 35+ years, after the time
>> spent preparing.  I cannot recall a time when there were "hundreds of
>> positions open for 2 or 3 Ph.D. candidates graduating each year."  I do
>> recall a good many times when the opposite was true.
>>
>> David McNeely
>>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit
> Botany
> University of Hawaii
> 3190 Maile Way
> Honolulu Hawaii 96822 USA
> 1-808-956-8218
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Recent PhDs on Food Stamps - Overwhelmed with Replies

[Judith S. Weis]

Since women generally live longer than men, what reason, aside from
discrimination, does China have for requiring them to retire 5 years
earlier?



> In China academics (at least ecologists) have a mandatory retirement
> age of 60 for men (can be extended to 65 if you're actively advising
> graduate students), and 55 for women. When I asked a female faculty
> member about that in a visit to China 2 years ago, she seemed very
> accepting of the idea that opportunities had to be opened for young
> scientists.
>
> My department is running a search for 2-3 new faculty members this
> semester, and advertised an open-rank open-area opportunity. 650
> applied (I reviewed 250 applications), and we're interviewing 6. One
> is an ecologist. I know of a search for a theoretical ecology
> position this spring at another university, and I think about 55
> applied. I may put together an article about these searches later
> this spring.
>
> David Inouye
>
> At 10:20 AM 2/9/2014, you wrote:
>> I've already received many, many replies in the first 48 hours
>> since I posted my request.  I've heard from more people than I can
>> easily count--recent Ph.D.s, graduate students, even undergraduates
>> with difficult stories of hard work, perseverance, and increasing
>> despair that they will ever find work in the disciplines they've
>> trained for. I will do my best to respond to everyone who's
>> contacted me; if you haven't heard from me yet, it's only because
>> there are so many others who have also poured out their fears and
>> their frustrations.  There are a great many people in our field who
>> have found their calling, earned their degree, and now can find no
>> way to support themselves--the invisible and disregarded of modern
>> academia. Because many of you have expressed concerns about
>> privacy, let me say that I won't share names, affiliations or any
>> other identifying details unless the individuals involved grant
>> their permission.  If you or a friend have been hesitating out of
>> personal concerns, please know that I consider every contact a
>> confidence, and I don't intend to break that
>> trust.
>> - J. A.
>>John A. 

Re: [ECOLOG-L] A Herpdigest Special- Unstoppable Anaconda Invasion in Florida? What Slate Got Wrong.

[Judith S. Weis]

This whole report and the skunk apes (which I never heard of before) could
inspire another hilarious book from Carl Hiaassen.


> An Unstoppable Anaconda Invasion in Florida? What Slate Got Wrong.
> Photo By Dave Lonsdale, Wikimedia
> by Dr. David Steen from his Living Alongside Wildlife blog.
>
> Last week Slate ran a piece in their Wild Things blog entitled, “Green
> Anacondas in the Everglades: The Largest Snake in the World has Invaded
> the
> United States.” Obviously the sensational headline caught my attention as
> did the subtitle, which refers to this invasion as "unstoppable." However,
> after reading the actual article I realized that it was basically just a
> smattering of anecdotes. That makes for a fun story and some interesting
> conversations, but unfortunately it is too easy to interpret the article
> as
> news. Let me be clear: There is virtually no evidence that a population of
> anacondas exists in Florida.
>
> Curiously, Slate does not mention that the two individuals that
> provided
> the bulk of their anaconda information are affiliated with the Skunk Ape
> Museum in Ochopee, Florida (the facility is instead described as a
> “roadside
> zoo” or the “Trail Lakes Campground”). The Skunk Ape, if you’re not
> familiar, is the South Florida equivalent of Bigfoot. For what it’s worth,
> the official website of the Skunk Ape Museum unequivocally states that
> there
> are between 7-9 Skunk Apes living in the Everglades. Now, just because
> someone believes that there is a population of Skunk Apes living in the
> Everglades does not mean that we can or should discount everything they
> say,
> but it does indicate that they probably have different standards than most
> people when deciding what is circumstantial evidence and what is proof
> when
> it comes to determining whether an animal population exists.
>
> If you give the article a careful read, the entire premise that there
> is
> a breeding population of Green Anacondas (Eunectes murinus) in the
> Everglades boils down to: 1) ten years ago a juvenile Green Anaconda was
> found in the Everglades; the snake didn’t eat anything and died, 2)
> another
> Green Anaconda was later found in the region and finally, 3) lots of
> people
> around the Everglades have seen large snakes they did not identify but
> that
> possibly could have been Green Anacondas.
>
> I don't know about you, but this does not convince me that anacondas
> have invaded South Florida.
>
> The worst (and incredibly ironic) part of the article is that it
> repeatedly suggests that the well-publicized concern about the Burmese
> Python in Florida is largely a result of media-hype while the real problem
> (i.e., Green Anacondas) is overlooked. The fact that there is a large,
> reproducing population of Burmese Pythons in Florida is well-documented:
> thousands have been found including everything from juveniles to giant
> adults with 87 eggs inside. This population has been the subject of
> several
> large and ongoing research projects that have produced numerous scientific
> papers. For example, a recent paper in the Proceedings of the National
> Academy of Sciences described how mammal populations have crashed as the
> Burmese Python population expanded (and presumably, as they ate many of
> the
> mammals).
>
> On the other hand, documentation of the Green Anaconda "invasion"
> basically consists entirely of the majorly hyped-up Slate article, which
> hints that the snakes can get as wide as hula-hoops (they can’t) and
> probably eat people.
>
> The irony boggled my mind. Because I only have very little first-hand
> experience with large invasive snakes, I contacted some of my friends and
> colleagues that study these Florida reptiles for their perspectives on the
> article. Unfortunately, I can’t repeat most of their reactions here (this
> is
> a family-friendly blog after all). But, fortunately Dr. J.D. Willson did
> provide a printable response. J.D. is an Assistant Professor at the
> University of Arkansas and has authored numerous articles about Burmese
> Pythons in Florida. Notably, he is also co-author of the new book,
> Invasive
> Pythons in the United States: Ecology of an Introduced Predator. I figured
> he could set the record straight.
>
> J.D. replied, “Although there certainly has been a strong dose of
> sensationalism about the Burmese Python issue from the media, our research
> suggests that the problem is severe and should be considered a major
> threat
> to the Everglades. Over the past decade, Burmese Pythons have spread over
> an
> area of at least 4,000 square miles and including all of Everglades
> National
> Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. They also appear to have wiped out
> mammals such as rabbits, raccoons, and bobcats in the heart of the
> Everglades National Park. Over 2,000 of these snakes have been captured
> and
> our research shows that this is just a tiny fraction of the overall
> population…"
>
> On the ot

Re: [ECOLOG-L] endocrine disruption of sexual selection pub in Ecotoxicology

[Judith S. Weis]

I trust (hope) that your paper on insects will not result in the vicious
attacks that Tyrone Hayes of Berkeley has been subjected to by the
manufacturers of atrazine because of his findings on amphibians.


> If any of you are interested in sexual selection, endocrinally active
> chemicals,  or insect physiology, you may be interested in this
> publication that will be available tomorrow via Online First with the
> journal Ecotoxicology.  This was a cool project that involved a pile
> of undergrads + my spouse and I.
>
> Endocrine disruption of sexual selection by an estrogenic herbicide in
> the mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitor)
>
> Malcolm L. McCallum, Makensey Matlock, Justin Treas, Barroq Safi,
> Wendy Sanson, Jamie L. McCallum
>
> Abstract: The role that endocrine disruption could play in sexual
> selection remains relatively untested, and although estrogens occur in
> insects, little information exists about their biological role in
> insect reproduction. Atrazine is a commonly applied herbicide that
> mimics estrogen in vertebrates. Tenebrio molitor were raised from egg
> to adult under a gradation of environmentally relevant atrazine
> exposures and a non-treated control. Atrazine was delivered in the
> drinking water ad libitum. FemaleT. molitor were provided with a
> choice between unrelated males raised under three levels of atrazine
> exposures. Female preference for males demonstrated a non-monotonic
> inverted U-shaped response to atrazine exposure. There was no
> significant difference between the control and the high exposure to
> atrazine. Excluding the control, female preference increased as
> exposure concentration increased. These results have important
> repercussions for nonlethal effects of endocrine disruption on
> populations, their capacity to interfere with sexual selection, and
> the role of estrogen in pheromone communication among insects.
>
> http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10646-013-1132-3
>
> --
> Malcolm L. McCallum
> Department of Environmental Studies
> University of Illinois at Springfield
>
> Managing Editor,
> Herpetological Conservation and Biology
>
>
>
> "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" -
> Allan Nation
>
> 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea"  W.S. Gilbert
> 1990's:  Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
> and pollution.
> 2000:  Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
>   MAY help restore populations.
> 2022: Soylent Green is People!
>
> The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi)
> Wealth w/o work
> Pleasure w/o conscience
> Knowledge w/o character
> Commerce w/o morality
> Science w/o humanity
> Worship w/o sacrifice
> Politics w/o principle
>
> 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.
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Human-assembled ecosystem

[Judith S. Weis]

Respectable journals won't publish applied material??? I can't let that
pass unanswered. There are numerous respectable journals that focus on
applied areas such as pollution, aquaculture, agriculture, silviculture,
invasion biology, environmental management and so forth. Even ESA has a
journal in Ecological Applications!


> Some pretty damn good commentary, if a bit challenging to intelligently
> comment upon--mainly due to the scattered nature of the points alluded to.
>
> While I, too, am looking forward to the citations, I would prefer a
> separate
> healthy discussion on Clements and "invasion biology" from those
> well-versed
> in both.
>
> "Applied folks" tend to be held in disdain by academics, and "respectable"
> journals usually do not deign to publish "applied" material. This, too, is
> worthy of a separate discussion.
>
> I'd like to hear more about the "huge social component" with respect to
> "invasive" species, and would especially like to hear more about
> academics'
> discomfort in this regard. (What makes me most "uncomfortable" with the
> whole set of invasive species issues is that they seem to be a mile wide
> and
> an inch deep--a fertile field, if you'll pardon the punny irony, for
> academicians to dig deeper into. Perhaps then some of the folklore in this
> area of action-with-little-study can be clarified or disposed of. This
> brings us back to one of the several reasons Ascension Island might be
> instructive. Is it a "human-assembled" ecosystem or is it "just" an
> assemblage of species, each of which is doing what it can, when it can,
> where it can? Ah-HA! This gets us close to the nitty-gritty of what an
> ecosystem is--AND WHY! And perhaps more important, what an ecosystem IS
> NOT!
>
> While the concept of "novel ecosystems" does nauseate me, I'm open to
> being
> converted--and then falling from grace, as it were, perhaps yo-yo like,
> until the end of my days. What I think of it now already seems like
> "blithering stupidity" to me, but I'm interested in cogent arguments to
> the
> contrary.
>
> Ecological history has always fascinated me, and I hope someone will bring
> it all into focus soon! There was an interesting film treatment on (the
> History Channel?) what would happen after humans died out fairly recently,
> and while it was a good start, it seemed high on sensation and a bit
> lacking
> on references (well, what can we expect from show-biz?). Let's take this a
> bit further into the nuts and bolts of evolution.
>
> WT
>
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "David Duffy" 
> To: 
> Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 1:18 PM
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Human-assembled ecosystem
>
>
>> Hi Ian,
>>
>> "While plant ecology abandoned Clements a generation or two ago, like a
>> lot
>> of things that hasn't always trickled down to more applied areas."
>>
>> Just out of curiosity, can you cite a few references where Clements in
>> still used in invasion biology, specifically in "more applied areas"?
>>
>> I admit it is annoying but applied folks tend not to publish and when
>> they
>> do, it is often in gray literature. Many academic biologists thus may
>> have
>> a relatively uninformed, Rumsfeldian knowledge of what happens on the
>> ground. In addition, management of invasive species has a huge social
>> component. Relatively few academics are familiar, much less comfortable,
>> with this aspect. Finally there is the problem when protecting rare
>> 'primary' forest that ivory tower academics serve albeit unwittingly as
>> effective apologists for the destruction of the same. What does it
>> matter
>> if the forest goes? Super tramp species can often "provide the same
>> services" and look forest. My best examples are all those novel forestry
>> projects China has tried, like the Green Wall in its grasslands or the
>> evergreen forests in heavy snow belts.
>>
>> It is sort of like regional cooking versus Western fast food. Macdonalds
>> and Kentucky Fried Chicken can arguably provide nutrition and definitely
>> taste great, but these invasive aliens threaten regional foods and
>> indirectly local cultures. We can live in a world of Big Macs and fries,
>> or
>> we can sample baozi, feijoada, yak yogurt, gallo pinto,
>> pachamanca/hangi,
>> or  callalo, although, personally having tried them, I will not much
>> mourn
>> the passing of muktuk, haggis, Vegemite, and guinea pig.
>>
>> Finally there is the arrogance of the present. Much of conservation
>> biology
>> is ultimately about preserving options for our children and their
>> children's children. Our knowledge about  "novel ecosystems" is
>> basically
>> recent and primitive, as is our knowledge of invasion biology. What
>> seems
>> like a good idea involving "novel ecosystems"  may be seen as blithering
>> stupidity a century from now, as new crop pests continue to arrive (elm,
>> chestnut etc, etc), local diseases turn epidemic (SARS), fires rearrange
>> the suburbs, and watersheds dry up. Not that the US lacks fo

[ECOLOG-L] new book

[Judith S. Weis]

My fourth book, and first technical one, has just been published, even
though the official date is 2014!


 
http://www.springer.com/environment/environmental+toxicology/book/978-94-007-6948-9

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Curious about blogging, Twitter? ESA workshop on Social Media!

[Judith S. Weis]

Is this true??
"Given the situation with wifi at ESA 2013 (as in, there isn't any except
in the lobby),"

This is unheard of. How in the world did they let this happen How did
they choose a meeting site without wifi available all over?



> Hello Ecologists!
>
> If you're attending ESA, you may be interested in the Sunday workshop on
> Social Media for Scientists
> that Sandra Chung (of NEON) and I are organizing. Our lunchtime workshop
> last year was a big hit, so
> we're expanding this year to a half-day workshop, so we can do more
> hands-on activities to help you
> get started. Social media is rapidly growing in importance as a
> professional development, outreach,
> collaboration, and broader impacts tool, and our workshop will explicitly
> address how to use this tool
> for success in both academic and non-academic careers.
>
> Here's the description:
>
> Social media and online social networks are rapidly gaining popularity
> among scientists as a powerful
> set of tools that can streamline scientific collaboration and discovery in
> ways that both improve the
> quality of scientific research and broaden its impact. Research
> professionals and science
> communicators are also using social media to engage the public in the
> process and discussion of
> science, both to encourage greater public science literacy and to address
> broader impacts and
> outreach requirements that accompany public research funding. This
> two-part workshop will arm
> participants with the basic knowledge and resources they need to engage in
> the online science
> community. Examples demonstrate how smart use of Twitter, blogs and
> science social networks can
> enhance scientific workflows, communication, and education. In-workshop
> practice and introductions
> to online resources and to a supportive, knowledgeable community of new
> and old social media users
> are designed to deepen the skills of current social media users and to
> give new users everything they
> need to hit the ground running.
>
> Given the situation with wifi at ESA 2013 (as in, there isn't any except
> in the lobby), we're actively
> restructuring in order to have a successful workshop so that it can be as
> hands-on as possible. Given
> this, keep a couple of things in mind:
>
> 1) Bringing your data-enabled devices if you have any, as our wifi is
> likely to be spotty or slow. We're
> hoping that in addition to the lobby wifi, we can set up some personal
> hotspots.
>
> 2) We'll be posting resources at bit.ly/esasm.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jacquelyn Gill & Sandra Chung
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] two suggestions re inundation by opinion pieces

[Judith S. Weis]

Ecolog-l is not meant to be a jobs board, though it functions well as one,
for both jobs and course announcements. But it's supposed to be more than
that, and now and then some very interesting conversations arise, the most
recent being an intense discussion about a month ago about the importance
of mathematics for ecology. As someone who is not a student and not
looking for a job etc. I find these discussions the most valuable and
interesting aspect of the listserv. People who don't want to read certain
types of messages or messages from certain people always have the option
of deleting them unread.




> I am in full agreement with Tom.  When interacting with biology students
> and graduates, i have asked if they belong to the ECOLOG list for it is a
> good venue for job postings.  Most young biologists have shaken their
> heads and told me that the number of jobs posted and "real" interactions,
> such as posters needing advice on project etc, is not worth the number of
> emails they have to delete from members that appear to need to soapbox so
> they can post any random opinion of theirs would be noticed and then try
> to open a discussion over it.
>
>  In my belief, we would have a larger membership if these individuals
> could contain themselves or those that want to dicuss their random
> opinions could have their own "room" or such to discuss it in. 
>
> I honestly am tired of a certain few here that continually do this at the
> expense of all other members and their inboxes who may just not care what
> your opinion on everything is.
>
> Linda
>
>  Original message 
> From: "Thomas J. Givnish" 
> Date: 05/28/2013  12:05 AM  (GMT-06:00)
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] two suggestions re inundation by opinion pieces
>
> Gentlepeople –
>
> I would like to offer two suggestions.
>
>
> First, we each restrict our commentary to topics about which we, as
> individuals, are experts.
>
>
> Second, each individual should restrict the number of commentaries offered
> per month to the number of times that individual's publications were cited
> during all of last year, according to ISI.
>
>
> Generally, ECOLOG-L is consulted by grad students and post-docs looking
> for jobs and informed advice about field techniques, analytical
> approaches, and job hunting. ECOLOG-L serves those purposes well. But when
> a few individuals repeatedly offer their opinions – which are frequently
> ill-informed – it clogs up thousands of email boxes across the country,
> spreads misinformation, and raises the hackles of people who know better
> and feel compelled to rebut the errors. My two proposals, if self-policed,
> would eliminate all these problems and insure that a larger share of the
> opinion traffic is solidly based. Everyone is entitled to free speech, but
> if in a given month your opinion comments exceed ALL of your field-wide
> citations from last year, perhaps it's time to think about whether large
> numbers of folks want to hear what you have to say, when you want to say
> it, as frequently as you would like to say it.
>
>
> Cheers, Tom
>
>  Thomas J. Givnish
>  Henry Allan Gleason Professor of Botany
>  University of Wisconsin
>
>  givn...@wisc.edu
>  http://botany.wisc.edu/givnish/Givnish/Welcome.html
>

[ECOLOG-L] [Fwd: Join the Impact Factor Insurrection; Sign DORA]

[Judith S. Weis]

 Original Message 
Subject: [Fwd: Join the Impact Factor Insurrection; Sign DORA]
From:"Edward M. Bonder" 
Date:Tue, May 21, 2013 4:20 pm
To:  nabon...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 aj...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 annc...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 migue...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 drc...@bellatlantic.net
 fren...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 wil...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 gardi...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 golow...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 aavh...@yahoo.com
 holza...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 sasei...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 maria.sta...@njit.edu
 dars...@njit.edu
 ellen.m.wis...@njit.edu
 ctri...@njit.edu
 hotal...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 jonak...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 kafk...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 akas...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 hae...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 jmaie...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 dougm...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 far...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 gruss...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 jw...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 dbun...@njit.edu
 karin...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 jw...@amnh.org
 eki...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 jwar...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 maure...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 ebon...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 tst...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 n...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
 sdriv...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
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 gregory.we...@rutgers.edu
 eric.fort...@njit.edu
 simon.j.garn...@njit.edu
 r.dobrowol...@rutgers.edu
--

 Original Message 
Subject: Join the Impact Factor Insurrection; Sign DORA
From:"ASCB Information" 
Date:Tue, May 21, 2013 3:54 pm
To:  ebon...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
--


http://twitter.com/AmerSocCellBio
 http://www.facebook.com/AmerSocCellBio


 ASCB is leading a “scholarly insurrection,” with the San Francisco
Declaration on Research Assessment, DORA for short, to reduce the impact
of journal impact factors (JIF) on scientific assessment. Our allies
include AAAS, HHMI, EMBO, and numerous other societies, institutions, and
individuals. JIF were created for buying library subscriptions, but they
have been misused as an all-purpose metric to assess the quality of
science. This is deeply flawed, so the coalition wants to steer the
scientific community back to a focus on the  content  of papers ,  not
the impact factor of the journal where they happen to be published.

 Please help us spread the word about DORA: http://am.ascb.org/dora/ [
http://am.ascb.org/dora ] . We hope you will sign the declaration, and
encourage all your scientific colleagues to do so as well.

 We started with 155 individual and 78 institutional signers. In three
business days, the numbers have grown to over 800 and over 100,
respectively. But we are aiming for 5,000 signers, so we need your help!

 Thanks for helping ASCB and the entire scientific community with this
important initiative.

 Stefano Bertuzzi
 ASCB Executive Director



The American Society for Cell Biology
8120 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 750 | Bethesda, MD 20814-2762, USA
Phone: 301-347-9300 | Fax: 301-347-9310 | ASCB Website (
http://www.ascb.org )

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Re: [ECOLOG-L] Other list serves like Ecolog

[Judith S. Weis]

There's also a fish-sci list for ichthyophiles, and a crust-l list for
crustophiles.



