Re: [ECOLOG-L] "Natural" systems

[David M. Lawrence]

I highly doubt we can do better than nature for most other species on 
the planet -- the only species we can do a "better job than even nature 
can do" is our own and a handful of domesticated species.  For the rest, 
test outcome we can manage is to do a less bad job than we have been doing.


Dave

Warren W. Aney wrote:

I would challenge the statement "Any alteration of the natural situation is,
by default, an adverse effect or change."  Smallpox or polio vaccinations
are an anthropomorphic alteration of the natural situation, but are they an
adverse effect or change?  I suppose some might argue that vaccines result
in increased human populations, and that is an adverse effect.  But now we
need to define "adverse effect" -- is it adverse from a broad human
perspective, or is it adverse from some other entity's perspective (Mother
Nature?  Creator/God/Allah/Brahma/Odin/Wicca?  The Society for the Total
Overall Protection of Everything Wild?).

I can think of other examples of human intervention that we might debate
over whether or not they have "adverse" effects:  Stopping a highly
intensive wildfire before it destroys an old growth stand.  Building a
salmon fish ladder around a recent landslide barrier. Protecting endangered
northern spotted owls from niche takeover by a natural invasion of barred
owls.  Providing nest boxes for cavity nesters after a blowdown of snag
habitat.

Granted, most human alterations of natural systems have had an adverse
effect, even some well-intention alterations (e.g., introducing Russian
olive and multiflora rose to improve North American wildlife habitat) but I
think we're slowly learning how to do a better job than even nature can do.

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 Geoffrey Patton
Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 19:09
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] "Natural" systems


Dear Good Ecologers:
 
While Dr. Czech has produced an elegant and exhaustive treatise on the

application of important concepts in "natural" systems, it is a bit dense
and unapproachable for many.
 
It is with deep regret that I am unable to cite the specific reference for

what I am about to write. I have frequently attributed it to John Clark's
Ecosystem Management while knowing that's inaccurate. However, the quote
I've constucted is "Any alteration of the natural situation is, by default,
an adverse effect or change." Paraphrased, Nature took millenia to achieve
the current dynamic balance of plants and animals, predators and prey,
entropy and enthalpy. Any alteration at Man's hand away from the natural
order of things conflicts with the balance and is adverse.  Thus, we should
try to our last breath to make things as conducive to nature's way as
possible.
 
I think that's what we're talking about here.




Cordially yours,

Geoff Patton, Ph.D.
2208 Parker Ave., Wheaton, MD 20902  301.221.9536

--- On Sat, 3/7/09, Czech, Brian  wrote:

From: Czech, Brian 
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] "Natural" systems
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2009, 5:09 PM

It's true that "natural" is just semantics in some contexts, but
defining the term can affect the way our public lands are managed.  See for
example the Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental Health Policy
of
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Here is one proposal for a frame of
reference for natural conditions:



http://steadystate.org/Chronological_Frame_of_Reference_for_Ecological_Integ
rity.pdf






Brian Czech, Visiting Professor
Natural Resources Program
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
National Capital Region, Northern Virginia Center
7054 Haycock Road, Room 411
Falls Church, Virginia 22043



From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of Steve
Kunz
Sent: Fri 2009-03-06 10:24
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Climate change and Agroecosystems



In the case of human mammals, there is something unique about our  place in
the world.  We have the "intelligence" to control our environment  on
a large
scale.  Our control of otherwise "natural" systems can throw  them
out of
balance, or at least, into a new balance.  In an extreme case,  this
intelligent
control can completely wipe out most if not all of our own  species and most
others (think: nuclear war).  The planet doesn't care if  this happens, and
some
species will survive and help start things over.  Is  the result
"natural" or
"unnatural"?  At that point, it's just semantics  anyway.

Peace!

Steve Kunz




In a message dated 3/5/2009 6:08:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
atom.fuller...@gmail.com writes:

I'm a  grad student who reads the list-serve to look for job opportunities,
but  these threads on agroecosystem

[ECOLOG-L] Request for Assistance with Doctoral Dissertation - Brief Questionnaire

[Christopher Ryan]

Hello,

I am a doctoral candidate in Environmental Studies at Antioch University
New England. I am in the process of conducting my dissertation research
and the initial phase of data collection involves seeking out members of
the environmental community, including academics and scientists, to
participate in a brief questionnaire on the topic of self-censorship. This
questionnaire is completely confidential.