 Here is what I learned from member replies (thanks!), and from some other
> digging regarding listservs like ECOLOG.  Specifically, I was seeking open
> interactive discussion lists (like ECOLOG), that allow any list member to
> post messages for distribution to the entire list.
>
> Many are hosted by universities / research institutes, for example:
> https://listserv.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A0=ENTOMO-L
> http://www.lsoft.com/scripts/wl.exe?SL1=MAMMAL-L&H=SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU
> https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=SUSTAG
> http://www.resecon.org/pages/1/index.htm
> https://list.auckland.ac.nz/sympa/info/aliens-l
> https://www.csun.edu/~hcbio028/bryonet.html
> http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/mailman/listinfo/taxacom
>
> Some are associated with societies, and special interest networks, for
> example:
> http://www.entsoc.org/resources/Systematics_Resources/People
> https://list.auckland.ac.nz/sympa/info/math-smbnet
> http://asab.nottingham.ac.uk/web/mailinglist.php
> http://www.mycology.net/
>
> Two sources look particularly useful for searching based on
> subject/topics/keywords:
> (1) Catalog of Listserv lists from L-Soft:
> http://www.lsoft.com/catalist.html
> (2) Catalog of forum lists from The Science Forum:
> http://www.thescienceforum.com/
>
> Cheers,
>
> Lonnie
>
>
> Lonnie W. Aarssen
>
> Professor
> Department of Biology
> Queen's University
> Kingston, ON
> Canada, K7L 3N6
>
> Editor
> Ideas in Ecology and Evolution
> http://library.queensu.ca/ojs/index.php/IEE
>
> Campus office:  Room 4326, Biosciences Complex
> Email:  aarss...@queensu.ca
> Web:    http://post.queensu.ca/~aarssenl/
> Tel:613-533-6133
> Fax:    613-533-6617
>
>> -Original Message-
>> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ECOLOG-
>> l...@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of Lonnie Aarssen
>> Sent: April-19-13 1:44 PM
>> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Other list serves like Ecolog
>>
>> Dear Ecolog,
>>
>> Does anyone know about other open list serves like Ecolog (i.e. that do
>> not
>> require a society membership) connected with any other science
>> disciplines?
>>
>> Based on responses, I would be happy to compile and report a list of
>> these.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Lonnie
>

[ECOLOG-L] NYTimes op-ed on homosexuality in nature

[Judith S. Weis]

Today's paper has an op-ed relevant to the recent discussions here.


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/30/opinion/natures-case-for-same-sex-marriage.html?ref=global&_r=0

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Gender issues

[Judith S. Weis]

I remember getting advice back in the '70s and '80s that it would be a
good idea to publish using only your initials, thus preventing bias. There
had been a couple of studies in which the identical manuscript was
submitted with a female name or with initials, and guess which one got
more favorable reviews... I hoped that this would have been over by now as
there are so many more women in the field (it looks like there are more
female grad students in ecology than male), and most of the "dinosaurs"
who were influential back then are retired etc.



> Since this gender topic doesn't seem to die down, I feel I have to comment
> as well.
>
> Without necessarily  approving the original comment, I feel there is a
> huge
> problem in science regarding a gender bias.
> Here are
> some stats on the gender composition of publications in science, based on
> jstor.
>
> While comments of a generalizing nature can come across as insulting or
> offensive to some, I think that the responses so far have had a little bit
> too much of a "we can't talk about this" air about them. When less than
> 20%
> of first authors are females, I would argue the problem is too big to
> allow
> for such sensitivities. I like diversity, and I think being open to it
> enables the scientific community as a whole to get more talent involved.
>
> But what if there are real differences between what kinds of expertise
> women and men bring to the table? I'm sure the original poster wasn't just
> making these examples up in order to be sexist. Shouldn't we be willing to
> talk about these differences in order to see what can be done about
> them? If we stick to this attitude where everything that's even touching
> on
> differences between men and women is discarded as sexist, I don't think we
> have very good chances of fixing this huge problem.
>
> /Paul Wennekes
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 10:15 PM, Hanberry, Brice B.
> > wrote:
>
>> Or is it (sexist)?
>>
>> See: Bias Is Hurting Women in Science, Panel Reports
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/19/science/19women.html?_r=0
>>
>> Five Years After an Incendiary Remark, Signs That Harvard Is More
>> Welcoming to Women
>> http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/harvard-2/
>>
>>
>> -Original Message-
>> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:
>> ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Jane Shevtsov
>> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 1:36 PM
>> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Gender issues
>>
>> Let's not forget that the original comment that triggered this whole
>> discussion was made by a woman! I don't think it was intended to be
>> sexist.
>> It's not sexist to say, "In my experience, women tend to do X and would
>> be
>> better off doing Y". It may be accurate or inaccurate, but it's not
>> sexist.
>>
>> Jane Shevtsov
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 12:40 PM, Leslie M. Adams
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Now, I am the one who must speak up and voice my support for Yvette
>> > (and Chandreyee). While no slight may have been intended, as a female
>> > scientist I too experienced the responses Yvette cites - and
>> > especially the one recently posted by Dr. Olden - as belittling and
>> > dismissive. There is considerable gender bias in the fields of ecology
>> > and biology and it is important to object to it whenever it arises;
>> > whether intentional or not. Perhaps it is easy to counsel "moving on"
>> > when you are unaffected by this handicap personally, but to say that
>> > it is somehow unsuitable or inappropriate to address on this listserv
>> > is ridiculous and dismisses the tremendously damaging effect this bias
>> > has on many, many lives. It is also not lost on me that the issue of
>> > gender has somehow arisen in a discussion of the skills necessary for
>> > landing a job in ecology. I would suggest that this is no coincidence.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Leslie M. Adams, Ph.D.
>> >
>> > Adjunct Professor of Plant Systematics
>> >
>> > Professional Training and Development
>> >
>> > University of New Hampshire
>> >
>> >  
>> > http://home.comcast.net/~leslie.adams/
>> >
>> > Home Office: 603 / 659-6177
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Adjunct Associate Professor of Environmental Sustainability
>> >
>> > School of Undergraduate Studies (online)
>> >
>> > University of Maryland University College
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Adjunct Professor of Life Sciences
>> >
>> > Department of Liberal Arts
>> >
>> > New Hampshire Institute of Art
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used
>> > when we created them." -  Albert Einstein
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > -Original Message-
>> > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
>> > [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Julian Olden
>> > Sent: Monday, February 18, 2013 1:04 PM
>> > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] A Graduate Student’s Guid

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Post-doc abuse; was faculty overtime

[Judith S. Weis]

That's quite reasonable. Publishing work done in the previous mentor's lab
will be more beneficial to the postdoc's fledgling career than the former
mentor's. It's not the "mentor's work" its the postdoc's work, or their
joint work and the postdoc will likely be the first author.


> Related to this is the practice of "letting go" (i.e., not renewing or
> higher-level hiring) post docs and still expecting them to be actively
> engaged in publishing the mentor's work up to a year or more later.
>
> Geoff Patton
> Wheaton, MD
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Feb 14, 2013, at 6:47 PM, David Inouye  wrote:
>
>> I suspect most faculty fall into this exempt category.
>>
>> http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/fairpay/fs17d_professional.pdf
>>
>> Fact Sheet #17D: Exemption for Professional Employees Under the Fair
>> Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
>> This fact sheet provides general information on the exemption from
>> minimum wage and overtime pay provided by Section 13(a)(1) of the Fair
>> Labor Standards Act as defined by Regulations, 29 CFR Part 541.
>> The FLSA requires that most employees in the United States be paid at
>> least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked and overtime pay at
>> time and one-half the regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40
>> hours in a workweek.
>> However, Section 13(a)(1) of the FLSA provides an exemption from both
>> minimum wage and overtime pay for employees employed as bona fide
>> executive, administrative, professional and outside sales employees.
>> Section 13(a)(1) and Section 13(a)(17) also exempt certain computer
>> employees. To qualify for exemption, employees generally must meet
>> certain tests regarding their job duties and be paid on a salary basis
>> at not less than $455 per week.
>>
>> At 06:10 PM 2/14/2013, Aaron T. Dossey wrote:
>>
>>> Doesn't a requirement that a salaried employee work more than 40 hours
>>> (literally or de-facto) violate labor laws? Maybe it's just a matter of
>>> a greater need for  law enforcement,
>>> accountability and transparency?
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2/14/2013 3:08 PM, Judith S. Weis wrote:
>>>> It should be strongly recommended to all grad school applicants to
>>>> learn
>>>> about their potential advisors ahead of time by talking to grad
>>>> students
>>>> in that lab and in other labs. That way you can find out about the
>>>> person's attitudes towards grad students having a life, having a
>>>> family
>>>> etc. and whether or not they demand 12-hour days and weekends etc.
>>>> That
>>>> way you know what you will be getting into and can make a more
>>>> informed
>>>> choice of advisor. There are many humane professors out there. I'd
>>>> like to
>>>> think that I have been one of them.
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] how we lose good scientists - silence?

[Judith S. Weis]

It should be strongly recommended to all grad school applicants to learn
about their potential advisors ahead of time by talking to grad students
in that lab and in other labs. That way you can find out about the
person's attitudes towards grad students having a life, having a family
etc. and whether or not they demand 12-hour days and weekends etc. That
way you know what you will be getting into and can make a more informed
choice of advisor. There are many humane professors out there. I'd like to
think that I have been one of them.


> OK, after a couple of days of thought, I'll take up the gauntlet.
> Academia is extremely competitive. That's because there are a lot of
> really smart people out there who want to do this work and not a lot of
> positions available for them. That's a fact we can't get around. If you
> want to survive in the ecology pond, you either need to be a big,
> fast fish, or you need to be a fish that doesn't eat much. Or you leave,
> and ecology becomes a hobby or side interest while you make a living doing
> something else.
> But in the pond, we can still be good to each other. During my time in
> grad school, I had a life. I got married and started a family. It took me
> 8 years to get my PhD. But at no time did anyone say I should be working
> more instead of being with my family. And I did not work nights and
> weekends. I always had the full support of my advisors, committee and
> department. (Some of whom are on this list - you know who you are, and
> thank you!)
> I was on the verge of crawling out of the pond,  but someone decided to
> give me a chance, despite my unwillingness to commit to more than 40 hours
> a week. I now have a (non-tenure track) faculty position, which is
> perfect for me right now because I STILL don't work nights and weekends
> (usually anyway). I am not a big fish, but I'm in the pond, well, a
> neighboring pond.  And now as I work with grad students, I support them
> in pursuing their own research interests and in their desire to have a
> life outside of school (sometimes I need to remind them). I can't change
> the competitiveness of academia,  but academia is made up of individuals.
> As one individual in the system, I can affect my own little sphere of it,
> and I don't think, based on other individuals that I know, that I'm
> particularly unusual. Not every fish will be able to stay in the pond, but
> I personally will do what I can to help the fish around me.
> I wish the writer of the original blog every success in his new endeavor,
> and I am happy he has found a supportive community. Hurray for beer!
> Sarah
>
>
> Sarah Jack Hinners, PhD
> Assistant Professor - Research
> Metropolitan Research Center
> City and Metropolitan Planning
> University of Utah
> 375 S 1530 E rm 226
> Salt Lake City, UT 84112
>
>
> 
>  From: Aaron T. Dossey 
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 9:31 AM
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] how we lose good scientists - silence?
>
> "Nature intended me for the tranquil pursuits of science, by rendering
> them my supreme delight. But the enormities of the times in which I have
> lived, have forced me to take a part in resisting them, and to commit
> myself on the boisterous ocean of political passions." -- Thomas Jefferson
>
> “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the
> silence of our friends.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
> "If you see something, SAY SOMETHING." -- 
>
>
> On 2/13/2013 11:27 AM, malcolm McCallum wrote:
>> If scientists and academia are not willing to stand up for themselves,
>> who will?
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 9:52 AM, Aaron T. Dossey 
>> wrote:
>>> Complete silence.  Could academia be feeling some shame here? .
>>> nah
>>>
>>> The article has a few new comments on the article itself though, check
>>> them
>>> out!
>>>
>>> http://deepseanews.com/2013/02/19294/
>>>
>>> https://www.facebook.com/notes/national-postdoc-union/ideas-for-expanding-opportunity-and-innovation-in-science-careers/279532325495663
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2/11/2013 10:24 AM, Jarrett Byrnes wrote:
 Colleagues,

 I just read a piece that describes how one young bright and very
 talented
 scientist was lost to our profession.  It's an open and honest
 discussion of
 one man's struggles with the way modern academia works, and how it can
 make
 use eat our young, as it were.  I think it points out a lot of the
 hidden
 corners and the darker sides of how academic science currently works -
 things we make jokes about or shake our heads at, and sometimes, in
 moments
 of bravery, we confront and try to change.  Heck, I'd like to think
 that we
 Ecologists are better than most other fields, but I know that to not
 always
 be the case.

 The post is at http://deepseanews.com/2013/02/19294/

 I think there is a lot in this piece to unpack. 

[ECOLOG-L] impacts of ECOLOG-L

[Judith S. Weis]

Hi fellow eco-loggers
I'm going to be giving a presentation at the ESA meeting this summer about
ecolog-l and am trying to get some "anecdotal data" on impacts it has had
on subscribers. Did discussions on this list have any effect on the
direction of your research? Did you find new collaborators? New friends?
(enemies?) Did you change your ideas about something because of
discussions? Has it helped you in your career?  etc etc.
Send brief stories to my email, unless you really want to share it with
everyone on the list. Thanks.

Judith Weis

.·'¯`·.¸ ><o> .·'¯`·.¸¸.·'¯`·.¸ >=}},/o>

  ><o>><o>

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's:  Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
MAY help restore populations.


Dr. Judith S. Weis
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Rutgers University
Newark NJ 07102
Phone 973 353-5387   FAX  973 353-5518

http://runewarkbiology.rutgers.edu/weis%20lab/Home.html

[ECOLOG-L] new book

[Judith S. Weis]

Hi all - I hope effects of Sandy did not do much damage to your homes and
labs.
This is a "shameless plug" for my new book that's coming out this month -
it's a natural history book about crabs.
Here's the link:
http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100864250

Best,
Judy

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

[Judith S. Weis]

Let me echo that some of us academics are involved in working with
environmental groups, serving on advisory committees to EPA, NOAA, and
state environmental agencies etc.
I am spending this week in the DC area on an advisory committee to NOAA
Sea Grant. (It's better to be here than in NJ/NY.)


> While it is not above and beyond their normal job duties, I'd argue that
> nearly all academic biologists make a substantial contribution to society
> through their teaching (not just their research).  For many of us,
> teaching makes up an equal or greater proportion of our workload than
> research.  And, many of us do give back through service to NGOs and
> government agencies, outreach to the public and school groups, etc.
>
> Mark D.
> 
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Neahga Leonard
> [naturalistkni...@gmail.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 6:57 PM
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Biologists giving back? Ideas needed
>
> Hi Wendee,
>
> I think this would be an extremely easy topic if you moved your target
> biologists away from those in the academic setting.  Many of us work in
> non-profits aimed with an environmental conservation focus, work with
> land-trusts, work as land stewards, foresters, game wardens, medical
> workers, health and sanitation workers, landscapers, nature guides,
> writers, and much, much more.
>
> The biologists within the academic realm are probably the smallest portion
> of the total biologist population, and, despite doing excellent work, may
> well have the smallest immediate effect on the population/world at large.
>
> Neahga Leonard
>
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 31, 2012 at 2:03 PM, Wendee Nicole
> wrote:
>
>> I am working on a story idea about ways that biologists give back to
>> society
>> in a way that is above and beyond simply doing research. It CAN be a
>> research project if it has a strong influence on the local community, or
>> on
>> policy, etc.
>>
>> If you have any examples of individuals doing something, whether it's a
>> the
>> project, or someone doing something on the side, or working with
>> Congress
>> to
>> get some legislation passed that is important and under-appreciated, or
>> anything else, send me the ideas and the folks who are involved's
>> contact
>> info!
>>
>> Wendee
>>
>> "As a writer, you are often asking your mind to dream while awake" -
>> Aimee
>> Bender
>>
>> Wendee Nicole, M.S. Ecology  ~ Freelance Writer * Photographer *
>> Bohemian
>>
>> Web: [wendeenicole.com]
>> Blog: [bohemianadventures.blogspot.com]
>> Twitter: twitter.com/bohemianone
>> Email: wendeenic...@nasw.org
>>
>> Online Magazine Writing Class starts Dec 8, 2012 - Ask me!
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Neahga Leonard
>
> *There is not just a whole world to explore, there is a whole universe to
> explore, perhaps more than one.*
> http://writingfornature.wordpress.com/
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -Knowledge of Today Documentary

[Judith S. Weis]

In my experience, search committees also look for individuals who have
published while in graduate school. This usually requires motivation and
efforts by both the student and the advisor.



>  I'm very sorry to see that a few folks have had bad experiences in grad
> school. Many of us had very happy and productive times as graduate
> students. But I've seen enough over the years to recognize that faults in
> advisors, or in advisees, or both can result in mediocre to bad outcomes
> – most often for the advisee, but sometimes for the advisor as well.
>
>  I did, however, want to comment on the statement that 
>
> "When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as everyone
> else (with) a degree."
>
>
>  If you intend to pursue an academic career in research, nothing could be
> further than the truth. In cases where large numbers of recently minted
> Ph.D.'s or post-docs apply for several jobs in the same field, often the
> same, relatively few individuals get to short lists and are interviewed
> across the country. Applicants whose Ph.D. research (and subsequent work)
> are perceived to have significant, novel implications – and be scalable
> to future endeavors, and fundable by NSF or other agencies or foundations
> – are much more likely to be interviewed and offered jobs. That is what
> search committees look for. Not that search committees never make
> mistakes; they do, sometimes egregiously. A Ph.D. gets you in the door to
> submit an application, but you need excellent research, combined with
> strong writing and oral presentation skills, ability to think on your
> feet, and empathy to interact well with students and colleagues, to have
> a real chance of success at landing a job at first- or second-tier
> universities.
>
>
> Thomas J. Givnish
> Henry Allan Gleason Professor of Botany
> University of Wisconsin
>
> givn...@wisc.edu
> http://botany.wisc.edu/givnish/Givnish/Welcome.html
>
>
>
>
> On 10/18/12, brandi gartland  wrote:
>> As I am currently deciding on whether to enter a PhD program vs.
>> consulting work/career position, I am finding this feed quite
>> informative and wanted to respond to:
>>
>> "When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as everyone
>> else a degree. There are many successful scientists without Ph.D.'s but
>> many more with Ph.D.'s who are unemployed."
>>
>> I immediately thought of sharing this documentary, as it illustrates
>> this very point as well as other ideas:
>>
>> http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2012/02/education-college-conspiracy-exposed.html
>>
>> -It illustrates how the U.S. educational system is not what it used to
>> be and "exposes the facts and truth about America's college education
>> system. It was was produced over a six-month period by NIA's team of
>> expert Austrian economists with the help of thousands of NIA members who
>> contributed their ideas and personal stories for the film. NIA believes
>> the U.S. college education system is a scam that turns vulnerable young
>> Americans into debt slaves for life."
>>
>>
>> Best wishes for us all in life, love, work, and happiness.
>>
>> Brandi
>> M.S. Candidate Avian Sciences
>> University of California, Davis
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:29:21 -0700
>> > From: jane@gmail.com
>> > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School"
>> > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> >
>> > On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 6:40 AM, Aaron T. Dossey 
>> wrote:
>> > > When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as
>> everyone else
>> > > - a degree. There are many successful scientists without Ph.D.'s but
>> many
>> > > more with Ph.D.'s who are unemployed.
>> >
>> > Can you make a rough estimate of the relative frequencies of each.
>> >
>> > > Also, to emphasize how little we get out of
>> > > a Ph.D. (a lot is stolen from us), we don't get credit for our work
>> or
>> > > publications because the professor always gets credit for everything
>> we do
>> > > while in their lab as a student or postdoc (which is something I am
>> fighting
>> > > on other fronts - I call it institutionalized intellectual property
>> theft).
>> >
>> > Isn't that taken care of by the first author/last author distinction?
>> > A PI may get some undeserved credit, but that's different from the
>> > student not getting credit. The paper is still cited as Student et al.
>> > Or are you talking about taking the student's idea outright?
>> >
>> > BTW, if you believe that grad students are employees to the point of
>> > needing a union and thinking of their advisor as their boss, I would
>> > point out that people who do creative work as employees rarely keep
>> > the rights to their work. Typically, the intellectual property belongs
>> > to their employer ("work done for hire"). Isn't it better to say that
>> > grad students are not employees?
>> >
>> > --
>> > -
>> > Jane Shevtsov, Ph.D.
>> > Mathematical Biology Curriculum Writer, UCLA
>> > co-founder, www.worldbeyon

[ECOLOG-L] [Fwd: [AAASFellows] New program: Emerging Leaders in Science & Society]

[Judith S. Weis]

 Original Message 
Subject: [AAASFellows] New program: Emerging Leaders in Science & Society
From:"Melanie Roberts" 
Date:Sun, October 21, 2012 10:49 pm
To:  aaasfell...@listserv.aaas.org
--

Dear former fellows:

I'd like to ask for your help with a new program that I've launched in
collaboration with AAAS and some current/former fellows, called Emerging
Leaders in Science & Society. Our mission is to prepare graduate and
professional students to contribute to solutions for real-world problems
throughout their professional and civic lives. It's a competitive,
extracurricular program that recruits students from all fields to engage
communities across the country in dialogue about complex challenges in
areas ranging from health to the economy to energy. See
www.aaas.org/elissfor more info.

Here is how you can help:

1. *Please share the announcement below with graduate & professional
students* via your organizations, alma maters, listervs, and social media.
We're eager to recruit students from business, law, humanities, arts,
education, and health professions, in addition to the STEM fields we all
know best.

2. This is my first foray into fundraising... yikes!  *I'd really
appreciate your help identifying opportunities for grants, corporate
sponsorships, or philanthropic donations*. Sponsorships are available for
specific theme areas or to support students in particular fields or
campuses (more on campus partnerships below). Please contact me directly to
discuss.

Imagine how much more robust your graduate experience might have been if
you had the opportunity to join a cross-disciplinary network of peers and
mentors who shared your passion to make a difference. This is also a fun
way to develop transferable skills that are helpful in any career.

I really appreciate anything you can do to help!

Melanie Roberts
Congressional (2006-07) and HEHS/NSF (2007-08)


















Dear graduate and professional students:

Do you like to discuss current events and to learn about the latest
breakthroughs and ideas in areas outside of your field? Do you want to make
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Re: [ECOLOG-L] Tide pools in northern New Jersey?

[Judith S. Weis]

The NJ shore has lots of beaches and marshes but is very short on rocks!
And rocks are found largely in man-made jetties. There is one on the
Belmar beach that I took my class to for many years as the best example I
could find of rocky habitat in the northern half of the state.
Maybe the kids would enjoy salt marshes also?


> Hello everyone.
>
> I will be traveling to NJ next week and would like to take some kids to
> the
> shore and get them playing around in that environment.  Does anyone have
> recommendations on good areas with tide pools?
>
> Thanks for any advice!
>
> Regards,
> Dara Parker
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless Droid
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Subject: Re: Non-Majors Biology

[Judith S. Weis]

>There are a number of institutions of higher ed which have a biology
curriculum totally devoted to what goes on inside the cell membrane...
>

  There’s been quite a bit of
> discussion
> over the past two decades regarding establishment of foundations and
> standards in the discipline—not all of which have been favorable to
> ecology, evolution, organismal biology, and natural history.
>
> George Middendorf
> Biology
> Howard University
>
>
>
>
> Date:Mon, 28 May 2012 08:53:25 -0400
>> From:Tamara Cushing 
>> Subject: Re: Non-Majors Biology
>>
>> Forestry has undergraduate accreditation
>>
>> Tammy
>>
>> Tamara L. Cushing, Ph.D.
>> Assistant Professor, Forest Management and Economics
>> Clemson University
>>
>> 
>> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
>> [ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.
>> =
>> UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Jane Shevtsov [jane@gmail.com]
>> Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2012 11:31 PM
>> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Non-Majors Biology
>>
>> What disciplines other than engineering have departmental
>> accreditation at the undergraduate level?
>>
>> Jane
>>
>> On Sun, May 27, 2012 at 2:47 PM, malcolm McCallum
>>  wrote:
>> > The problem with biology education today is that there are:
>> > 1) no standards for what the major is
>> > 2) no accreditation governing what a department should comprise
>> >
>> > Europe now has accreditation for the discipline and if the US does not
>> > follow suit you can watch rapidly as we not only fall behind in
>> > biology, but basically fall like a rock in stature.
>> >
>> > Too many departments just wing it at the whim of the administrations'
>> fol=
>> ly.
>> > Accreditation provides the departments with significant support and
>> > legitimacy in the face of those administrations that generally care a
>> > lot about money and little about quality or students.
>> >
>> > There are more of those than we care to admit.
>> >
>> > Look, we can't even agree whether biodiversity concepts belong in an
>> > intro to bio class.
>> > I find this not only disheartening but also frightening.  Where else
>> > they going to learn it, English?
>> > Most schools don't have an EVS course, and many never will.
>> >
>> > Malcolm
>> >
>>
>>
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Non-Majors Biology

[Judith S. Weis]

I agree 100% !!



> With sincere respect to all of you in the fields of microbiology,
> genetics, and other laboratory-based disciplines of the life sciences, I
> contend the "Campbell Essential Biology" approach is exactly what is wrong
> with biology education today.
>
> Nearly all undergraduate and high school introductory biology courses are
> written as if EVERY student is going on to med school, nursing, or a
> career in a lab-based science. I agree it's important for an undergrad
> course to make mention of cytology, DNA, photosynthesis, etc., but I
> question the real value to students of any non-major textbook in which 12
> chapters deal with cell-DNA and ecology, ecosystems, and the biosphere are
> relegated to the last three chapters.
>
> My guess is that 95% or more of non-majors will never have any really
> practical use for information about cell-DNA. It's complicated stuff that
> their physicians and pharmacists need to know, but what would be of
> infinitely greater value is for everyone to be familiar with basic
> principles of ecology, plant-animal interactions, pollination biology, and
> the like. Knowing about these things will enable students in general to
> understand how humans fit into and affect the world around them, and such
> understanding will help them make informed decisions about such things as
> overfishing, watersheds and wetlands, use of household pesticides and
> fertilizers--to say nothing of current controversial topics like global
> climate change, fracking, etc.
>
> We all teach what we know, of course, and the vast majority of high school
> biology teachers know what they learned in an undergrad biology courses
> taught from the "pre-med" perspective. I know from 25-plus years in the
> classroom and lab that for kids not going off to med-school the "pre-med"
> approach is often a turn-off to science, while a course that emphasizes
> ecology, the environment, field work, etc., is a turn-on. I also taught
> undergrad biology and know such is the case with many college students.
>
> Cheers,
>
> BILL
>
>
> On May 27, 2012, at 10:48 AM, Helena Puche wrote:
>
>> David,
>>
>> I used "Campbell Essential Biology" by E.J. Simon, J.B.Reece and J.L.
>> Dickey. It is a book for non-biology  majors that has 20 chapters, all
>> of them with a focus on evolution and examples, and nice drawings and
>> pictures. Twelve of the 20 chapters are geared toward cell-DNA, then
>> three chapters on taxonomy and systematics. The last three include
>> populations & ecology, communities & ecosystems, and the biosphere.
>> Therefore, you will have to add extra material to recreate those last
>> topics.
>>
>> I created  several evolution labs using beans or the web pages below,
>> designed a ppt to introduce Darwin's liand thoughts, and added many lab
>> activities to learn about mark-recapture techniques, estimating
>> population growth rate & size, population growth models, climate change,
>> and identifying biomes.
>>
>> Evolution links to check are:
>> http://video.pbs.org/video/1300397304/
>> http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/devitt_02
>>
>> I used those as base for the lab activities.
>>
>> Hope this helps.
>>
>> Helena
>>
>>
>>
>> Helena Puche, Ph. D.
>>
>> Adjunct Assistant Professor
>>
>> University of Illinois at Chicago
>>
>>
>> Biological Sciences, 3464 SES, MC
>> 066
>>
>> 845 West Taylor Street
>>
>> Chicago, IL 60607hpu...@uic.edu
>>
>>
>>
>> --- On Fri, 5/25/12, Johnson, David R  wrote:
>>
>> From: Johnson, David R 
>> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Non-Majors Biology
>> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> Date: Friday, May 25, 2012, 2:49 PM
>>
>> Greetings,
>>
>> I am teaching a "contemporary biology" course for non-science majors in
>> the fall and for the first time I am fortunate to be able to organize
>> the course at my discretion. Effectively, I can present any material I
>> wish as long as I hit broad themes such as Cell Theory and Evolution.
>> While this is certainly doable, I am struggling deciding exactly what
>> content to present. The course is meant to present the science of
>> contemporary issues that may be important and/or interesting to the
>> non-science student rather than a broad survey course encompassing all
>> of biology. There is another such survey course with a set syllabus that
>> I am not teaching, and there are two other sections of contemporary
>> biology that are focusing on genetics. I would like to focus on the many
>> ecological issues that both affect and are affected by humans. My
>> struggle involves the fact that this may be the only (or last) biology
>> these students get before we cast them out into the world.
>> So I want to be sure and cover all my bases.
>>
>> I am writing Ecolog with two questions. First, what is the relative
>> merit of including as much biology as possible as opposed to focusing on
>> fewer but perhaps more directly relevant ecological topics? These
>> students will most likely not become scientists, and cert

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Cemeteries as habitat

[Judith S. Weis]

I find it hard to imagine that golf courses are as good as cemeteries for
habitat since they are loaded with herbicides, fungicides, insecticides
and every other kind of -cide you can imagine. Any wildlife that lives
there must be loaded with toxic chemicals.


> I'm not an expert (but rather, someone with a deep interest) in urban
> ecology, but my understanding is that areas like cemeteries,
> ballfields, golf courses, etc., often act as ecological traps,
> providing enough low-quality habitat to foster low-levels of
> biodiversity, but preventing species from adequately thriving and
> reproducing into successive generations.
>
> My thoughts are that these low-quality habitats should be considered
> in a comprehensive urban management plan, with the caveat that they
> are not areas where you would expect high levels of biodiversity, and
> that they could potentially create localized scenarios of diminishing
> diversity.  However, there is research out there that show that
> effective habitat management (especially in places like golf courses
> and parks) can increase habitat suitability to the point of
> encouraging sustainable rates of biodiversity.  But please, someone
> with more expertise in this area, correct me if I'm wrong.
>
> -Lauren
>
>
>
>   Quoting John Mickelson :
>
>> Working in NYC and looking at the spatial dimensions of biodiversity
>> in this heavily urbanized setting.
>>
>> Wondering what folks thoughts are re: the extent to which cemeteries
>> (and, to a lesser extent: ball fields, play grounds, golf courses
>> etc...) "really" serve as habitat.
>>
>> Clearly they serve multiple purposes and are utilized by a range of
>> flora and fauna (presumably more so within "green" managed
>> programs), but should they really form a core element within 
>> a comprehensive urban conservation plan?
>>
>> I'm finding myself able to argue both sides. thoughts?
>>
>> -John
>>
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] information about behaviour of invasive animal species

[Judith S. Weis]

I published an article last year on the role of behavior in the success of
invasive crustaceans.




> Dear Ecologgers:
>
> I would like to prepare a lecture for students on the behaviour of
> invasive species
> As a behavioural biologist I'am convinced that behavioural traits of
> individuals/populations/species that will have good chance to become
> succesfull "invaders" (or are already)
> play a crucial role, and it could therore be also used as a predictive
> tool. E.g. neophilia/neophobia, propensity to risk, exploratory behaviour,
> decision making
> etc.
>
> I would appreciate if some of you could suggest some recent
> references/links concerning this aspect
>
> Thank you
>
> Claudio Carere
>
> Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences
> University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
> claudiocar...@unitus.it
>

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

[Judith S. Weis]

Some non-indigenous species don't cause problems in their new environment
- but they are not called "invasive." This term is for those that "cause
trouble" one way or another.
A couple of months ago we were snorkeling in the Turks and Caicos islands,
which are less developed than many other places, so we thought the reefs
etc. would be in reasonable shape. We saw more lionfish than any other
kind of fish. They seem to have eaten up everything else, since the native
species don't recognize them as predators. Depressing...


> Very intelligent members of the public have asked me this question when
> they approach me in the field and I have some time to chat.  It's a great
> question, because invasions biology is attacked politically on this front,
> so it's one to which professionals really must craft a coherent response
> in
> friendly conversation.
>
> Another point to consider is the evolutionary history of native vs.
> introduced (non-native) species in any particular system.  One of the
> reasons non-natives are of concern is that they do not share evolutionary
> history with the native community, and this contributes to the
> unpredictable biodiversity loss cited by other comments presented here.
>  This can also be discussed in light of the homogenization of life on
> earth, because there are many species favored, facilitated, or directly
> cultivated by humans that are now distributed worldwide.  Some of these
> species threaten regional biodiversity (Check out the book Ecological
> Imperialism for a really interesting perspective on colonialism as an
> ecological process via introduction of new dominant species).  There's a
> lot coming out now on evolution and invasive species as well that is, at
> least in part, reasonably accessible to a general audience or the academic
> in ecology/evolution who is wanting to step into invasion biology.
>
> Related to this (somewhat tangentially) is that the buildup of introduced
> and invasive species in systems like San Francisco Bay has also increased
> the number and complexity of biological interactions, both
> introduced-introduced and introduced-native.  Increasing professional
> interest in introduced-introduced interactions hasn't yet yielded a whole
> lot of generalized hypotheses, but it has opened new windows to how
> complex
> this issue is biologically and how best to protect species of interest as
> well as local biodiversity.
>
> That was a far longer and more convoluted comment than I originally
> intended!  Hopefully, Joshua, some of that is useful perspective.  Thanks
> for posing the question to ECOLOG!  It can be intimidating to put
> something
> like this out there as an undergrad, and I'm glad you took the initiative.
>  It comes up a lot, as you can see, and ECOLOG is a  great forum for this
> discussion.
> A.
>
> On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 9:19 AM, Ruhl, Nathan  wrote:
>
>> I posed a very similar question to a group of graduate students and
>> professors during a theoretical ecology seminar a few years ago.  The
>> central premise was that humans, by virtue of our innate-desire/ability
>> to
>> alter our surroundings, have caused a general decline in biodiversity
>> globally.  That is,humans are the primary vector for a loss of global
>> biodiversity, not the "non-native"/"invasive" species.  The question
>> was,
>> is reduction of biodiversity bad or is it simply evolution in favor of
>> species better adapted to live in a human-altered landscape?
>>
>> After much debate, the consensus was more or less that we don't know
>> what
>> all the ecological implications of a rapid global reduction in
>> biodiversity
>> will be and, because we have only one habitable planet currently, it
>> would
>> be a good idea not to break it.  Therefore, in the absence of a rigorous
>> ecological understanding that we may never actually achieve, humans
>> should
>> be taking steps to promote the conservation of biodiversity whenever
>> possible.
>>
>> N Ruhl
>> Ohio University
>> 
>>
>> On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 10:01 AM, Joshua Wilson
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Good morning,
>> >
>> > I know that invasive and non-native species have been getting a great
>> deal
>> > of attention lately, and justly.  I understand the basic ecological
>> impacts
>> > and concerns invasive species cause, and the disruption of the native
>> > system.  My main question is:
>> >
>> > Why are invasive species considered a nuisance, instead of adaptation,
>> > progression, or perhaps ecosystem evolution?
>> >
>> > Yes, human beings have been a main cause of the large majority of
>> these
>> > invasions.  But even so, I feel we are part of the natural system.  If
>> an
>> > invasive species exhibits more plasticity or is more competitive and
>> > adaptive than the present species in an ecosystem, does that
>> necessarily
>> > imply catastrophic impacts?  There are multiple arguments against
>> this, I
>> > know, many of them strong and verified.  I am not

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Wetlands and spartina alterniflora

[Judith S. Weis]

At the risk of "tooting my own horn" a book I co-authored with Carol
Butler, Salt Marshes: A Natural and Unnatural History, (Rutgers University
Press 2009) could be a good introduction to the subject. We do focus on
Atlantic coast marshes, have chapters on various ways in which humans have
altered marshes, and do write a bit about Jamaica Bay in particular.



> Hello to All,
>
> First I'd like to say that I have been a silent participant of this list
> for
> several years.  I have found it to be informative, thought provoking and
> entertaining.
>
> I am MS student of geography at Hunter College in NYC. For my thesis I am
> looking to identify trends in the historical ecology of Jamaica Bay
> through
> a temporal series GIS analyses.
>
> I have been exploring the many books available for the study of wetland
> ecology, but I don't have any way to evaluate them.  Can someone recommend
> material that  looks at basic wetland ecosystems (both tidal and
> freshwater)
> based on region, such as the northeast, more specifically New York or in
> lieu of this just a good textbook/book on wetlands.  (Wetlands are not
> part
> of the curriculum at Hunter)
>
> I am also looking at the condition of spartina alterniforia in Jamaica Bay
> as it might be explained/defined/demonstrated by different transition
> models
> such as parnachy, adaption cycle etc.  With Spartina alterniforia, being
> both native in New York and severely invasive elsewhere there is
> significant
> literature, although addition input is always welcome. S. alterniflora is
> being cultivated for wetland restoration and I was wondering where I might
> find information about its optimal cultivation environment.  I'd also be
> interested in knowing if anyone else on the east coast has observed severe
> decline of saltwater marsh whose predominant species is spartina
> alterniforia.
>
> Thank you,
> Joy
>
> Joy Cytryn
> Hunter College
> New York, NY
> jo...@earthlink.net
>

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

[Judith S. Weis]

I've been thinking of chiming in before and will do so now.
As someone who is now a grandmother, I can say yes - you can do it all,
but not exactly all at the same time. Kids do not stay babies that long.
You can cut back when they are, and when your kids are a bit older, you
can plunge back into field work and career. It's also vital to have a
spouse who does his 50% of the child rearing. I advise anyone wishing a
balanced career and family life to choose your spouse carefully with this
in mind!




> I've been following the debate Simone Whitecloud inspired concerning
> babies in the field. This brought to mind something I was told when I was
> pursuing my B.S.  in Wildlife Ecology:
>
> "You can be a scientist, a spouse or a parent.  Two of these things you
> can be simultaneously great at doing, while the third will suffer."  I'm
> not sure I entirely agree with this statement, but I have seen personal
> relationships tried by professional obligations and professional
> obligations tried by personal obligations. Particularly in a field that
> often demands long absences and irregular hours, I can see how this would
> particularly be true. Though, I have also seen faculty and research
> scientists with families that seem pretty stable and happy. Is there any
> substance to this paradigm, and if so, are there realistic ways in which
> we can change them? I'd love to hear the communities' thoughts on this as
> it is something that I have often reflected on as I've progressed through
> my career. Can we have it all? What are the key differences between the
> ones that are seemingly able to do it and the one's where the challenges
> become too great?
>
> Rachel Guy
> Project Coordinator, Research Assistant
>
>
>
>

[ECOLOG-L] aquatic acidification question

[Judith S. Weis]

Back in the 1980s when acid rain was a big concern, the problem was
primarily with poorly buffered lakes. Lakes with lots of limestone, and
the ocean were not affected by the acid rain because they could buffer the
hydrogen ions. After the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990, the SO2 was
reduced and lakes began to recover.
Now, we are confronted with CO2 rather than SO2 or NOx and the CO2
overcomes the ocean's ability to buffer and the ocean's pH is dropping and
shell-building organisms are affected. The CO2 should be having the same
(or worse) effects in lakes, but we (at least I) hear nothing about
problems of acidification in fresh water systems. Why is that? Am I
missing some scientific point here or am I missing news? Or what?

.·'¯`·.¸ ><o> .·'¯`·.¸¸.·'¯`·.¸ >=}},/o>

  ><o>><o>

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's:  Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
MAY help restore populations.


Dr. Judith S. Weis
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Rutgers University
Newark NJ 07102
Phone 973 353-5387   FAX  973 353-5518

http://runewarkbiology.rutgers.edu/weis%20lab/Home.html

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Is there a referee crisis in ecology?

[Judith S. Weis]

What you are leaving out is the quality of the reviews. Just as with
papers, some reviews are of much higher quality than others.
Perhaps there should also be included in the index how many times the
editors had to send reminders to the reviewer - before all the on-line
journal review systems were up, this was a major pain in the neck.


> I haven't the time to develop this, so I'll throw it out there in hopes
> someone will run with it. I believe being asked to referee indicates one's
> standing in a field. Journals will always try to get the best referees
> possible. We simply don't have a way to measure or reward reviewing. 
>
>
> For authors we have a measure of impact (actually several,
> see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-index for a quick start). I would
> suggest something similar for referees. Journals would produce an annual
> list of reviewers and the number of time each reviewed. The sum of the
> number of reviews by a referee times the impact factor of the journals
>  they review in should give a pretty good index of their standing in their
> field. Reviewing in Science would be rare but earn a high score but more
> frequent reviewing in high ranked but more focused journals would really
> drive scores. Reviewing in low ranked journals would not help one's score
> much but as at present would be done more as moral obligation than for
> one's career. 
>
>
> Further indices could correct for time and frequency of reviews, or look
> at mean rank, much as the H-index spawned a wave of refinements.
>
>
> Once each of us has a number (or various), there will be a natural
> inclination to want to improve one's standing (which can be done by more
> reviewing or by being asked to review by higher impact journals).
> Administrators, obsessed with the quantitative will latch onto this like
> flies onto roadkill for evaluating. The bottom line would be a competition
> for opportunities to review rather than a competition among editors for a
> limited number of reviewers. We would measure those who give back, not
> just those who publish.
>
>
> Of course this could be gamed, but the best defense would be editors who
> don't count reviews unless they reach a certain standard of excellence. Of
> course if editors were too picky, we wouldn't bother to review for that
> particular journal.
>
>
> We can continue to bemoan the state of reviewing, and dream up sticks with
> which to beat reviewers into helping, or we can come up with carrots. This
> carrot  is cheap and appeals to both our better and worse angels.
>
>
> Anyway, I'd appreciate thoughts on it. If it goes anywhere, I hope someone
> will call it the D-Index.
>
>
> Cheers,
>
>
> David Duffy
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Professor/PCSU Unit Leader/CESU Director
> PCSU/CESU/Department of Botany
> University of Hawaii Manoa
> 3190 Maile Way, St John 410
> Honolulu, HI 96822 USA
> Tel 808-956-8218, FAX 808-956-4710
> http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/duffy/
>
>
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: malcolm McCallum 
> Date: Saturday, January 7, 2012 4:49 am
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Is there a referee crisis in ecology?
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>
>> Recent joint editorial from all herp societies published in
>> Herpetological Conservation and Biology.
>>
>> The "peer" in Peer Review.
>> http://www.herpconbio.org/Volume_6/Issue_3/Joint_editorial_2011.pdf
>>
>> On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 4:02 PM, Chris Lortie
>>  wrote:
>> > Dear Ecologgers,
>> >
>> > Thank you so much for your feedback on the editorial 'Money
>> for nothing and referees for free'
>> > published in Ideas in Ecology and Evolution in December
>> > (http://library.queensu.ca/ojs/index.php/IEE/index).  The most
>> compelling and common question
>> > I was asked was is there a referee crisis in ecology (or
>> tragedy of the 'reviewers common' as
>> > Hochberg et al. proposed).  This is an excellent question.  I
>> propose that whilst there are more
>> > perfect ways to test this (total up number of submissions and
>> then estimate total pool of referees,
>> > tricky), an interesting indicator would instead to be
>> calculate the decline to review rate (d2rr) in
>> > ecology.   I envision the following two primary data streams
>> to calculate this rate: a per capita
>> > estimate derived from each of us personally and a mean
>> estimate of rate from the publishing
>> > portals (journals).  Hence, let's do it.  Only you know your
>> decline to (accept doing a) review rate
>> > across all requests whilst journals track their own net rates
>> and your specific rate with them too.
>> >
>> > So, please take 30 seconds and fill in this short survey, and
>> we can then assess, to an extent,
>> > whether there is a referee crisis in ecology.
>> >
>> > https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VD3K36W
>> >
>> > I have also compiled a long list of emails for every editor I
>> could find for all ecology journals and
>> > have contacted them to see if they would share the rate at
>> which individuals decline for each of
>> 

Re: [ECOLOG-L] need advice on training

[Judith S. Weis]

HOWEVER, ecologists may have a way do accomplish research at schools with
high teaching loads plus research expectations. You can do your research
in the summer. This is the best time for studying a lot of the systems
here in the states. My estuarine organisms, for example, are "sleeping"
all winter and are ready to get active around the time that the spring
semester is over. In between the classes in the fall and spring semester,
you can analyze your data and write papers.





> Many to most of the major universities require postdoctoral training.
> The fact that some/many postdocs are really temporary research
> scientist positions with the wrong name is irrelevant.  So, if you are
> already competitive for a poor paying job at a small, impoverished
> regional university that does not support research in any way shape or
> form, you will be competitive for better positions with a postdoc.  If
> you are offered a solid position right out of school take it.
> Teaching 18 hrs while being expected to do research is unreasonable
> and results in poor teaching and poor research.  For that matter,
> expecting 12 hrs of teaching in the classroom, with a multitude of
> external duties will give you little time for research.  I found that
> 9 hrs of contact with external duties was very doable, but almost
> everyone who I have met has a depressed research output when under
> heavy teaching loads.
>
> Here are your choices in Academia:
> (1) schools with research support matching the research expectations
> and teaching loads that facilitate research expectations and quality
> coursework
> (2) schools that have lofty research expectations, little to no
> research support and teaching loads that conflict with this research
> expectations, ultimately giving little to no time for teaching prep so
> neither research nor teaching is of high quality.  Many of these also
> pile on tons of service so you are doomed!
> (3) schools that have low/no research expectations and support, and
> expect most of your time to be devoted to teaching and often service.
> These schools often give no points for research.
> (4) community college.
>
> If you have no interest in teaching, you probably belong outside of
> academia.
> If you have no interest in research, you will be most happy in a
> community college (or teaching prof job).
> If you want to be miserable, you will take a position at a school that
> mismatches teaching/research/service obligations and support.
>
> If you want a shot at higher regionals and R1s, you better get a postdoc.
> If you want a shot at lower regionals and ccs, you better get teaching
> experience.
> If you want a higher salary, you will find it at the R1s, upper
> regionals, better liberal art schools, and communtiy colleges.
> If you want to teach a diversity of courses, you will be best choosing
> a regional state school.
>
> At least those are my observations.
> Postdocs are now pretty much required even for many small schools.
> The alternative is struggling at lower regionals in hope of rising to
> a higher level.
> The latter is the more difficult road because you must do a lot of
> time consuming
> things that do not result in grants or publications.  On the other
> hand, if you are
> fortunate, and land a few major grants and pubs, you can rise out of
> the latter.  Its
> just harder than going the postdoc route.
>
> I will tell you with 100% assurance that if I did it over, I would do
> the postdoc I was
> offered.  It would have broadened my experiences, resulted in several
> fantastic pubs,
> and trained me on a few things I could use.  This is coming form
> someone who worked
> as a director of research at a not for profit before entering a phd,
> and I had 5 years of teaching
> experience before entering my phd.  I'm not saying what I suggest is
> right for everyone,
> but these are pretty much the rules we are operating under today.
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Jan 3, 2012 at 8:59 PM, Aaron T. Dossey 
> wrote:
>>
>> I would not recommend doing a postdoc.  I would recommend focusing on
>> the
>> GIS coursework and find a way to pay your bills via the least time
>> consuming
>> and least demanding way/job you can find.  Sometimes your paid job is
>> simply
>> a distraction necessary to pay the bills - but if you can chisel out
>> time to
>> work toward your true passion, you can achieve it and it will become
>> your
>> primary job (and ideally pay the bills :) ).
>>
>> I too got my Ph.D. in 2006. ;)
>>
>> Cheers!
>>
>> --
>> Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D.
>> Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
>> Founder/Owner: All Things Bugs
>> Capitalizing on Low-Crawling Fruit from Insect-Based Innovation
>> http://www.allthingsbugs.com/Curriculum_Vitae.pdf
>> https://www.facebook.com/Allthingsbugs
>> 1-352-281-3643
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 1/3/2012 7:24 PM, malcolm McCallum wrote:
>>>
>>> Have you done a postdoc?
>>> If not, do one and while in that capacity, take a GIS course at the
>>> school, assuming its at a school.  Altern

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

[Judith S. Weis]

Another element is that now faculty earn a reasonable living wage, while
several decades ago they didn't.


> One element in the increase in college costs, not just research, is
> accountability. Congress has passed laws that had good objectives
> (protecting human subjects, protecting animals, ensuring occupational
> safety, reducing campus crime, ensuring no discrimination on campus,
> ensuring fair value for federal student loans, etc etc.). Laws become
> rules and regulations which are monitored and enforced by federal agencies
> that have no real need to restrain themselves, so they add more
> regulations, the better to enforce the intent of the law.  Universities
> meanwhile, trying to stay in compliance, add senior administrators and
> assistants and assistants to assistants to deal with the regulations.
> These bureaucracies (well any bureaucracy) protect themselves and the best
> way to be protected is to jump through every hoop the agencies put in
> place. Because the university might get in trouble, compliance gets handed
> what is often essentially a blank check.
>
>
> Whole industries have developed around animal care, human subjects,
> college accreditation etc. These classes and consultants  don't tell the
> universities how to maximize compliance at minimal cost, instead they
> suggest ever better and more expensive ways to be in compliance, selling
> something the compliance bureaucrats are more than happy to buy.  Even
> more senior administrators are brought on board and again, they need more
> support staff.
>
>
> For research, the more the university spends on compliance, the higher the
> indirect cost it can charge the federal government, thus providing even
> more money for compliance. Unless the funder is NIH, higher indirect means
> the amount the researcher actually gets is smaller, so research loses. And
> so it goes. With federal funds in short supply, the agencies should be
> taking a look at compliance, but then they have their own compliance
> empires to support.
>
>
> Is the compliance industry the only cause of increased tuition costs? No.
> As one of the articles mentioned, higher tuition makes a college more
> attractive (never mind that like hotel room rates the list price is not
> necessarily what you end up paying). State and federal governments no
> longer feel education is so important so they have decreased support. This
> is in stunning contrast to after World War II when the GI Bill jump
> started American prosperity through essentially free higher education for
> returning vets. Too many Americans, politicians and administrators now
> seem to regard universities as factories that produce degrees, learning
> being incidental. In that case, climbing walls and Jacuzzis make sense,
> making one factory/college more competitive than another. So does hiring
> of 'rock star' professors that, like professional athletes, lend their
> names but not always their teaching skills to the university's "brand",
> while driving up faculty salaries. 
>
>
> More and more people are telling universities to jump and fewer and fewer
> universities are bothering to ask why before they do. Until faculty and
> students start asking why, the universities won't so things will continue
> as they are, or get worse.
>
>
> That's the way it is. Happy New Year.
>
>
> David Duffy
>
>
>
>
>
> David Cameron Duffy Ph.D.
> Professor/PCSU Unit Leader/CESU Director
> PCSU/CESU/Department of Botany
> University of Hawaii Manoa
>
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: Martin Meiss 
> Date: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 8:10 am
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] UC-Berkeley and other 'public Iv ies'in fiscal
> peril
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>
>> 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 been
>> about three-fold since then, obviously only accounts for a small
>> part of
>> that, and since it is a private school, declining government
>> subsidies are
>> not the reason.  The professors haven't all become
>> millionaires.  The
>> campus hasn't been plated with gold.  The students aren't
>> getting an
>> education that is ten times better than what I got.  This
>> is a general
>> trend, not just a phenomenon of my alma mater, and I really do
>> want to know
>> what the hell is going on.  My father had a bachelor's
>> degree, and my
>> annual college costs were about on fifth of his annual
>> income.  I have a
>> PhD and the costs for my kids would be well over half of my
>> annual income.
>>
>> Can someone out there tell my why higher education is becoming
>> somethingonly for the rich?
>>
>> Martin M. Meiss
>>
>>
>> 2011/12/28 Rick Lindroth 
>>
>> > The answer is simple and (nearly) universal: states' support
>> for higher
>> > edu

[ECOLOG-L] Work/Life balance from AWIS in Action! September 2011

[Judith S. Weis]

This article from the AWIS newsletter is pertinent to recent discussions
on this list.

Work-Life Balance and Success in a Scientific Career

Work-life balance in a rigorous academic career is slowly being adopted as
part of the scientific community’s lexicon, although some resist its
infiltration. Especially in a tough economic climate with a dwindling
number of grants being awarded these days, it is of utmost importance for
researchers to stay on top of their game and produce results. This often
comes at the expense of personal and family obligations, let alone leisure
activities. However, some have realized that leisure is an integral part
of a researcher’s life…not only for work-life balance, but also for the
betterment of ideas and scientific discovery.

This month in Nature, Dr. Julie Overbaugh from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center in Seattle, WA argues, “Scientists should make time for
play to complement their intense work, maintain creativity and keep the
ideas flowing.” She acknowledges that while it is sometimes necessary to
pull all-nighters in the name of pending deadlines, more hours in the lab
does not equate to better results. “In fact,” she notes, “I have many of
my best ideas while walking the dogs in the morning, riding my bike home
from work or weekending in the mountains.”

For Dr. Quinones-Hinojosa at Johns Hopkins, on the other hand, these types
of activities are utterly incompatible with a serious career in cancer
research. Heidi Ledford of Nature News recently decided to investigate
“24/7 labs” where the number of hours logged is most crucial to success in
the eyes of the PI, and she interviewed the students and postdocs who work
for them. Contrary to many who turned her down due to fear of being
portrayed as “slave-drivers” Dr. Quinones-Hinojosa welcomed her into his
lab, eager to show off his neurosurgery skills and devoted research team
of tired students and postdocs.

At first glance, it would seem that with 13 concurrent grants, 113
publications since 2005 and an h index of 27, compared with the average of
10.7 among his neuroscience colleagues, that the long hours Dr.
Quinones-Hinojosa requires of himself and his team have paid off in
spades. However, it all depends on how you measure success. Attending
late-night lab meetings every Friday and working through all major
holidays, some of the students in this lab cited not being able to see
their families abroad for years. Furthermore, the PI himself admits to
being an absentee father. He notes that while in residency at the
University of California, San Francisco, his three young children thought
he lived at the hospital, and effectively – he did – clocking 140 hours a
week. Yet strangely, he seems to truly enjoy his career and life choices.

This then begs the question of how to define work-life balance. Some have
argued that this term is insufficient; rejecting the notion that any
semblance of balance between work and family or personal life can
reasonably by achieved in the throes of a research-oriented academic
career. Instead, terms such as “work-life satisfaction” have emerged. This
suggests that whatever ratio of work to personal time needs to be achieved
in order for an individual to be satisfied is sufficient. But one has to
wonder if Dr. Quinones-Hinojosa would even be able to choose his current
work-life ratio without a spouse at home to take care of their three
children?

Because many women scientists don’t have the luxury of choosing between
work and family, it is vitally important for academic institutions to
adopt flexible work-life policies, and encourage employees to take
advantage of them. At AWIS, we have just begun a new initiative to study
and identify best practices for workplace flexibility in academia. Tools
for Change: A Project for Stepping Up Retention of Women in the Academic
STEM Pipeline is a partnership between AWIS and Dr. Mary Ann Mason from
the Center for Economics & Family Security at UC Berkeley, as well as Dr.
Joan C. Williams from the Center for WorkLife Law at UC Hastings. Funded
by the National Science Foundation (NSF) ADVANCE program, our study will
provide a rigorous economic analysis on the cost of losing precious talent
throughout the "leaky" STEM pipeline and the benefits of implementing
flexible, family-responsive workplace practices.

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Fwd: [ADVANCE-NEWS] The Children they Never Had

[Judith S. Weis]

I would suggest that this famous evolutionary biologist is stuck back in
the Cretaceous period when it comes to attitudes.
Both women and men need to have a life besides science. Choices need to be
made in life, and sometimes family has to come before doing that other
experiment right away, or whatever. When men share the work at home, then
women don't need to sacrifice as much.
It makes me sad to read about this kind of thing still happening. Back in
my youth in the 70s, we worked hard on gender equality in academia and
elsewhere and made great strides, and would have thought that by 2000
comments like that would no longer be heard.
Sigh...Maybe it will take yet another generation...
J

> During my last year of my PhD, I, along with a few fellow graduate
> students, had lunch with a prominent evolutionary biologist who had
> been invited to give a talk at our department. As we discussed our
> research, this senior professor suggested a follow-up experiment to
> extend my research. I had also thought about this previous to our
> conversation and agreed it would be interesting and important.
> However, I said that I was to graduate and wouldn't be doing another
> field season. This was met with a little disdain (or at least that was
> how it came across) and the question "Why not?".  When I explained
> that I had personal/family reasons for not continuing for another
> (6th) year as a PhD student and that I had recently had a baby, the
> reply I got was "But can you publish that?"
>
> My biggest disappointment was that instead of telling this famous
> professor that it was a jerky comment, in the moment, I felt I needed
> to defend myself and my choices. I'm sure that others have received
> subtle or not so subtle comments to suggest that they should either
> not have children or at least not yet (post doc is the best time, you
> can have kids when you get tenure, etc). Or that if they do have
> children it should not at all influence the choices they make about
> their career. In a profession that requires so much of our time and
> generally an ability to move to where the jobs are, I think we need to
> appreciate that life and career choices are intertwined. Families are
> generally two career these days, whether or not both are in academics.
> Therefore, choices about where and when to move seem often a mix of
> what may be best for your own career as well as your partners, in
> addition to other family considerations. If we force women and men to
> choose between family and career, we will inevitability lose good
> researchers and possibly the ones we retain will be miserable.
>
> On a side note, this comment got me thinking about how we decide when
> a PhD is finished. There is probably always another experiment around
> the corner that would make your research even better, or there should
> be if you're doing it right. So in a system where there isn't a year
> limit to your PhD, it seems to me that it is often outside factors
> that determine its length. For example, getting a post-doc, your
> partner finishing/etc, other life factors or your committee getting
> fed up of you. I'm not sure what is best but surely we can't always do
> that one last experiment or no one would ever finish.
>
> Amy Parachnowitsch
> Research Fellow
> Plant Ecology
> Uppsala University
>
> On 20 September 2011 01:46, David Inouye  wrote:
>>> Hello All,
>>>
>>> You might find this piece (link below) at Inside Higher Ed interesting.
>>> It
>>> provides an overview of the first of a series of scholarly papers by
>>> Elaine
>>> Howard Ecklund (Rice) and Anne Lincoln (Southern Methodist) on women
>>> faculty
>>> members and their choices regarding children and career, careers
>>> outside of
>>> science, and other issues. It's worth a look.
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/08/09/female_science_faculty_much_more_likely_than_male_counterparts_to_wish_they_had_more_children
>>
>> For more information about the ADVANCE program at the University of
>> Maryland:
>> www.advance.umd.edu
>>
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] 13,000 subscribers

[Judith S. Weis]

And many many thanks to David for tending to this list for almost 20 years!


> A few days ago the number of ECOLOG-L subscribers reached 13,000.  I
> started the list in 1992. It reached 6,000 in September 2006, 7,000
> in November 2007, 8,000 in October 2008, 9,000 in March 2009, 10,000
> in April 2010, 11,000 in September 2010, and 12,000 in February of
> this year (that's almost enough data points to plot a significant
> growth curve!).  Many subscribers are members of the Ecological
> Society of America, but those of you who aren't can get information
> about membership (including student memberships) at the ESA Web site,
> www.esa.org.
>
> The character of the list has changed some as it has grown over the
> years. It has become a major resource for those advertising or
> seeking positions ranging from research assistantships, graduate
> student opportunities, postdocs, and faculty positions, as well as
> jobs in government and industry. But it has also become a little less
> conversational as I've had to strike a balance between overwhelming
> people's mailboxes (and the server) and continuing its original
> function as a venue for queries and discussions about ecological
> topics. I hope all subscribers will continue to use it for such
> topics.  Note that there is also another list (ESA-STUDENTS)
> available for use by students; you can subscribe to that by sending the
> message
> sub ESA--STUDENTS [add your name here]
> to
> lists...@listserv.umd.edu
> It is currently moderated by eh...@lamar.colostate.edu (Liz Harp)
>
> There is only one other non-campus listserv list hosted by the
> University of Maryland that has more subscribers than ECOLOG-L, and I
> now have to be careful about not overloading the listserv server by
> sending too many messages in a short period of time.  Thanks to the
> University for providing this service for ecologists from around the
> world (over 60 countries), and to the three or four people (mostly my
> postdocs) who have helped moderate the list when I'm out of the
> country or in the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
>
> David Inouye, list owner and moderator
>
> Dept. of Biology
> University of Maryland
> ino...@umd.edu
>

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

[Judith S. Weis]

Venus fly traps would definitely appeal to middle school kids.


> I nominate:
> 1.  Trigger plants (Stylidiaceae - Australia).  They slap pollinators
> with their reproductive parts to effect pollination.
> 2.  Resurrection plant (Selaginella)- desert species and eastern
> epiphytes.  Yes, they look dead until you add water.
> 3.  Epiphytic Bromeliads (in general) because they are so obviously cool.
> 4.  Rafflesiaceae includes one of the worlds largest (Rafflesia
> arnoldii) and smallest (Pilostyles thurberi) flowers (The second one is
> a plant that lives entirely inside the stems of desert shrubs - except
> for the flowers).
> 5.  Ophrys speculum orchids for their pseudocopulation pollination system.
> 6.  Marine flowering plants like Zostera and Thallasia (sea grass)
> because they represent weird evolutionary transitions back to the ocean,
> they are some of the only plants that flower and are pollinated
> completely under water, and they have some of the largest pollen grains
> (long, thread-like).
> 7.  Vallisneria seems like an ordinary aquatic plant, but it has a weird
> pollination system where male flowers break off and float on the water
> surface like little boats.  The female flowers stay attached on long
> stems and open on the water surface. Male flowers are then drawn to the
> females as the water surface is depressed by surface tension around the
> females.
> 8.  Basal Angiosperms (water lilies such as Nymphaea, Brasenia, Nuphar)
> because they like leftover dinosaurs from the deep evolutionary past of
> the flowering plants.
> 9.  Buzz pollination plants like shooting star (Dodecatheon) and
> Melestoma because they are also cool.  Steve Buckman did an awesome
> analysis of that demonstrated the physics of pollen ejection from the
> anthers and then electrostatic charges that sicks the pollen to the
> pollinator's body.
> 10.  Gnetum, which is classified as a Gymnosperm but is really a
> transitional group because they have double fertilization that is more
> like the Angiosperms.  Some species are also used as herbal remedies in
> China.
> 11.  Wild ginger (Asarum) because they are one of the only plants that
> is (might be) ant pollinated.
> 12. Touch-me-not (jewel weed - Impatiens) and other plants with
> projectile seed dispersal.
>
> Yeah, and there are plenty of others, but there are a few I can think of
> right off.
>
> Mitch Cruzan
>
> On 8/15/2011 4:25 PM, Benjamin Blonder wrote:
>> Hi everyone,
>>   I'm about to embark on a middle school teaching project where
>> students will learn about a really odd species of plant - they'll
>> investigate its natural history, adaptation, etc., then make a
>> presentation to the class on their findings.
>>
>>   I'd like your help with the names of some of your favorite weird
>> plants - especially charismatic ones are particularly welcome. I'm
>> hoping to have a list of about 50 in the end. Some examples of the
>> kinds of plants I'm imagining: Welwitschia, Amorphophallus, Nepenthes,
>> Hura...
>>
>>   Once enough suggestions come in, I'd be pleased to summarize the
>> names to the list.
>>
>> Thanks!
>> Benjamin Blonder
>> University of Arizona
>>
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] articles on Economic impacts of biological invasions and evaluating conservation spending

[Judith S. Weis]

There was a widely cited article some years back by Pimentel et al. that
estimated economic impacts, but it turns out that it included the costs of
controlling/removing the invasive species, which does not seem appropriate
to me.



> Since there seems to be some confusion as to what
> invasion biology does (as evidenced by the Davis
> et al article failing to cite any general IB
> paper past 1998), I thought I might share with
> the list the papers disseminated yesterday on the
> Aliens listserver, to give some idea of some post
> 1998 aspects of invasion biology.--David Duffy
>
>>"Date: Thu, 07 Jul 2011 21:35:26 +
>>From: Shyama Pagad 
>>Subject: [Aliens-L] Re Some J articles on Economic impacts of biological
>>  invasions and evaluating conservation spending
>>
>>Dear all,
>>Here are some J articles on economic impacts due
>>to the spread of selected invasive species that
>>were shared with us by a colleague
>>
>>
>>--
>>Thomas P. Holmes, Andrew M. Liebhold, Kent F.
>>Kovacs, Betsy Von Holle (2010) A spatial-dynamic
>>value transfer model of economic losses from a
>>biological invasion. Ecological Economics,
>>Volume 70, Issue 1, 15 November 2010, Pages 86-95
>>
>>Rigorous assessments of the economic impacts of
>>introduced species at broad spatial scales are
>>required to provide credible information to
>>policy makers. We propose that economic models
>>of aggregate damages induced by biological
>>invasions need to link microeconomic analyses of
>>site-specific economic damages with
>>spatial-dynamic models of value change
>>associated with invasion spread across the
>>macro-scale landscape. Recognizing that economic
>>impacts of biological invasions occur where
>>biological processes intersect the economic
>>landscape, we define the area of economic damage
>>(AED) as the sum of all areas on the physical
>>landscape that sustain economic damage from a
>>biological invasion. By subsuming fine-scale
>>spatial dynamics in the AED measure, temporal
>>dynamics of the AED can be estimated from an
>>empirical distribution of the AED effective
>>range radius over time. This methodology is
>>illustrated using the case of a non-native
>>forest pest, the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA;
>>Adelges tsugae). Geographic Information Systems
>>and spatially referenced data provide the basis
>>for statistical estimation of a spatial-dynamic
>>value transfer model which indicates that HWA is
>>annually causing millions of dollars of economic
>>losses for residential property owners in the eastern United States.
>>
>>Keywords: Invasive species, Hemlock woolly
>>adelgid, Adelges tsugae, Population dynamics,
>>Non-market values, Economic damage, Quantile regression
>>
>>--
>>Kent F. Kovacs, Robert G. Haight, Deborah G.
>>McCullough, Rodrigo J. Mercader, Nathan W.
>>Siegert, Andrew M. Liebhold (2010) Cost of
>>potential emerald ash borer damage in U.S.
>>communities, 2009–2019. Ecological Economics,
>>Volume 69, Issue 3, 15 January 2010, Pages 569-578
>>
>>Abstract
>>Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis
>>Fairmaire), a phloem-feeding beetle native to
>>Asia, was discovered near Detroit, Michigan and
>>Windsor, Ontario in 2002. As of March 2009,
>>isolated populations of emerald ash borer (EAB)
>>have been detected in nine additional states and
>>Quebec. EAB is a highly invasive forest pest
>>that has the potential to spread and kill native
>>ash trees (Fraxinus sp.) throughout the United
>>States. We estimate the discounted cost of ash
>>treatment, removal, and replacement on developed
>>land within communities in a 25-state study area
>>centered on Detroit using simulations of EAB
>>spread and infestation over the next decade
>>(2009–2019). An estimated 38 million ash trees
>>occur on this land base. The simulations predict
>>an expanding EAB infestation that will likely
>>encompass most of the 25 states and warrant
>>treatment, removal, and replacement of more than
>>17 million ash trees with mean discounted cost
>>of $10.7 billion. Expanding the land base to
>>include developed land outside, as well as
>>inside, communities nearly double the estimates
>>of the number of ash trees treated or removed
>>and replaced, and the associated cost. The
>>estimates of discounted cost suggest that a
>>substantial investment might be efficiently
>>spent to slow the expansion of isolated EAB
>>infestations and postpone the ultimate costs of
>>ash treatment, removal, and replacement.
>>
>>Keywords: Natural disaster, Invasive species,
>>Emerald ash borer, Cost of ash treatment, removal, and replacement
>>
>>--
>>Kent F. Kovacs, Rodrigo J. Mercader, Robert G.
>>Haight, Nathan W. Siegert, Deborah G.
>>McCullough, Andrew M. Liebhold (2011a) The
>>influence of satellite populations of emerald
>>ash borer on projected economic costs in U.S.
>>communities, 2010–2020. Journal of Environmental Management 92 (2011)
>> 2170e2181
>>
>>Abstract
>>The invasion spread of the emerald ash borer
>>(Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire)

[ECOLOG-L] More material for our discussion about invasive species

[Judith S. Weis]

http://www.truth-out.org/pesticides-and-politics-americas-eco-war/1307539754

Re: [ECOLOG-L] EcoTone: Speaking of species and their origins

[Judith S. Weis]

Re lionfish: Actually that's what I had in mind when I said "eating
everything in sight." They have been well documented to reduce populations
of reef fish, due to predation on juveniles. There are plenty of peer
reviewed papers to this effect, even demonstrating phase shifts of coral
to algae-dominated systems, due to lionfish eating herbivores.

One example: Mark Albins documented the recruitment of newly settled reef
fishes on 20 patch reefs: 10 reefs with lionfish and 10 reefs without.
Fish censuses were conducted at one week intervals for five weeks.
Recruitment was significantly lower on lionfish reefs than on control
reefs at the end of the experiment. On one occasion, a lionfish was
observed consuming 20 small wrasses during a 30 minute period. It was not
unusual to observe lionfish consuming prey up to 2/3 of its own length.
Results of the experiment show that lionfish significantly reduce the net
recruitment of coral reef fishes by an estimated 80%. The huge reduction
in recruitment is due to predation.




> Interesting points.
>  
> At the same time alien/introduced/invasivespecies that truly alter an
> environment, out compete others, and in general, lead to ecological mayhem
> - I am not aware of any examples outside of, maybe, humans.
>  
> There exists serious economics benefits to many in the realm of 'alien
> species battles'.  The lionfish, Pterois volitans and, possibly, P. miles,
> are a good example.  Even quasi-scientific articles continue to villify
> them, describing their voracious appetites and ability to out-compete all
> native species.  Yet stomach anlysis fails to support those contentions. 
> There is no question that it has successfully established itself, do date
> from New Hampshire to Colombia, throughout the Caribbean and it would be a
> miracle if it is eradicated.  But significant ecological perturbation has
> yet to be proven.  That does not stop dive shops, REEF, and a plethora of
> other organizations from putting together derbies, round-ups, and the like
> geared to the illusion that this is the way to eradicate the pest.  It
> should be noted that all that organize such events charge for it, thus
> deriving a benefit from the lionfish.  In areas where scuba diving was
> waning,
>  the arrival of the lionfish has been a boost.
>  
> Thus, despite the generally accepted view that eradication is near
> impossible, it is turned into a cash cow - cash fish.
>  
> Indeed a fresh assessment of this issue should be welcome as if it is
> accepted that the 'Earth' is changing, why is it blieved the biota of the
> various localities will remain unchanged.  International trade,
> globailzation, and like activities are conducive to such introductions and
> it would be through such new thinking that the issue would receive a fresh
> understanding.
>  
> Esat Atikkan
>  
>  
>  
>
> --- On Fri, 6/10/11, Judith S. Weis  wrote:
>
>
> From: Judith S. Weis 
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] EcoTone: Speaking of species and their origins
> To: Date: Friday, June 10, 2011, 2:30 PM
>
>
> IMHO, they are attacking a "straw man." I haven't seen many scientists,
> managers, policy-makers etc. getting all worked up about non-indigenous
> species who integrate well into the environment, get a green card, pay
> their taxes etc. The ones that are being attacked and for which they are
> spending lots of money are the truly invasive ones that cause ecological
> and economic damage - eating up everything in sight,  outcompeting native
> species for food, space etc. - and generally taking over - affecting the
> environment in negative ways.
>
>
>
>
>> An essay published in the June 8 issue of Nature is causing something of
>> a
>> stir. Eighteen ecologists who signed the essay, titled "Don't judge
>> species on their origins," "argue that conservationists should assess
>> organisms based on their impact on the local environment, rather than
>> simply whether they're native," as described in a recent Scientific
>> American podcast.
>>
>> In the essay, Mark Davis from Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota
>> and
>> colleagues argue that adherence to the idea of non-natives as "the
>> enemy"
>> is more a reflection of "prejudice rather than solid science," wrote
>> Brandon Keim in a Wired Science article. As the authors wrote, the
>> "preoccupation with the native-alien dichotomy" among scientists, land
>> managers and policy-makers is prohibitive to dynamic and pragmatic
>> conservation and species management in a 21st century planet that is
>> forever altered by climate change, land-use changes and other
>> anthro

Re: [ECOLOG-L] EcoTone: Speaking of species and their origins

[Judith S. Weis]

IMHO, they are attacking a "straw man." I haven't seen many scientists,
managers, policy-makers etc. getting all worked up about non-indigenous
species who integrate well into the environment, get a green card, pay
their taxes etc. The ones that are being attacked and for which they are
spending lots of money are the truly invasive ones that cause ecological
and economic damage - eating up everything in sight,  outcompeting native
species for food, space etc. - and generally taking over - affecting the
environment in negative ways.




> An essay published in the June 8 issue of Nature is causing something of a
> stir. Eighteen ecologists who signed the essay, titled "Don't judge
> species on their origins," "argue that conservationists should assess
> organisms based on their impact on the local environment, rather than
> simply whether they're native," as described in a recent Scientific
> American podcast.
>
> In the essay, Mark Davis from Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota and
> colleagues argue that adherence to the idea of non-natives as "the enemy"
> is more a reflection of "prejudice rather than solid science," wrote
> Brandon Keim in a Wired Science article. As the authors wrote, the
> "preoccupation with the native-alien dichotomy" among scientists, land
> managers and policy-makers is prohibitive to dynamic and pragmatic
> conservation and species management in a 21st century planet that is
> forever altered by climate change, land-use changes and other
> anthropogenic influences. As a result of this misguided preoccupation,
> claim the authors, time and resources are unnecessarily spent attempting
> to eradicate introduced species that actually turn out to be a boon to the
> environment; the authors cite the non-native tamarisk tree in the western
> U.S. as an example of this...
>
> Read more and comment at
> http://www.esa.org/esablog/ecologist-2/speaking-of-species-and-their-origins/
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] new dams in US?

[Judith S. Weis]

It's not just flooding wildlife habitat, it's totally changing the aquatic
habitat and blocking the migration of salmon, eels, etc. Dams are a major
factor in the dramatic declines of migratory fishes.



> Certain water planning regions in Texas have proposed new dams/reservoirs
> and I'm just wondering if there are any other states that have either
> proposed or recently built dams/reservoirs specifically for water use (ie
> municipal and/or commercial - not hydro power). I'm not talking small,
> off-channel reservoirs (though some of those are being proposed also) but
> massive new reservoirs comparable to the biggest ones in existence in the
> state.
>
> It seems to me the trend is that dams are being torn down and few are
> being
> built but I'm not privy to the situation in every state. I'm really
> interested in just the US, not international (though of course if you have
> any insight there of particular interest, feel free to pass it along too).
>
> Of course, new dams flood valuable wildlife habitat, which is why this
> story
> is of interest.
>
> PS My article deadline is in a couple days... just wanted to get a quick
> snapshot.
>
> Wendee
>
>
>
> Wendee Holtcamp, M.S. Ecology  ~ Writer * Photographer * Bohemian *
> Scientist
>
> Web: [www.wendeeholtcamp.com  ]
> Blog: [bohemianadventures.blogspot.com
>  ]
> Twitter: @bohemianone
> Email: bohem...@wendeeholtcamp.com
>
> Online Magazine Writing Classes starting Jun 4 & July 16 2011 - Ask me!
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Engaging Social Scientists in Marine Ecosystem Research?

[Judith S. Weis]

Recognizing this problem (which is not just marine-related!) Paul Ehrlich
and others started the Millenium Assessment of Human Behavior - MAHB - a
few years ago. Here's the website:

http://mahbsustainability.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/paul-ehrlichs-invitation/



> Operating from sampling platforms ranging from hip boots to
> oceanographic research ships, natural scientists have come up with a
> decent understanding of how oceans work, what is in them, how important
> they are to all life on Earth, and how they are threatened. But simply
> knowing these facts hasn’t been enough to sustain healthy marine
> ecosystems. To mention just one thing, human-caused carbon dioxide
> emissions are changing fundamental properties of the oceans such as
> temperature and pH. Now people talk about ecosystem-based management, a
> holistic viewpoint that recognizes humans as an integral part of ocean
> ecosystems. While humans are the cause of many problems in the ocean,
> they also can and must be the solution. People can be bombarded with
> facts, but if these facts do not fit the people’s frame of reference,
> they bounce off. Natural scientists are out of their realm in
> understanding why people behave the way they do and what motivates them
> to change their behavior. Time to send social scientists to sea.
>
> Humans are everywhere on the oceans—fishing, shipping, swimming,
> drilling, boating, mining, sailing, rip-rapping, surfing, dredging,
> digging clams, harnessing wind, growing seafood, watching nature,
> fighting wars, and building beautiful structures like the Golden Gate
> bridge in San Francisco or the opera house on Sydney Harbor. Even humans
> that have never seen the ocean use rivers to send their excess nutrients
> and contaminants there for processing. And they use the atmosphere to
> carry away their carbon dioxide, much of which winds up in the oceans.
>
> Global warming is a good case in point. The most likely scenarios for
> global climate change will result in massive changes to global societal
> structures, as well as the nature and relations of states to society and
> to each other. Natural scientists have determined that humans are
> largely responsible for the sharpness of global warming seen in recent
> decades, but society has not yet taken effective action. As seen at
> Copenhagen in 2009 and Cancun in 2010, while we may understand the
> natural sciences well enough to take action, we haven't succeeded in
> understanding the people side. Sociologists, cultural anthropologists,
> psychologists, economists, behavioral economists, political scientists,
> and communication scientists could help.
>
> Social scientists have studied fishing communities and coastal zone
> management and other nearshore issues. However, according to a 2008
> National Science Foundation workshop “Sociological Perspectives on
> Global Climate Change,” sociologists have been slow to take up global
> climate change in their research. Environmental sociology lies at the
> fringes of the discipline, says Sociologist Constance Lever-Tracy, and
> it has been difficult to engage mainstream sociology, which focuses on
> the interactions between people, societies, and nations, and regards
> nature as a stable, unchanging background.
>
> Thoughts on how to better engage social scientists in research on marine
> ecosystems? Can anyone suggest some relevant references in the social
> science literature?
>
> Stephen S. Hale
> stephensh...@gmail.com
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] M.S vs. M.A.

[Judith S. Weis]

I wouldn't care at all which degree they had. I would care about what they
knew and what they could do.


> Hello Ecologgers!
>
> I'm wrapping up my fourth-year in environmental sciences at UC Davis and
> have been looking at graduate schools. I notice that different schools
> will
> offer either an M.S. or an M.A. degree. While I've heard there isn't a
> true
> difference between the two degree types, I've noticed that many government
> positions require an M.S. degree. I was hoping some of you could provide
> me
> with some insight on the difference between the two degrees -- if there
> even
> is one at all. Also, all else equal, would you hire an individual with an
> M.S. over an M.A.?
>
> Many thanks!
> -- Priya
>

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

[Judith S. Weis]

Most plants put and store most of the metals in their roots. But the
percentage varies and you would have to look it up for particular species
and a particular metal. So plants where roots are eaten would not be
advised, but usually there would be much less in the stems, leaves or
fruits.



> I am looking for information about where different types of plants absorb
> and
> retain heavy metals and other toxins.
>
> I would like to compile a list of edible plants that are safe to propagate
> and
> consume despite soil contamination. This could include plants that absorb
> toxins but deposit them in isolated areas. I have been told, for example,
> that
> tree fruits can be planted in lead contaminated soil, because lead never
> rises
> high enough in trees to wind up in their fruits. Or, if you know of such a
> list already out there, I would love to see it!
>
> I think that lead is the most common toxin in many urban areas, so I am
> particularly interested in where plants deposit lead, but I would
> appreciate
> information on how/where they hold onto other toxins as well.
>
> Thanks for your help,
> Ben
>

[ECOLOG-L] New fish book

[Judith S. Weis]

Pardon the shameless self-promotion but here's info about my new book,
about fishes.


PRESS RELEASE_NewLogo.jpg


do_fish_sleep.jpgFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Lisa Fortunato, Publicity Manager


(732) 445-7762 x 626 |  <mailto:lisaf...@rutgers.edu> lisaf...@rutgers.edu





DO FISH SLEEP?

Fascinating Answers to Questions about Fishes



Judith S. Weis



“Fish, fish, and more fish—from minnows to sharks, mountain streams to ocean
bottoms, and teeth to tail fins, if it's a fish question, it's answered
here.”

— John Waldman, author of Heartbeats in the Muck: The History, Sea Life, and
Environment of New York Harbor



“Do Fish Sleep? must have every Ichthyology 101 final exam question
imaginable, but with much more thorough and engaging answers!”

— Francis Juanes, professor at the University Of Massachusetts


DO FISH SLEEP? Fascinating Answers to Questions about Fishes (Paper $21.95,
March 16, 2011, 978-0-8135-4941-5), by Judith S. Weis, is organized in an
easy-to-read and accessible question-and-answer format, filled with more
than 55 photographs and over 100 interesting facts from fish biology basics
to the importance of preserving and restoring fish diversity and healthy
populations. A captivating read for fish enthusiasts of all
ages-naturalists, environmentalists, aquarists, scuba divers, and
students-this is also the perfect primer for those just about to get their
feet wet.

>From the fifty-one-foot whale shark Rhincodon typus to a
less-than-one-half-inch fish in the minnow family—the tiny Paedocypris
progenetica—fish certainly carry a lot of weight  . . .  or do they?



A fish’s heft in water may vary, but these diverse aquatic animals certainly
carry a lot of weight in our ecosystems and environment. From freshwater to
ocean habitats, DO FISH SLEEP? offers a fascinating look at these
deceptively simple creatures. Fishes may appear to live a dull existence,
but appearances change once we understand more about how they survive. These


wonders actually possess attributes that would make us superpowers—they can
change color, sex, produce light and electricity, regenerate injured fins,
prevent themselves from sinking, and some can even walk on land.



About the author

JUDITH S. WEIS is a professor of biological sciences at Rutgers University.
She is the coauthor of Salt Marshes: A Natural and Unnatural History
(Rutgers University Press).



 <http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/acatalog/__Animal_Q_and_A.html> A Volume
in the Rutgers Animal Q&A Series



DO FISH SLEEP?
Fascinating Answers to Questions about Fishes
Judith S. Weis
Paper $21.95 | ISBN 978-0-8135-4941-5 | 232 pages | 5 ½ x 8 ½

Publication Date: March 16, 2011



Please email requests for review copies and be sure to include the title,
author, ISBN number, as well as the address of the person to whom the book
should be sent.

 <http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/acatalog/Do_Fish_Sleep.html>
http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/acatalog/Do_Fish_Sleep.html

[ECOLOG-L] [Fwd: MFCN Seeking New Executive Director]

[Judith S. Weis]

 Original Message 
Subject: MFCN Seeking New Executive Director
From:"Bruce Stedman" 
Date:Wed, January 12, 2011 11:59 am
To:  "Board of Directors" 
 boardofadvis...@conservefish.org
--

Dear Colleagues:   Please forward the attached Position Announcement to any
position announcing venue you think would help us find high quality
candidates and any individuals you think might be interested in the position
or know someone who might.  I have sent to all the funders, Member Groups,
and the job search venues we normally use.



Please call or email me or Gerry if you have questions or ideas on possible
candidates.

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT:
Executive Director

JANUARY 12, 2011
The Marine Fish Conservation Network is seeking to hire its next Executive
Director, working out of its Washington, DC office.  MFCN is a national
coalition of almost 200 national, regional and local environmental
organizations, recreational and commercial fishing groups, aquariums, and
marine science groups dedicated to marine fish conservation and to
sustainable fish populations, ecosystems, and fishing communities. To
learn more about the Network, please visit our website:
www.conservefish.org.

The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and is expected to:
•   Serve as spokesperson for the Network;
•   Oversee MFCN’s day-to-day operations;
•   Develop and execute (with the Network’s staff) campaigns and programs 
to:
o   End overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks
o   Defend and improve the Magnuson-Stevens Act
o   Increase and defend National Marine Fisheries Service budgets
o   Reduce scientific and management uncertainty in fisheries management by
improving data collection, monitoring, and accountability
o   Advance ecosystem-based fisheries management
•   Manage the organization’s finances (with the Network’s contract
accountant) including developing budgets, cash flow, audit reports, and
tax filings;
•   Improve and execute the Network’s fundraising strategy, including
identifying and cultivating support from foundations, corporations, and
individuals, writing grant proposals, and reporting to donors;
•   Supervise a staff of 3 full-time employees and (currently) 6 
contractors;
•   Assist the Board of Directors to make informed decisions regarding the
finances and administrative policies of the Network;
•   Manage the ongoing discussions, debates and decision-making of the
Network’s Board of Advisors to develop and implement Network policies and
strategies; and
•   Revise (with the Board of Advisors and staff) the Network’s Strategic
Plan, with emphasis on the objectives and tactics needed for the next
reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Qualifications:
•   minimum of 10 years of experience in environmental policy development;
•   at least 10 years of management experience;
•   strong organizational skills, able to manage multiple projects, and
comfortable in a fast-paced work environment;
•   good understanding of campaign-focused advocacy, including developing
strategy, organizing, and media relations;
•   direct experience in non-profit or academic fundraising;
•   strong writing and communications skills;
•   advanced degree in environmental science, political science,
environmental law, or a related field is desirable; and
•   knowledge of federal fisheries management policy and/or science is
highly desired.

MFCN offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and is committed to
workplace diversity; salary is commensurate with experience and
qualifications.
To apply:
Applicants should send a resume, 2-4 references, a brief writing sample,
and a cover letter, to be received not later than February 15, 2011 (by
mail or email) to:
Gerry Leape, MFCN President
j...@conservefish.org
or  Marine Fish Conservation Network
Suite 210
600 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003-4344

Please, no phone calls or faxes.

MFCN is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
About MFCN
The Marine Fish Conservation Network is a unique and diverse 200-member
coalition committed to sustainable fish populations, ecosystems, and
fishing communities. The Network’s long-term goals are to defend and
implement the conservation gains made through (the Network-led) passage of
the reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), and to realign fisheries
management to be consistent with objectives for sustaining healthy marine
ecosystems as the basis of sustainable fisheries.
Our intent is to lay the policy, media, and legislative groundwork for
fuller integration of ecosystem-based approaches in U.S. fisheries law as
part of the next reauthorization of the MSA.  At the same time, we are
committed to working with the Congress, National Marine Fisheries Service,
and regional fishe

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Red-winged Blackbird Die Off in AR....

[Judith S. Weis]

But why would this affect just red-winged blackbirds and not other birds?


> Dear ECOLOG-L Members,
>
> I have an ornithologist friend who works for the Dept. of the Environment
> in
> D.C., and in a recent correspondence I asked for his opinion on the mass
> bird kills in the news. Here is his reply for any who are interested.
>
> "The red-winged blackbird and other species kills were most likely
> microbursts and windshear associated with the storm system which had moved
> through earlier. Microbursts can have wind gusts between 60 and 120 miles
> an
> hour, that would create plenty of force to mimic hurricane conditions and
> do
> some real trauma. Is was not disease or some type of contamination. You
> can
> see a few birds staggering around with broken wings on the news videos. I
> believe the birds were either crushed in the air of forced downward with
> enough energy to kill them. I don’t buy the firework theory. If it were
> true
> we would have giant bird kill problems every July 4th."
>
> Cheers,
>
> Evan D. Clark
>
> On Mon, Jan 3, 2011 at 12:53 PM, J. Michael Nolan <
> mno...@rainforestandreef.org> wrote:
>
>> List Members
>>
>> Apologies for cross-posting.
>>
>> Interesting story for all Ecologists, Biologists..
>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12105157
>>
>> Really do hate it when people use the term "Blackbird" and will tell you
>> why, should want to hear.
>>
>> By the way, this is the first Bird sp. to migrate north in the Spring.
>>
>> Obviously, we have seen this before and will be curious about any
>> follow-ups to this. Typical media usually does a poor job of following
>> up,
>> unless it is that will catch our attention.
>>
>> Thank you and have a great week.
>>
>> Mike Nolan
>>
>> --
>>
>> If we are on another line or away from the phone, please leave your
>> number,
>> best time to return your call and/or your e-mail address.
>>
>> After hours and weekend phone appointments are available upon request.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> J. Michael Nolan, Director
>>
>> Rainforest and Reef 501 (c)(3) non-profit
>>
>>
>> **
>> “Outstanding-Affordable Field Courses in Rainforest & Marine Ecology”
>>
>> “Spanish/Cultural Immersion Programs: Spain, Mexico, Central and South
>> America”
>>
>> Rainforest and Reef 501 (c)(3) non-profit
>> 161 Main St.
>> Coopersville, MI 49404
>> Local/International Phone: 1.616.604.0546
>> Toll Free U.S. and Canada: 1.877.255.3721
>> Fax: 1.616.604.0546
>> Google Talk/MS IM/Skype: travelwithrandr
>> AOL IM: buddythemacaw
>> E-mail: i...@rainforestandreef.org and travelwithra...@gmail.com
>> Note: Please send inquiries to both e-mail addresses
>> Web: http://rainforestandreef.org
>>
>> **
>>
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Taxonomy and Ecology Integrating or Disintegrating?

[Judith S. Weis]

"Maybe taxonomists should stick to labeling species with objective rigor
instead of labeling other scientists with snobby scorn."

Maybe this is really just a defensive attitude since for so many years
they were looked down on by other branches of biology - including
ecologists - as being just "stamp collectors" without scientific rigor or
hypotheses etc. It wasn't until the biodiversity crisis that people
realized we needed systematists/ taxonomists who could identify what was
what.



> I suspect taxonomists consider their science more rigorous than some of
> the
> other biological sciences, particularly ecology.  After all, isn't a
> species
> an absolute thing to be definitively described and classified, whilst an
> ecoregion is a loosey-goosey entity with a definition more or less
> dependent
> on the describer's perspectives and whims?
>
> But then there are the century long disputes between the taxonomic
> splitters
> and the taxonomic lumpers.  Did we once have 4 species of the
> now-extirpated
> grizzly bear in Oregon, as the early 20th century taxonomists had it
> split?
> Or did we have just one subspecies of the circumboreal brown bear as the
> lumpers now have it?  And how was the decision made that recently
> reclassified the Oregon junco and several other Pacific Northwest species
> into one species -- the dark-eyed junco?  Was it a more defensible
> decision
> than the splitters' original classifications, or was it based mostly on a
> subjective redefinition of what a species is?
>
> So isn't part of this dependent on how taxonomists define what a species
> is?
> We know it's not as simple as the old standard: "A set of organisms that
> does not viably breed with another set of organisms." Even the dictionary
> (Webster's New Word College Dictionary, Fourth Edition) uses subjective
> verbage such as "similar organisms" that "usually interbreed" in defining
> the biological term.
>
> Maybe taxonomists should stick to labeling species with objective rigor
> instead of labeling other scientists with snobby scorn. Both of our
> sciences
> are evolving, just as species evolve.  And will taxonomic science be able
> to
> catch the moment when one species evolves into another, or is that process
> just too fuzzy?
>
> Warren W. Aney
> Senior Wildlife Ecologist
> Tigard, Oregon
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of Wayne Tyson
> Sent: Saturday, 13 November, 2010 18:40
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Taxonomy and Ecology Integrating or
> Disintegrating?
>
> I could only take this person's word for it. The interpretation I came
> away
> with was that it was something akin to stamp collecting, but I suspect
> that
> part of the story might be that taxonomy is taxing enough in itself
> without
> being overly concerned with ecology and evolution. It was the apparent
> disdain with ecology and the ecologists (plant geographers?) who
> determined
> the ecoregion boundaries that caught my attention most.
>
> As to entomologists, my own observations have left me with the impression
> that they know more about plants than botanists do about "bugs."
>
> WT
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Charles Stephen" 
> To: 
> Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 10:30 AM
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Taxonomy and Ecology Integrating or
> Disintegrating?
>
>
>> Why would he care about compiling a checklist of a region if he was not
>> interested in geographical patterns of species distributions?
>>
>> If it's pure nomenclature that he cares about, surely teaching-quality
>> samples with no locality info would suffice.  For that matter, why
>> bother
>> looking at real organisms at all - why not just search through the
>> botanical
>> nomenclature tomes and correct invalid names?
>>
>> Seems crazy to me.  I - not that I'm that particularly advanced in my
>> career
>> - view ecology as an integrative approach that has access to many tools
>> for
>> answering research questions.  Taxonomy is one such tool, and is a
>> descriptive science (which is ok!) that builds the foundation for
>> integrative disciplines, like ecology and systematics.  It's essential
>> to
>> get the names right, otherwise what beans are you counting, really, and
>> shouldn't you have an ethical problem with convincing people about
>> patterns
>> or making laws based on the relative amounts of the different beans
>> you've
>> found?
>>
>> My experience to date has been with ecologists who believe in the value
>> of
>> taxonomy, so I've yet to witness any schism.  But then maybe I've just
>> been
>> lucky.  :)
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Charles
>>
>> --
>> Charles Stephen
>> MS Entomology student
>> email: charles.step...@auburn.edu
>> cell phone: 334-707-5191
>> mailing address: 301 Funchess Hall, Auburn University, AL, 36849, USA
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Nov 12, 2010 at 5:18 PM, Wayne Tyson  wrote:
>>
>>> Honourable Forum:
>>>
>>> Recent

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Good news from the Gulf? not so fast...

[Judith S. Weis]

Just because fish can metabolize oil doesn't mean that it doesn't have
toxic effects on them. Oil and its breakdown products, while they are
still around, can still have negative effects. But it does mean that fish
won't store it in their body over a long period of time (like DDT or PCBs
or mercury), so you won't be able to measure it in their tissues and
people could eat the fish sooner since the oil will be gone after a while.

I'd really like to know whether the oil droplets right under the
exoskeleton of the crab larvae will be released when they molt. I wrote to
Harriet Perry and asked, but she hasn't responded yet.

In any case, we should be looking for sublethal effects on all Gulf biota
- and over a long period of time. Fiddler crabs in a Cape Cod marsh that
had a minor oil spill over 40 years ago are still behaving weirdly.


> When I went on my Great Gulf Coast Road Trip recently, I visited with
> several biologists at the Gulf Coast Research Lab in Ocean Springs MS and
> one of them, Mark Peterson, told me that most fish actually metabolize oil
> (PAH). This abstract says " These experiments confirm that the use of oil
> dispersants will increase the
> exposure of ovoviviparous fish to hydrocarbons in oil." Now I'm not a
> physiologist and so now that I've seen the abstract below, and started to
> think about it, I'm not quite sure whether that means that they break it
> down into less toxic substances and it does NOT really impact them
> negatively, or that their gut is now exposed to this PAH/oil and that
> could potentially be harmful? Maybe I need to read the paper...
>
> Does anyone know? I'll be writing about this soon so I'd love to talk to
> someone who knows a bit more about it (and yes I can follow up with Mark
> as well).
>
> I also met with Harriet Perry the lady who discovered that virtually ALL
> the blue crab larvae (zoea) she was collecting daily had a little droplet
> of oil under their carapace. They get it in there when they molt. So this
> raises the possibility of it getting into the food chain. So that makes me
> curious - if fish can metabolize PAH/oil in a way that does not harm them
> directly (as Mark suggested to me), what about invertebrates like shrimp,
> squid, crabs etc? Is there any evidence that they can metabolize PAH,
> and/or that there are any sublethal impacts people should be looking for?
>
> Best
> Wendee
>
>
> Blogs for Nature from the Bering Sea ~ http://tinyurl.com/2ctghbl
> ~~
>  Wendee Holtcamp, M.S. Wildlife Ecology ~ @bohemianone
> Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian
>   http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com
>  http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com
> ~~ 6-wk Online Writing Course Starts Sep 4 (signup by Aug 28) ~~
>  ~~~
> I’m Animal Planet’s news blogger -
> http://blogs.discovery.com/animal_news
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of Geoffrey Patton
> Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 11:12 AM
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Good news from the Gulf?
>
>
> In response to Bill's discussion points, I would like to suggest the
> following paper:
>
> Jee Hyun Jung, Un Hyuk Yim, Gi Myeong Han, Won Joon Shim
> Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part C 150 (2009) 218–223
> Biochemical changes in rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, exposed to dispersed
> crude oil
> Abstract:
> This paper describes the response of the ovoviviparous rockfish, Sebastes
> schlegeli, to hydrocarbons in the water-accommodated fraction (WAF) of
> crude oil, in the presence or absence of oil dispersants. Concentrations
> of cytochrome P-450 1A (CYP1A) and levels of its catalytic activity
> ethoxyresorufin O-de-ethylase (EROD) in rockfish exposed to WAF at
> concentrations of 0.1% and 1% were significantly increased by the addition
> of a dispersant, Corexit 9500 after 48 h exposure. After 72 h exposure,
> the levels of CYP1A and EROD activity were significantly increased in 0.1%
> and 0.01% chemically enhanced WAF (CEWAF) (Corexit 9500 and Hiclean II
> dispersant). Bile samples from fish exposed toWAF alone had low
> concentrations of hydrocarbon metabolites, exemplified by 1-hydroxypyrene.
> After 72 h exposure, hydrocarbon metabolites in bile from fish exposed to
> WAF in the presence of either Corexit 9500 or Hiclean II were
> significantly higher compared with fish exposed to WAF alone or control
> fish. These experiments confirm that the use of oil dispersants will
> increase the
> exposure of ovoviviparous fish to hydrocarbons in oil.
>
>
>
> Cordially yours,
>
> Geoff Patton, Ph.D.
> 2208 Parker Ave., Wheaton, MD 20902  301.221.9536
>
> --- On Wed, 8/11/10, William Silvert  wrote:
>
>
> From: William Silvert 
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Good news from the Gulf?
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Date: Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 4:58 AM
>
>
> I confess th

Re: [ECOLOG-L] another view on Gulf clean up

[Judith S. Weis]

This article is spot on. It is way too premature for anyone to make
pronouncements about the effects of this oil. The overall effects and time
needed for the environment there to clean itself up will not be known for
a very long time - if ever, since so much of the dispersed oil is below
the surface and not visible. The only valid statement that can be made at
this point is that additional oil is not spewing out from the well.
It's ironic that after the Exxon Valdez spill, govt. scientists (from
NOAA) were the ones to demonstrate very long lasting effects (well over a
decade), while the Exxon-supported people said everything was OK after a
few years. Now we have the govt. on the same (erroneous) side as BP making
these rosy statements. Why is that?


> National Geographic Daily News
>
>
> - Home
> - Animals
> - Ancient World
> - Energy
> - Environment
> - Cultures
> - Space/Tech
> - Weird
> - News Photos
> - News Video
> - News Blogs
>
> Much Gulf Oil Remains, Deeply Hidden and Under Beaches
> New U.S. Gulf oil spill report called "ludicrous."
> Main Content
>
> Oil in a core sample taken from Pensacola Beach, Florida, in early July.
> Photograph by Chris Combs, National Geographic
> Christine Dell'Amore
> National Geographic News
> Published August 5, 2010
> Part of an ongoing series on the environmental impacts of the Gulf oil
> spill.
> As BP finishes pumping cement into the damaged Deepwater Horizonwellhead
> Thursday, some scientists are taking issue with a new U.S. government
> report that says the "vast majority" of the Gulf of Mexico oil spillhas
> been taken care of by nature and "robust" cleanup efforts.
> In addition, experts warn, much of the toxic oil from the worst spill in
> U.S. history may be trapped under Gulf beaches—where it could linger for
> years—or still migrating into the ocean depths, where it's a "3-D
> catastrophe," one scientist said.
> The U.S. government estimated Monday that the Deepwater Horizon spill had
> yielded about 4.9 million barrels' worth of crude.
> On Wednesday a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
> (NOAA)report said that about 33 percent of the spilled oil in the water
> has been burned, skimmed, dispersed, or directly recovered by cleanup
> operations. (See "Gulf Oil Cleanup Crews Trample Nesting Birds.")
> Another 25 percent has evaporated into the atmosphere or dissolved in the
> ocean, and 16 percent has been dispersed via natural breakup of the oil
> into microscopic droplets, the study says. (Read more about how nature is
> fighting the oil spill.)
> The remaining 26 percent, the report says, is still either on or just
> below the surface, has washed ashore or been collected from shores, or is
> buried along the coasts.
> Oil Spill Report "Almost Comical"?
> For all their specificity, such figures are "notorious" for being
> uncertain, saidRobert Carney, a biological oceanographer at Louisiana
> State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge.
> That's in part because the fluid nature of the ocean means that it's
> "exceedingly hard" to track oil.
> "Water is always moving—if I go out to the spill site tomorrow and look
> for hydrocarbons, I might not find much, because the oiled water is
> already gone."
> But to accurately figure out how much oil is left, you need to know how
> much went into the Gulf to begin with, he said.
> "Once you start off with that fundamental measure"—the total amount of oil
> spilled—"being an educated guess, then things aren't that great."
> To University of South Florida chemical oceanographer David Hollander, the
> NOAA estimates are "ludicrous."
> "It's almost comical."
> According to Hollander, the government can account for only about 25
> percent of the spilled Gulf oil—the portion that's been skimmed, burned
> off, directly collected, and so on.
> The remaining 75 percent is still unaccounted for, he said.
> For instance, the report considers all submerged oil to be dispersed and
> therefore not harmful, Hollander said. But, given the unknown effects of
> oil and dispersants at great depths, that's not necessarily the case, he
> added.
> "There are enormous blanket assumptions."
> Oil Trapped Deep in Gulf Beaches
> The new report comes after days of speculation about where the Gulf oil
> has gone. After the damaged well had been capped July 19, U.S. Coast Guard
> flyovers didn't spot any big patches of crude on the water.
> But oil cleanup is mostly getting rid of what's on the surface, Carney
> said. There's a common perception that "as long as you keep it off the
> beach, everything's hunky dory," he added.
> In fact, scientists are still finding plenty of spilled Gulf
> oil—whether it's bubbling up from under Louisiana's islands, trapped
> underneath Florida's sugar-white beaches, or in the ocean's unseen
> reaches. (See pictures of spilled Gulf oil found just under Florida
> beaches.)
> This week, biological oceanographer Markus Huettel and colleague Joel
> Kostkadug trenches on a cleaned Pensacola beach and disc

[ECOLOG-L] [Fwd: Announcing the President's National Ocean Policy]

[Judith S. Weis]

 Original Message 
Subject: Announcing the President's National Ocean Policy
From:"NOAA Office of Communications and External Affairs"

Date:Mon, July 19, 2010 6:06 pm
To:  jw...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
--




Publication of the U.S. Department of Commerce 
[http://www.commerce.gov/]~ National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103572498415&s=879&e=001XeCFniIpcWDrfUJ07g-QirtC5v50YuhV1wrH0FMTF7XjBGlFArAoxFrkJgkrlcE9UEWwUUGALZ6tQLUxDFRyKd0FN_YMP81ArgHnAlslmzw=]



Office of Communications and External Affairs



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NOAA Office of Communications and External Affairs
Herbert C Hoover Building
1401 Constitution Ave., NW, Room 6217
Washington, D.C. 20230
www.externalaffairs.noaa.gov
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103572498415&s=879&e=001XeCFniIpcWD-XJwK3--KA3EW29WrmXSHdTbCTnbYwCOg5Vm5hLDxA3ifzJxN-ir2CjutRSePOG7mKNQ-ilh_UDJCjPOSSNyKhTxfQhzwnw5cikhdzp27vogVr_gMLRLv]


President Obama's National Ocean Policy


NOAA is pleased to share with you that today, President
Obama established the country's
first comprehensive national policy for the stewardship of the oceans, our
coasts and the Great Lakes. This national policy will set the United
States on a
 new path toward
comprehensively planning for the conservation and sustainable use of the
ocean. Americans want clean
beaches, abundant seafood and wildlife, a robust economy and jobs and
recreational opportunities from our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes areas.
This National
Policy provides the foundation
to help achieve these.
Thanks to all of you who helped us develop this policy-we
received thousands of comments from the public and received very helpful
input
at six regional meetings and many expert listening sessions over the past
year.
The President's Press Release is reproduced below. For further
information, please
visit
the White House's website, www.whitehouse.gov/oceans
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103572498415&s=879&e=001XeCFniIpcWA0JJu2bpSV8yZij9SBMyvCPJhKUvjlAmi5NQowo9JXXecul7sUcqa7rODn0fPNi9f3MKeu4rLLENPJ9WuKo0p0Txpu7c4T1NQjiIYH8lYOmT01ICZ2bLJs],
and NOAA's
Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning website, www.cmsp.noaa.gov
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103572498415&s=879&e=001XeCFniIpcWA2ZZsktpfcYiBrY0FypF89GB37hD186M9ieDtYSulcvWyx4_Ce7L91K70trIldDbyMrShKwBMhNlCCGCC5rkwn-qdExn8QiBcHbLPSqcUMpA==].


The President's Press Release

Executive Office of the President
Council on Environmental Quality
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 19, 2010
Obama Administration Officials Announce the Final Recommendations of the
Ocean Policy
Task Force
WASHINGTON, DC - Obama Administration officials today released the Final
Recommendations
of the Ocean Policy Task Force, which would establish a National Policy
for the
Stewardship of the Ocean, Coasts, and Great Lakes (National Policy) and
create a
 National Ocean Council (NOC) to strengthen ocean governance and
coordination. The
Final Recommendations prioritize actions for the NOC to pursue, and call
for a flexible
framework for coastal and marine spatial planning to address conservation,
economic
activity, user conflict, and sustainable use of the ocean, our coasts and
the Great
Lakes.
The NOC would coordinate across the Federal Government to implement the
National
 Policy. The Final Recommendations also call for the establishment of a
Governance
Coordinating Committee to formally engage with state, tribal, and local
authorities.
The Final Recommendations are expected to be adopted into an Executive
Order by
President Obama.
"President Obama recognized that our uses of the ocean are expanding at a
rate that
challenges our ability to manage significant and often competing demands,"
said
Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
"With a
 growing number of recreational, scientific, energy, and security
activities, we
 need a national policy that sets the United States on a new path for the
conservation
and sustainable use of these critical natural resources."
Dr. John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology
and Director
of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, lauded the policy as a
significant
step towards securing the sustained well-being of America's waters and
coastal

Re: [ECOLOG-L] accreditation of programs in biology

[Judith S. Weis]

I think there are still a number of programs out there where students can
graduate without any courses dealing with what goes on outside the cell
membrane.


> I gave a somewhat jocular response to this question a day or so ago, but
> my point was that we have a lot of diversity, and probably want it that
> way.  Here's what I said:  "Because ACS is more union-like than any
> professional biology organization is?
> Because biology programs are so much more diverse than chemistry programs?
>   Because biologists are less conformist than chemists?"
>
> Despite my joking, and despite the great diversity that we have and that
> we offer, it is practical to set up a curriculum that many can agree on as
> effective and that provides a minimal level of training, if training is
> what we are after.  Most regional public colleges (mostly now called
> universities)  have installed something like this, requiring for a general
> biology program something like the following:
>
> Principles of Biology 8 sch (or Botany 4 sch, Zoology 4 sch), Cell Biology
> 3 or 4 sch, Genetics 3 or 4 sch, Ecology 3 or 4 sch, a physiology course
> focusing on a broad taxon such as vertebrates or plants 3 or 4 sch, and an
> investigative course of some kind (often a seminar), with enough elective
> hours in some biological science to make up to something like 36 to 40
> sch.  Some require a research experience.  Support courses usually include
> at least General Chemistry 8 sch, and may include Organic Chemistry 8 sch,
> and perhaps Biochemistry 4 or 8 sch, plus 8 sch of General or Engineering
> Physics and 6 sch of mathematics including a semester or two of calculus.
> Some also include a statistics course or allow statistics in lieu of one
> calculus course.  This would compare to the professional major in
> chemistry.
>
> On the other hand, a lot of liberal arts colleges, where a
> disproportionately high number of eventual Ph.D. graduates come from,
> generally require fewer hours (30 sch is common) in the major, and fewer
> support courses, in keeping with their expectation of broader exposure in
> humanities and social sciences.
>
> Some programs also specify such things as at least one course in
> "organismic biology," which means different things at different places but
> is usually focused on a taxon such as vertebrates, angiosperms, or
> insects.
>
> If we developed an accreditation in biology, it would have to take into
> account the broad diversity of offerings, the differing purposes and
> expectations of programs, and differing needs of students.  We do have a
> staggering array of subject matter, and certainly we should not lose that.
>  It is in the specialized offerings that many undergraduates find their
> focus.
>
> David McNeely
>
>
>
>
>  malcolm McCallum  wrote:
>> I think we can agree that there is much diversity in what a biology or
>> environmental science program is.  However, there are also bare minimums
>> in
>> supporting programs, faculty and student resources that certainly must
>> be in
>> place for a program to not only be viable but also adequately supported
>> to
>> ensure student success.
>>
>> Hence my question.
>>
>> I don't think that a biology accreditation program could be as
>> regimented as
>> the one in chemistry.  However, I also think that we as biologists have
>> a
>> civic responsibility to monitor our own field.  The world of higher
>> education is rapidly changing, and new programs are popping up all over.
>>  Something to think about?
>>
>> So, maybe I should reword my question!
>>
>> What are the bare minimum resources that a biology program should have
>> in
>> place?
>> What kind of faculty curricular diversity and numbers should there be?
>> What laboratory resources are necessary and should be in place before
>> the
>> program is started?
>> What supporting programs are critical?
>>
>> This is cosmetic and academic at most institutions, but not all.
>>
>>
>> On Thu, May 20, 2010 at 9:11 PM,  wrote:
>>
>> > Chemistry has standardized the undergraduate curriculum to a few
>> standard
>> > subjects- organic, physical, biochemical, inorganic. We've got an
>> astounding
>> > diversity of college-level biology courses taught; would accreditation
>> mean
>> > giving that up to create standard curricula? That might not be a bad
>> thing,
>> > but its pretty far from where we are.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Quoting malcolm McCallum :
>> >
>> >  Chemistry currently has accreditation, why not biology?
>> >>
>> >> Malcolm
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Malcolm L. McCallum
>> >> Managing Editor,
>> >> Herpetological Conservation and Biology
>> >>
>> >> 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: 

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Ecology Terminology and associated phenomena Colonizing species etc

[Judith S. Weis]

For Phragmites, there was an assumption that it was evil and lots of money
spent on removal projects long before we had studied its impacts on marsh
ecology, which are not all negative.



> I don't know that subjectivity is necessarily a bad thing (of course, that
> is a subjective judgement!), as long as we recognize that we do certain
> things based on preferences and define/defend what those preferences are.
> I suppose the problem is that not everyone will have the same preferences.
>  Where things get dangerous is if we misconstrue our subjective
> preferences as objective facts.  Unfortunately, confusion between our
> subjective preferences (or anti-exotic biases) and the objectively
> demonstrated impacts of exotic species on ecosystems has sometimes found
> its way into the scientific literature (e.g., hearsay on the negative
> effects of tamarisk treated as scientific fact... as Matt Chew and others
> have demonstrated).
>
> Mark D. Dixon
> Assistant Professor
> Department of Biology
> University of South Dakota
> Vermillion, SD 57069
> Phone: (605) 677-6567
> Fax: (605) 677-6557
> Email: mark.di...@usd.edu
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of James J. Roper
> Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 11:20 AM
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Ecology Terminology and associated phenomena
> Colonizing species etc
>
> Matt has important points.
>
> 1. Alien is from somewhere else (that is, it's recent evolutionary
> history does not include its current location) and natives are from the
> place where they reside. AFTER that definition, we come to think that
> aliens are different than residents, and we often find they are (not
> surprisingly) and are not. Many marine species have unknown historical
> ranges, so we have no idea where thare are from, and we call those
> cryptogenic (hidden origins).
>
> 2. Whether organisms are bad for being alien is a judgement call, and
> subjective. Sure, we can say that they cost money, but that only means
> that they inconvenience us in some way - still subjective. Sure we can
> say that they change community dynamics, but does the community care? If
> evolution were allowed to run its course, I am sure that we would all
> agree than in another million years or so, all the current aliens will
> have become natives (adapted for where they are, and fitting - in some
> way - in the community at that time). Thus, the VALUE statements about
> aliens and invasives are invariably subjective.
>
> 3. Politics is about appealing to emotion to justify getting money (and
> science is often politics). The trend that this breeds is to inflate the
> value of whatever it is that we want money for. So, how do we justify
> spending billions on invasive species control? Economically, not
> scientifically.
>
> My objective, scientific reasons for justifying the removal of invasives
> and alien species are, in fact, subjective. After all, even Elton said
> it well, although subectively - and I paraphrase - the continued
> introductions of species will have the net effect of reducing
> biodiversity, simplifying interactions in nature, and making the world a
> less interesting place.  I can see a future where ecologists study how
> introduced species have adapted to their adopted homes, how new
> interactions evolve in communities dominated by introduced species, how
> biodiversity changes over time with introductions and extinctions.  We
> will have a whole new science of biogeography - rather than Hubbell's
> "Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and Biogeography" we will have
> someone's "Unified Neutral Theory if Biodiversity due to Introductions
> and Extinctions."
>
> I can't help but (subjectively) think that such a place will be much
> poorer than our natural world of today (and I recognize how much poorer
> our natural world of today is compared to that of Darwin, for example).
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jim
>
> Matt Chew wrote on 13-May-10 11:59:
>> Under the terminology and definitions promoted by leading invasion
>> biologists including David Richardson and Petr Pyšek, 'alien' species
>> and
>> their subset 'invasive' species are not routinely identified by their
>> ecological characteristics.  Aliens are identified by subtracting
>> historical
>> local biotas (meaning species lists) from recent local biotas, then
>> deciding
>> which positive bits of the difference can plausibly be attributed to
>> dispersal via human agency.  Invasive species are a subset of aliens:
>> those
>> with the capacity to spread, identified simply by having done so,
>> somewhere.
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] EcoTone: Q&A-Ecologists assess oil spill damage

[Judith S. Weis]

And aside from the direct toxicity that the dispersants may have, they
make the hydrocarbons in the oil more available to the marine organisms in
the offshore water that were previously not exposed to much, since most of
the hydrocarbons were concentrated above them at the surface.



> In
> Ecotone, Josh Schimal responds to a question on long-term ecological
> effects of the chemicals used during the Exxon Valdez cleanup, noting
> that dispersants used were relatively short-lived (see below). However,
> in a recent article, Abrahm Lustgarten (recipient of a MacArthur
> Foundation grant for international reporting) notes that the dispersants
> used by BP (which bought up a third of the world's supply) may have
> long-term effects.
>
>
>
>
>
> Chemicals Meant To Break Up BP Oil Spill Present New Environmental
> Concerns
> by Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica - April 30, 2010 5:44 pm EDT
>
>
>
>
>
>
> http://www.propublica.org/article/bp-gulf-oil-spill-dispersants-0430
>
>
>
>
>
> Hope Woodward
> Hyampom, CA
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Q: There were
> several chemicals used during the Exxon Valdez cleanup. How were they
> used and did they work? Were there any long term ecological effects
> from the chemicals?   
>
> A (Josh Schimel):
> At sea, they used dispersants. Those are likely relatively short-lived
> in the environment, and given the flow patterns of the Sound, would be
> flushed out to the south-west with the prevailing currents to be
> diluted into the North Pacific Ocean. Their characteristics might also
> make them somewhat biodegradable or photodegradable themselves.  
>
>
> --- On Mon, 5/3/10, Katie Kline  wrote:
>
> From: Katie Kline 
> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] EcoTone: Q&A-Ecologists assess oil spill damage
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Date: Monday, May 3, 2010, 12:27 PM
>
> An oil slick originating from a rig about 130 miles southeast of New
> Orleans, which is dumping oil into the Gulf of Mexico at a rate of
> approximately 25,000 barrels per day, is drifting toward the Alabama,
> Florida and Louisiana coasts, and scientists are still assessing the
> ecological impact that will result. In this Q&A, three members of the
> Ecological Society of America's Rapid Response Team discuss the current
> and possible future damage of this spill and the effects it could have on
> the Gulf region.
>
> Read the full article and comment at
> http://www.esa.org/esablog/ecology-in-policy/qa-ecologists-assess-oil-spill-damage/.
>
>
>
>
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] M.S. -- is it useful?

[Judith S. Weis]

the lousy job market has caused lots of PhDs to apply for jobs that would
otherwise gone to folks with a Masters.




> So having job-hunted for the past 6 months with an MS in Fisheries
> Biology, I have to agree with David that most of the interesting agency
> jobs are GS-11 and require a PhD. I, too, thought that a PhD would price
> me out of the field biologist market, which is why I went for an MS,
> rather than entering directly into a PhD program. But that turned out to
> be patently untrue. In fact, a recent standard state wildlife biologist
> position (nongame Aquatic Ecologist with North Carolina), that I believe
> paid in the $30's, had 29 applications of which six were PhD's. Despite
> having an MS in fisheries ecology and extensive experience in the very
> drainages NC needed a biologist for, I didn't get a call back. I think
> most states, given the choice between a PhD-holder and an MS, will figure
> they are getting more bang for their buck with a PhD. Unfortunately, not
> all MS and PhD's are created equal, even within the same program, not to
> mention variability between schools/programs.
>
> I think the original question was, "Is an MS useful?" and Jason was
> wondering about job opportunities. I found that my MS was excellent
> training for the responsibilities of biologist: proposal writing, research
> design, statistical analyses, endless report-writing, publishing, and
> presentations. It's probably the best training for biologist. I see plenty
> of people with MS's in Biology getting jobs so keep looking. Or, go for a
> PhD and more job opportunities will open to you.
>
> Anita Lahey
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of David L. McNeely
> Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 10:39 AM
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] M.S. -- is it useful?
>
>  David Gillett  wrote:
>> I would concur with the other answers so far.  For work vs. reward, I
>> think
>> an MS is more useful than a further degree.  As the others have noted,
>> outside of academia, the degree is less important than how good you are
>> at
>> science (plus who you know).  When someone would query him about getting
>> a
>> Ph.D., a former advisor of mine would quip, "A Ph.D. is only good if you
>> want to teach college or be king".  This is always the advice I give to
>> students debating on what to do with their lives, academically speaking.
>>
>> Good luck with everything.
>> -david
>>
>> 
>> _
>> David Gillett, Ph.D.
>> Ecologist
>> Southern California Coastal Water Resource Project
>
> Well, I notice that you hold a Ph.D. and are working for an agency.  Fact
> is, lots of federal government jobs specify a Ph.D. or equivalent
> experience for GS 11 or higher, as do some state positions and
> non-governmental organizations.  A good many Ph.D. holders do work in R&D
> and in compliance in industry.
>
> But, your thoughts are generally correct -- unless one wants to work in
> academia, a Ph.D. is probably only worth the investment in time, energy,
> and money except for personal satisfaction, and it may narrow employment
> prospects compared to a master's degree.
>
> Not only is a master's degree the general requirement for community
> college teaching, but many community colleges avoid hiring Ph.D. holders
> because they cost more, and are perceived in some community colleges as
> being less likely to work effectively with community college students and
> colleagues.
>
> David McNeely, Ph.D.
> former community college and university faculty member
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] decline in education, comment on active learning

[Judith S. Weis]

Feeling like an old-fashioned old fogey a couple of years ago, I put one
of my courses onto powerpoint, and I agree with you 100%!!


> Perhaps this is well tread ground, but I think there is an important
> element missing in the recent discussion regarding effective teaching
> styles, particular with respect to lectures.  What is the impact of
> detailed Powerpoint presentations on student attendance,
> participation, and learning?  My experience (mostly as a student, some
> as a teaching assistant) is that lectures can be very effective means
> to reach a majority of students in a classroom, regardless of size.
> However, when the lecture consists of detail laden Powerpoint slides,
> active thought by students is discouraged because more of the
> information is at hand at any given moment of the lecture and there is
> less incentive to anticipate where the lecturer is going or follow his/
> her thought process.  Moreover, when the Powerpoint presentations are
> made available before, during, or after class, there is little
> incentive to go to class or to pay attention because the student
> perceives that they can get most of the information without attending
> class.  This style of lecturing is inherently 'less active' than more
> traditional lecture styles with chalkboards or overheads and has
> become increasingly common.
>
> Thus, following the posts by Bill, Luke, Arathi and Jane, I think
> lectures can accommodate something that approaches active learning and
> teaching, but the means of transferring information is critical.
> Lectures such as those described by Bill and Luke may represent the
> best available compromise between two distinctly different learning
> and teaching styles (pure lecture vs. pure active learning).  In the
> absence of having institutions that are dedicated to one or the other
> teaching style, which would give students the ability to choose which
> style suits them best, it seems most prudent to aim for middle of the
> road approaches such as that outlined by Luke.
>
> Kevin Mueller
> Penn State University
> Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology
> kem...@psu.edu
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] falsifying results in clinical research, why so common?

[Judith S. Weis]

There's a lot more money to be made in this sort of biomedical and
clinical research, of course, than there is in ecology and evolution.
I recently read that the famous other "fake" - the midwife toad, may not
have been a fake after all, but don't remember the details at the moment.


> Why, do we continue to see this ticker tape of falsified studies
> coming out of the clinical sciences?
> The last ecological/evolution study I recall like this was Piltdown Man!
> If it is "just human nature" why do we see so few in ecology and
> evolution?
> I thought this might be a good talking point! :)
>
> Looking forward to the discussion!
>
> (oops left off the article!  see below!)
> Malcolm
>
>>From the Chronicle of Higher Education:
>
> Company Says Research It Sponsored at Pitt and Hopkins Was Fraudulent
> By Goldie Blumenstyk
> Technology-transfer deals at universities can easily go sour, but
> rarely do they end up with the corporate partner suing an inventor and
> his institution for research fraud.
>
> The University of Pittsburgh and the Johns Hopkins University now find
> themselves in that unusual situation, as a company that says it spent
> millions of dollars sponsoring research by a prominent scientist,
> expecting to use his promising inventions as the basis for a new test
> for prostate cancer, is now accusing the professor and the
> institutions of falsifying his results.
>
> The company, Onconome Inc., says the professor, Robert H. Getzenberg,
> lied about his findings and progress from 2001 through 2008. Mr.
> Getzenberg has been a professor of urology and director of research at
> a urology institute at Johns Hopkins since 2005; previously he held
> similar posts at Pitt. He was also a paid scientific adviser to
> Onconome.
>
> Onconome, of Redmond, Wash., was founded in 2001 to turn Mr.
> Getzenberg's work into a cancer-detection test. In addition to
> financing some of Mr. Getzenberg's research, the company had obtained
> licenses from Pitt and Johns Hopkins for rights to commercialize his
> research. It says it spent more than $13-million supporting the
> research and on licensing fees.
>
> A Company's Suspicions
> As recently as 2007—when Johns Hopkins issued a news release about a
> study Mr. Getzenberg published in the journal Urology that suggested
> his work could produce a better test for prostate cancer than the
> existing PSA test—there were no obvious signs of trouble.
>
> At the time, however, a writer familiar with the biotechnology
> industry wrote a commentary questioning the wisdom of John Hopkins's
> decision to issue a news release about such preliminary work, noting
> that the university's reputation might have given the study more
> prominence than it would have otherwise received if only Onconome had
> publicized it.
>
> According to separate lawsuits filed by Onconome against Johns Hopkins
> and against Pitt, the company soon after that began to suspect Mr.
> Getzenberg's findings because they couldn't be replicated by other
> scientists. Onconome, which says investors put money into the company
> because they believed in Mr. Getzenberg's findings, is seeking
> repayment of its money and other damages.
>
> Mr. Getzenberg did not return telephone and e-mail messages seeking
> comment. Officials at Pitt said they had not yet been served with the
> lawsuit, which was filed just days ago in federal court in Pittsburgh,
> and declined to comment.
>
> Johns Hopkins also declined to comment. But it has filed a answer to
> the lawsuit, which was filed in state court in July. In its answer,
> the university cites a number of defenses, including one that seeks to
> bar Onconome's claims because of its "fraud" on the university, on Mr.
> Getzenberg, or both. It also says all research was conducted in
> conformity with scientific standards.
> --
> Malcolm L. McCallum
> Associate Professor of Biology
> Managing Editor,
> Herpetological Conservation and Biology
> Texas A&M 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.
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Fw: Biological control of invasive species by import of alien species Re: [APWG] NEWS: Invasive Saltcedar Triggers Lively Debate

[Judith S. Weis]

Remember the old song about the old lady that swallowed a fly?

> Ecolog:
>
> Any comments?
>
> WT
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Wayne Tyson" 
> To: 
> Sent: Monday, August 24, 2009 10:41 PM
> Subject: Biological control of invasive species by import of alien species
> Re: [APWG] NEWS: Invasive Saltcedar Triggers Lively Debate
>
>
>> APWG:
>>
>> Much as I would like to see the truly invasive "saltcedars" sent back
>> where they came from, we're probably stuck with them--they're just too
>> seedy.
>>
>> Much as I would like to see a savior, even in the form of a bug, the
>> true-believers ("Now land managers are adding new biological control
>> agents to their arsenal by releasing saltcedar leaf beetles (Diorhabda
>> elongata) imported from China and Greece. The small insects strip
>> saltcedar of its leaves, while ignoring native vegetation."
>> http://www.wssa.net/WSSA/PressRoom/WSSA_SaltCedar.htm ) in
>> insect-messiahs
>> are at it again. These little buggers may "ignore" native vegetation for
>> a
>> while, have they been DEMONSTRATED in a peer-reviewed manner with
>> replicated experiments to have left every species indigenous to the
>> Western Hemisphere to continue to do so? I await the evidence, and I
>> should not be expected to chase it down from a press-release.
>>
>> A more serious question remains to be answered--do we know, to a
>> "scientific certainty," that such imported populations cannot and will
>> not
>> evolve to survive on other prey?
>>
>> WT
>>
>>
>> - Original Message -
>> From: "Olivia Kwong" 
>> To: 
>> Sent: Monday, August 24, 2009 7:27 AM
>> Subject: [APWG] NEWS: Invasive Saltcedar Triggers Lively Debate
>>
>>
>>> http://www.wssa.net/WSSA/PressRoom/WSSA_SaltCedar.htm
>>>
>>> Invasive Saltcedar Triggers Lively Debats Among Weed Scientists and
>>> Land
>>> Managers
>>>
>>> Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) is an invasive plant that is crowding out
>>> native
>>> vegetation and dominating the shorelines of southwestern rivers and
>>> streams. But put a room full of weed scientists and land managers
>>> together
>>> to discuss how to tame the aggressive plant and you'll trigger a lively
>>> debate about how -- or even whether -- it should be controlled.
>>>
>>> See the link above for the full text of the press release.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ___
>>> PCA's Alien Plant Working Group mailing list
>>> a...@lists.plantconservation.org
>>> http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org
>>>
>>> Disclaimer
>>> Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the
>>> opinion of the individual posting the message.
>>
>>
>> 
>>
>>
>>
>> No virus found in this incoming message.
>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>> Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.13.64/2321 - Release Date:
>> 08/23/09
>> 06:18:00
>>
>

[ECOLOG-L] [Fwd: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Announcing CAMFRED: The Campaign for Real Editing]

[Judith S. Weis]

It's probably a more responsible thing for the reviewers to do than to say
they will do the review and then not get around to it for 5 or 6 months,
as has happened to me several times. When I was editing a journal, there
were certain people who I stopped asking for reviews because I knew from
their past history you would have to keep hounding them to get them to do
it - even after reminders saying "how would you feel if this happened to
your mansucript?"
This is a public responsibility that the scientific community depends on
us to do, and too many of us are shirking this public service.



> Hi, Sarah,
>  The experience you report has greater value than that of
> entertainment, because it raises some issues for further discussion.
>
> 1. The academic/scientific publishing process does not follow the familiar
> rules of a for-profit business.  Imaging walking into a bank to make a
> withdrawal or deposit and being told, "Sorry, we're pretty busy right now.
> Why not try us in a few days?"
>
> 2. On the other hand, the journal acted responsibly in not merely sitting
> on
> the submission.  This leaves the author the option of seeking publication
> elsewhere.  This "elsewhere" might be a less appropriate or less
> prestigious
> journal, but if enough of this sort of thing occurs, appropriateness and
> prestige can shift.
>
> 3. The potential reviewers in this case performed conscientiously, if not
> very usefully.  It probably often happens that reviewers take on reviews
> that they are really too busy for, and as a result do sloppy review work.
> This seems like the very situation where reviewers might go with their gut
> reactions (i.e., go with their biases) rather taking the time for the
> mental
> discipline of really thinking things through, of responding to little
> niggling doubts that, if explored, might reveal possibilities for new
> understanding latent the author's work.
>
> 4. Perhaps this journal should increase its stable of reviewers. Maybe it
> is/was relying too heavily on the same bunch of people. Resolving this
> problem might also get some new blood and new thinking into the system and
> loosen up the old-boys network, if such is operative.
>
>   Any thoughts?
>
>   Martin M. Meiss
>
> 2009/7/13 Sarah Goslee 
>
>> Just for entertainment value, here is a message I received a few weeks
>> ago
>> from a major ecology journal at a major publisher (names removed, as the
>> matter was resolved). If it is the case that this kind of thing can
>> actually
>> happen, something needs to change.
>>
>> --
>>
>> Dear AUTHOR,
>>
>> I trust you are doing well.
>>
>> As you will notice, there are no reviewers assigned to your paper as of
>> this date.  We tried our best to speed up the review process by sending
>> reminders and follow-up emails to referees.  Regrettably, most of them
>> are
>> too busy to handle your paper at this time.
>>
>> In light of this, we would like to advise you to withdraw your paper.
>> However, we also leave you to re-submit if you wish to do so.
>>
>> We would appreciate if you could let us know your decision within 14
>> days.
>>
>> Thank you very much for your prompt response on this matter.
>>
>> --
>>
>> The first question asked by all of the colleagues I discussed it with
>> was
>> whether this was really from the journal. It is a legitimate email.
>>
>> Interesting, no?
>>
>> Sarah
>>
>> --
>> Dr. Sarah Goslee
>> USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit
>> Adjunct Associate Professor, Crop and Soil Sciences Department
>> Penn State
>> Building 3702, Curtin Road
>> University Park, PA 16802
>> Phone: 814-863-0887
>> Fax: 814-863-0935
>> sgos...@psu.edu
>>
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] "real" versus "fake" peer-reviewed journals

[Judith S. Weis]

Martin Meiss said:
   This should be more than an exercise in rhetoric; we need
formulations that in simple terms expose the fundamentals of the process,
acknowledge its weaknesses, and distinguish it from phony imitators.
   I sure don't have the answers, but I think that we as a community
could come up with them.

I don't think "could" is strong enough. We as a community MUST come up
with them.






>Mr. Hamazaki's example, whether it is accurate or not, illustrates
> one of my points.  Just to get by in our professional lives, scientists
> must
> have "faith" in the social institutions, such as peer review, that we have
> created.  And yet we all know that social institutions are inherently
> corruptible.  Not only peer-review, but many other aspects of the practice
> of science, are rooted in these corruptible institutions.
>Besides the issue I raised earlier, that of becoming too complacent
> in our acceptance of our own perspective, there is the issue raised on the
> earlier posts of this thread: How to demonstrate to students (and other
> people who are not scientific professionals) that not all "peer review" is
> created equal.  Some journalists, in an attempt to be fair-minded and
> objective, think they have to give equal time to holocaust deniers and to
> survivors of concentration camps.  This same tendency will give equal
> weight
> to "our" and "their" peer-review processes.
>   Imagine that you are in a debate on a talk show with an ideologue
> who
> cites dubious research results in a dubious journal, but claims that the
> work is peer-reviewed.  What do you say?  "That isn't REAL peer-review",
> "Is so!", "Is not!".
>   Suppose the show host is smart and stops this and asks how to
> distinguish between valid and invalid peer review.  What do you say?
> "We've
> been doing it this way for many years."?  "This is the scientific
> consensus
> of how it should be done."?  "This is the method used by people who think
> right"?  Try to come up with a wording that would make sense to a lay
> audience and that couldn't be used by the opponent with equal
> plausibility,
> at least to the ears of the lay people whose taxes are funding your
> research.
> This should be more than an exercise in rhetoric; we need
> formulations that in simple terms expose the fundamentals of the process,
> acknowledge its weaknesses, and distinguish it from phony imitators.
>I sure don't have the answers, but I think that we as a community
> could come up with them.
>
> Martin
>
> 2009/7/8 Hamazaki, Hamachan (DFG) 
>
>> In regard to this issue, we should remind that we scientists also fall
>> into
>> this trap. In publishing a paper, we often look for a journal that has
>> high
>> probability of being published. In a way, all you need is several likely
>> minded peers to have your paper published in a peer-reviewed journal.
>>
>> Below is a quote:
>> Hilborn, R. 2006. Faith-based fisheries. Fisheries 31:554-555.
>>
>> A community of belief has arisen whose credo has become
>> $B!H(Bfisheries
>> management has failed, we need to abandon the old approaches and use
>> marine
>> protected areas and ecosystem-based management.$B!I(B I fear that this
>> belief has
>> shaded the peer review process so badly that almost any paper showing a
>> significant decline in fish abundance or benefits of marine protected
>> areas
>> has a high probability of getting favorable reviews in some journals
>> regardless of the quality of the analysis. Critical peer review has been
>> replaced by faith-based support for ideas and too many scientists have
>> become advocates. An advocate knows the answer and looks for evidence to
>> support it; a scientist asks nature how much support there is for
>> competing
>> hypotheses.
>>
>> http://www.fisheries.org/afs/docs/fisheries/fisheries_3111.pdf
>>
>>
>> Toshihide "Hamachan" Hamazaki, PhD : $B_@:j=S=(!'IM$A$c$s(B
>> Alaska Department of Fish & Game
>> Division of Commercial Fisheries
>> 333 Raspberry Rd. Anchorage, Alaska 99518
>> Ph: 907-267-2158
>> Fax: 907-267-2442
>> Cell: 907-440-9934
>> E-mail: toshihide.hamaz...@alaska.gov
>>
>

[ECOLOG-L] new book

[Judith S. Weis]

I hope this is not a violation of list etiquette, but I want to take
advantage of the list to toot my horn and plug my new book that's just
coming out. Co-authored by Carol Butler, it's entitled "Salt Marshes: A
Natural and Unnatural History." It's being published as a paperback by
Rutgers Univ. Press and sells for ~$24. Lots of illustrations, not highly
technical but accessible to the interested general public, students, etc.
but cites lots of current research. It covers basic natural history &
ecology of marsh plants and animals, then chapters on how humans have
messed up the marshes, then discusses restoration and use of marshes in
environmental clean-up.
http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/acatalog/Salt_Marshes.html

Judy Weis




.·'¯`·.¸ ><o> .·'¯`·.¸¸.·'¯`·.¸ >=}},/o>

  ><o>><o>

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's:  Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
MAY help restore populations.


Dr. Judith S. Weis, Professor
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Rutgers University
Newark NJ 07102
Phone 973 353-5387   FAX  973 353-5518
http://newarkbioweb.rutgers.edu/department/FacultyProfiles/weis.html

[ECOLOG-L] Lubchenco and Holdren

[Judith S. Weis]

At last!

Lubchenco  Clears Senate Committee
On March 12, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
unanimously voted for Oregon State University marine biologist Jane
Lubchenco to
lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  The
Committee also
unanimously voted for Harvard University physicist John Holdren to head
the Office
of Science and Technology Policy.  President Obama announced Holdren's and
Lubchenco's nominations in December.  In February, both appeared before a
full
committee hearing.  The nominations are expected to go before the full
Senate for a
vote next week.  To read more about Lubchenco and Holdren:
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/03/12/12greenwire-commerce-panel-approves-stalled-noaa-science-n-10117.html.

[ECOLOG-L] hold on Holdren and Lubchenco

[Judith S. Weis]

Attention NJ-ites - contact Senator Menendez.

OSTP, NOAA Confirmations Delayed. The Washington Post reported last week
that the confirmations of John Holdren to be Director of the White House
Office of Science and Technology Policy and of Jane Lubchenco to be
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have
a "hold" placed on them by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) over an unrelated
matter of concern to the Senator involving Cuba. Menendez’s office would
not comment on the matter. The two nominees’ confirmation hearing was held
February 12. Meanwhile, Holdren has been in place for several weeks as
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, a position which
does not require Senate confirmation.

Re: [ECOLOG-L] EdD vs PhD

[Judith S. Weis]

What Dave says is true, but since there is this prejudice, Jay would do
better getting a Ph.D. and avoiding the issue.


> It seems the prejudice against the EdD, like most prejudices, is based
> on little evidence.  Unfortunately, such prejudice is fairly common in
> the supposedly rational confines of academia.  In other words, it's a
> turf thing.
>
> The PhDs would do well to broaden their awareness of the empirical world.
>
> Dave
>
> Jay Beugly wrote:
>> I have indeed decided to pursue a PhD, but I thought that I would take
>> this
>> opportunity to inform ECOLOG subscribers about some of the
>> misconceptions
>> with an EdD.
>>
>> The university that I am currently enrolled in has two EdD options. The
>> most
>> common option is a doctorate of education in science education. The
>> science
>> education option is designed for individuals interested in K-12
>> education
>> (Not me).
>>
>> The second option is a doctorate of education in science. It is designed
>> for
>> students who have interest in research but are more interested in
>> teaching
>> at the university level. The second option requires a research project
>> that
>> provides a significant contribution to your research area (fish ecology
>> in
>> my case) and 4 courses specifically designed for teaching at the
>> university
>> level. Based on the responses I have received it seems unlikely that I
>> would
>> be granted an interview if my vitae included EdD and not a PhD.
>>
>> Jay Beugly
>> jsbeu...@bsu.edu
>>
>> This is a quick review of some of the responses I have received for
>> those of
>> you who are interested.
>>
>> EdD won’t qualify you to teach in a university’s biology department
>>
>> EdD is a BS with makeup
>>
>> EdD qualifies you to teach high school only
>>
>> Multiple respondents had never heard of an EdD
>>
>> NSF identifies an EdD as a research doctorate equivalent to a PhD
>>
>> Many, but not all, respondents with a PhD viewed the EdD very
>> negatively. It
>> appears that earning an EdD make working with or amongst PhDs more
>> difficult
>> due to some lack of respect
>>
>
> --
> --
>   David M. Lawrence| Home:  (804) 559-9786
>   7471 Brook Way Court | Fax:   (804) 559-9787
>   Mechanicsville, VA 23111 | Email: d...@fuzzo.com
>   USA  | http:  http://fuzzo.com
> --
>
> "We have met the enemy and he is us."  -- Pogo
>
> "No trespassing
>   4/17 of a haiku"  --  Richard Brautigan
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Wallace's "The Malay Archipelago"

[Judith S. Weis]

Around Indonesia (no surprise!) there is more appreciation for Wallace
than around here. More of us should learn about him and read his books.



> I strongly second this opinion. As someone who recently read "The
> Malay Archipelago" and is now making herself read "Origins" as kind
> of a bicentennial pilgrimage (akin to wearing a hair shirt or
> self-flagellation?), regardless of who first "discovered" evolution,
> Wallace is by far the better writer.  Malay Archipelago is also great
> travel literature, with many of his
> liberal-at-the-time-but-maybe-not-pc-now observations on colonialism
> and the cultures of various tribes that he stayed with. He was
> viewing human variation much as he did variation in the rest of the
> fauna he encountered. In addition to labeling where his specimens
> were captured (unlike Darwin), actually being able to identify what
> he collected with no formal training (unlike Darwin), and his
> knowledge of fossils and geologic processes, he paid attention to
> indigenous knowledge of animals and actually documented the numerous
> languages spoken among the Indonesian islands as another line of
> evidence for tracking historical migrations of animal species.
>
> At 11:25 AM 2/19/2009, Thomas Shannon wrote:
>>Oh, what the heck... might as well chime in on this thread as well :)
>>
>>One of my personal favorites, partially due to my childhood spent in
>>Sulawesi, is a seldom read book written by "that other evolution guy".
>> Where
>>natural science meets high adventure in a tale far less "stuffy" than
>>'Voyage of the Beagle'... 'The Malay Archipelago' by Alfred Russel
>> Wallace.
>>
>>--
>>Tom Shannon, Ph.D.
>>
>>Web: http://macropyga.googlepages.com
>>Phone: 706-613-7443
>
> Yetta Jager
> Environmental Sciences Division
> Oak Ridge National Laboratory
> P.O. Box 2008, MS 6036
> Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6036 USA
>
> For packages, please replace "P.O. Box 2008" with "Bethel Valley Road".
>
> OFFICE: 865/574-8143  FAX:  865/576-3989
> Work email: jage...@ornl.gov Home email: jage...@chartertn.net
> My webpage: http://www.esd.ornl.gov/~zij/
> Fish and Wildlife Modelling:
> http://www.esd.ornl.gov/research/ecol_management/fish_wildlife_modeling
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] FW: [ECOLOG-L] Perspectives on research in Africa

[Judith S. Weis]

There is an organization called Blue Ventures, run out of England, that
has a program utilizing mostly volunteers in studying/monitoring reefs in
a remote area in western Madagascar. This would be an example of "research
tourism." They are very involved with the local community and have worked
with many villages along the coast in setting up MPAs. A Malagasy man from
the village where Blue Ventures is located won a prestigious conservation
prize from World Wildlife Foundation recently for development of the MPA.
In my opinion, the prize should have also gone to Alasdair Harris, the
founder and director of Blue Ventures, who was behind the project. We were
there (Andavadoaka) back in January doing our own research on mangrove
fish communities and were very impressed with the way the organization and
the volunteers (mostly Brits and Europeans but some Americans and
Australians as well)interacted with the the local villagers.
They also had some Malagasy graduate students on site working on their
research projects.



> I agree with the below.  Research tourism leaves very little viable i.e.
> sustainable work behind, and can cause damage to ecosystems (as was seen
> with the Kihansi Spray Toad Debacle in Tanzania where researchers from
> abroad, visiting many world sites with amphibian demise carried in the
> virus on their boots, for the final wipe-out) and to abandonment of the
> care aand management of ecologically sensitive areas by local populations
> (such as the Serengeti Plains where populations of wildebeest, wild dogs,
> etc. have recentlycrashed). 
>  
> Fulbright Scholarships might give a way to work in a university and be
> part of the training people in Africa to set the priorities and do the
> research.
>
> --- On Thu, 12/4/08, Charlie Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> From: Charlie Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: FW: [ECOLOG-L] Perspectives on research in Africa
> To: "Anne Outwater" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Date: Thursday, December 4, 2008, 7:42 PM
>
> FYI
> Charlie
>
> All truth passes through three stages.
> First it is ridiculed.
> Second it is violently opposed.
> Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
> - Arthur Shopenhauer (1788-1860)
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Nathan Brouwer
> Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:02 AM
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Perspectives on research in Africa
>
> Some organizations that offer at least small grants that I think could be
> used in Africa are:
> http://www.foc-uk.com/
> http://www.bou.org.uk/bouresg.htm
>
> As important as funding issues in working in Africa are logistical and
> cultural ones.  Africa has perhaps the lowest African scientist to western
> scientist ratio in the world.  This limits opportunities for collaboration
> with nationals, and also creates the problem of recapitulating colonialism
> through science.  I know of major, long-term wildlife studies that do not
> incorporate any African's except as camp guards.   Conservation, wildlife
> management, agriculture, and sustainability will not go far if locals are
> not invested in the research.  There is an African Academy of Science and
> also numerous journals published in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South
> Africa.
>
>
>
>
>
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] McCain on Bear Study

[Judith S. Weis]

Was he complaining about this study as being an "earmark" ? I don't
remember that particular complaint and of course support more funding for
ecological research, but I don't think we should be supporting earmarks
for ecological studies or for anything else!


> Dear Ecologgers-
> I was very disappointed to hear presidential candidate Sen. John McCain
> clearly state during the first nationally televised debate that a 3
> million dollar study on bear DNA in Montana was a waste of money.  I do
> not know which study he was referring to, but to me this statement makes
> it very clear how much McCain values ecological research.  The government
> spent 2,730 billion dollars in 2007.  The 3 million dollar study accounted
> for about 0.0001% of the total spending.  It seems that if the pittance
> spent on ecological research (relative to total spending) is reduced in
> this country, our natural systems will continue to go misunderstood or
> unknown, to the detriment of our citizens.
>
> If the PI's of the study mentioned care to express their concern, and the
> scientific value of the study, I would be happy to support and encourage a
> petition to Sen. McCain concerning the value of ecological research.  If
> the PI's used part of the money to buy a Hummer to cruise the Montana
> backcountry, I would agree with Sen. McCain.
>
> Sincerely,
> Matthew Warren
>
>
>
>
>
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] summer reading with an ecologic/environmental theme

[Judith S. Weis]

>For a bit of whacky humor and an environmental message (especially about
development in Florida), you could include some of Carl Hiaassen's books.
"Tourist Season" and "Skinny Dip" come to mind but there are others.>

Re: Biological Invasion documentary?

[Judith S. Weis]

The Cane Toads film also has a fair amount of humor, something generally
lacking in such documentaries. And, strange for a documentary, it has an
_actor_ who plays a now-retired colleague of mine, Dan Wilhoft, who
studied the cane toads in Australia! I never could figure that one out.

Judy Weis




> The documentary "Cane Toads an Unnatural History" is my personal favorite.
> Its very well produced and demonstrates the folly often accompanying
> biological pest control.
>
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130529/
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Cane-Toads-Unnatural-Tip-Byrne/dp/6302212812
>
> Jim Sparks
>
>
>
>
> On 10/11/07, David L <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>
>> National Geographic's Strange Days on Planet Earth is pretty good.  Part
>> 1
>> =
>> of 4 is about invasions.  They give some interesting examples and
>> explain
>> t=
>> he effects of invasive spp. on the environment and people.  See:
>>
>> http://www.pbs.org/strangedays/index_flash.html
>> http://www.pbs.org/strangedays/episodes/invaders/experts/index.html
>>
>> Also, your students might enjoy the Hollywood celebrity host/narrator.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> -
>> David T. Lin
>> Doctoral student
>> Department of Zoology
>> University of Hawa'ii at Manoa
>>
>>
>>
>> > Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:43:51 -0400
>> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Biological Invasion documentary?
>> > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> >=20
>> > Dear all,
>> >=20
>> > Does anyone know whether there exists a good documentary on the causes
>> an=
>> d
>> > impact of biological invasions that would be suitable as course
>> material?
>> >=20
>> > best wishes,
>> > Mark van Kleunen
>>
>> _
>> Boo!=A0Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live
>> OneCare=
>> !
>>
>> http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=3Dwl_hotma=
>> ilnews=
>>
>
>
>
> --
> James L. Sparks Jr. M.Sc.
> 4530 E. Seminary Ave.
> Richmond, VA 23227
> 804.426.2479 (cell)
>
> "Sapere Aude!"
>

Re: primate watching

[Judith S. Weis]

One would hope that primate watchers (or watchers of anything else) would
become a bit more interested in the behaviors, life history etc. of the
creatures they watch than many birders who couldn't care less about the
biology of the birds they see, but just want to check them off their list.
Does anybody know a way to get these people interested in the life
history, behavior etc. of the birds and their conservation rather than
just adding names to their lists?




> There are currently estimated to be 625 species and subspecies of
> primates,=
>  and 26% of those are in immediate danger of extinction (Critically
> Endange=
> red or Endangered).  That may seem like only a few primates to some
> people,=
>  but to those of us who work in primate conservation, it is 160 taxa too
> ma=
> ny.=0A=0AAsia actually leads the world in endangered primates with 55 taxa
> =
> (some down to a handful of individuals), Neotropics with 34, Africa with
> 33=
> , and Madagascar with 28.  The Primate Specialist Group of the IUCN's
> Speci=
> es Survival Commission, Conservation International, and the International
> P=
> rimatological Society put out a list of the Top 25 Most Endangered
> Primates=
>  every 2 years (the list created during the 2006 IPS meetings should be
> rel=
> eased soon).  As is said every other year when that list is debated, the
> li=
> st could easily be 50 or 100 species long.  Check out the Red List or the
> 2=
> 004 list of the top 25 most endangered primates
> (http://web.conservation.or=
> g/xp/news/press_releases/2005/040705.xml).   =0A=0AJulie Wieczkowski,
> admit=
> tedly someone who studies one of the 43 endangered primates in Africa=0A =
> =0A- Original Message =0AFrom: William Silvert
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>=0ATo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Monday, August 13, 2007 6:40:18
>> A=
> M=0ASubject: Re: primate watching=0A=0A=0AThis is an interesting idea, but
> =
> the analogy to bird-watching is weak. There =0Aare only a few primates
> that=
>  are serously endangered, mostly the great apes, =0Aand I think that
> anyone=
>  motivated by life lists would simply head for =0AMadagascar and count
> lemu=
> rs. I suspect that getting a lot of spotters into =0Athe field would have
> a=
>  negative impact on the species being spotted.=0A=0AIt is worth keeping in
> =
> mind that one of the most successful measures in bird =0Aconservation is
> th=
> e habitat preservation by Ducks Unlimited, whose motive is =0Ato shoot
> duck=
> s!=0A=0ABill Silvert=0A=0A=0A- Original Message - =0AFrom: "WENDEE
> =
> HOLTCAMP" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>=0ATo:
> =0ASent:=
>  Sunday, August 12, 2007 7:19 PM=0ASubject: primate watching=0A=0A=0A>I
> rea=
> d something recently where someone was pondering whether we could=0A>
> creat=
> e a system of primate watching, similar to birdwatching, as a way to=0A>
> ch=
> annel funds into primate conservation. So instead of life lists for =0A>
> bi=
> rds=0A> (or in addition to) they would have life lists for primates. I
> thou=
> ght =0A> this=0A> was really interesting and was just going to try to
> pitch=
>  an article on =0A> it,=0A> but now I can't seem to find it anywhere - I
> di=
> dn't find it from a google=0A> search and I can't remember if I saw this
> in=
>  the news or a scientific=0A> journal TOC, or what. I am pretty sure it
> was=
>  a primatologist or=0A> biologist/ecologist making the statement.=0A>=0A>=
> =0A>=0A> Does this ring any bells for anyone? If so please contact me
> offli=
> st=0A> [EMAIL PROTECTED]>=0A> Wendee=0A>=0A>
> ~=
> ~=0A>=0A> Wendee Holtcamp * Freelance Writer *
> =
> Photographer * Bohemian=0A>=0A>
>  com/>=0A> http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com=0A> Bohemian Adventures Blog *
>  tp://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com/>=0A>
> http://bohemianadventures.blogsp=
> ot.com=0A>=0A> The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist =0A>
>  wars.blogspot.com/>=0A> http://thefishwars.blogspot.com=0A>
> ~~~=
> ~~~=0A> Online Writing Course Starts Sep 15.
> Si=
> gn Up Now!=0A>=0A>=0A>=0A>=0A=0AJulie Wieczkowski, Ph.D.=0AAssistant
> Profes=
> sor=0ADepartment of Anthropology=0A332 Pafford=0AUniversity of West
> Georgia=
> =0ACarrollton, GA 30118=0A678-839-6458 (ph)=0A678-839-6466
> (fax)=0Ajuliewhi=
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]/~jwhiz
>

Re: Ecological Equality?

[Judith S. Weis]

However, additional children in the US have a much larger "footprint" than
additional children in less developed countries. The combination of
population size x per capita resource use/pollution production should be
the measure of environmental stress.

I have not previously weighed in on the general discussion of gender
issues. I am from the generation that was "on the barracades" in the
1970s, and back then I would have been sure that the problems we
experienced (which certainly were more blatant and gross than the ones
persisting now) would have been solved by now. It is sad to realize that
they haven't been totally solved, but be assured it's a lot better now
than it used to be - though that's not much comfort. In my department, a
man with an MD wife took on more than usual amount of child care
responsibilities, and he was given a much harder time by the dept head
than I was some years earlier (albeit with a different dept. chair). I
agree with whoever said that it really is an issue that requires women who
want to have kids carefully choosing a husband who will do his share of
work at home. I was just lucky in this regard. Feminists of my generation
raised our sons to do this, and there are (hopefully) many of them out
there.

  Judy Weis

For those of you looking for networking or activist possibilities, I
recommend the Association for Women in Science (www.awis.org) which is a
great organization to be a part of. It is open to women and men.



> While I agree with George Wang that overpopulation is a major problem, I
> think that in dealing with it we have to be sensitive to demographic
> issues.
> As he points out, the population of Europe is lagging, and I do not think
> that a world where Europe fades into insignificance is an optimal
> objective.
>
> If we could restrict all families everywhere to, say, 2 children, that
> would
> be a desirable step. Reducing the population of countries which can easily
> support many more people than they now have, and reducing the size of
> families that are well equipped to raise large families (such as academics
> in the US) is not much of a forward step.
>
> The world's worst crises are developing in regions where the population
> exceeds the carrying capacity, such as Rwanda and Darfur. Fewer children
> in
> university towns will not do much to resolve this.
>
> Bill Silvert
> Portugal
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "George Wang" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: 
> Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 4:02 AM
> Subject: Re: Ecological Equality?
>
>
>> Of all the people, we ecologists should be the first to realize that
>> over-
>> population is the ultimate cause for almost all environmental problems.
>> It
>> may be true that the European population level is dropping, but the
>> whole
>> world's is definitely increasing. And with the level of globalization
>> today, over-population is a global, rather than localized, problem. How
>> can one acknowledge growing unemployment rate and then encourage more
>> human reproduction in the same paragraph?
>