My dissertation domain is environmental communication and more
specifically on the matter of under what circumstances people self-censor
themselves regarding topics or issues in which they hold strong opinions.
If you are interested in this topic or just like online questionnaires,
please navigate over to the URL pasted below:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=F1xytz_2fF_2fPl31pjFaIMzcg_3d_3d

Also feel free to distribute this URL to anyone else you believe might be
interested in the issue.  Once I collect a sufficient amount of responses,
I will be considering interviews with those who indicate that they would
like to participate in a subsequent phase. Thank you in advance for your
participation.

Christopher Ryan, AICP
Environmental Studies Doctoral Program
Research Summary Web Site:
http://www.relocalizations.net/ANE/cjrdocdishome.html 
E-Mail Contact: [ mailto:cr...@antioch.edu ]cr...@antioch.edu 


Christopher Ryan
Antioch University New England
Environmental Studies Doctoral Program
40 Avon Street
Keene, NH 03431
christopher_r...@antiochne.edu
617-838-9454

Re: [ECOLOG-L] "Natural" systems

[Warren W. Aney]

I would challenge the statement "Any alteration of the natural situation is,
by default, an adverse effect or change."  Smallpox or polio vaccinations
are an anthropomorphic alteration of the natural situation, but are they an
adverse effect or change?  I suppose some might argue that vaccines result
in increased human populations, and that is an adverse effect.  But now we
need to define "adverse effect" -- is it adverse from a broad human
perspective, or is it adverse from some other entity's perspective (Mother
Nature?  Creator/God/Allah/Brahma/Odin/Wicca?  The Society for the Total
Overall Protection of Everything Wild?).

I can think of other examples of human intervention that we might debate
over whether or not they have "adverse" effects:  Stopping a highly
intensive wildfire before it destroys an old growth stand.  Building a
salmon fish ladder around a recent landslide barrier. Protecting endangered
northern spotted owls from niche takeover by a natural invasion of barred
owls.  Providing nest boxes for cavity nesters after a blowdown of snag
habitat.

Granted, most human alterations of natural systems have had an adverse
effect, even some well-intention alterations (e.g., introducing Russian
olive and multiflora rose to improve North American wildlife habitat) but I
think we're slowly learning how to do a better job than even nature can do.

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 Geoffrey Patton
Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 19:09
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] "Natural" systems


Dear Good Ecologers:
 
While Dr. Czech has produced an elegant and exhaustive treatise on the
application of important concepts in "natural" systems, it is a bit dense
and unapproachable for many.
 
It is with deep regret that I am unable to cite the specific reference for
what I am about to write. I have frequently attributed it to John Clark's
Ecosystem Management while knowing that's inaccurate. However, the quote
I've constucted is "Any alteration of the natural situation is, by default,
an adverse effect or change." Paraphrased, Nature took millenia to achieve
the current dynamic balance of plants and animals, predators and prey,
entropy and enthalpy. Any alteration at Man's hand away from the natural
order of things conflicts with the balance and is adverse.  Thus, we should
try to our last breath to make things as conducive to nature's way as
possible.
 
I think that's what we're talking about here.



Cordially yours,

Geoff Patton, Ph.D.
2208 Parker Ave., Wheaton, MD 20902  301.221.9536

--- On Sat, 3/7/09, Czech, Brian  wrote:

From: Czech, Brian 
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] "Natural" systems
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2009, 5:09 PM

It's true that "natural" is just semantics in some contexts, but
defining the term can affect the way our public lands are managed.  See for
example the Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental Health Policy
of
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Here is one proposal for a frame of
reference for natural conditions:



http://steadystate.org/Chronological_Frame_of_Reference_for_Ecological_Integ
rity.pdf






Brian Czech, Visiting Professor
Natural Resources Program
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
National Capital Region, Northern Virginia Center
7054 Haycock Road, Room 411
Falls Church, Virginia 22043



From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of Steve
Kunz
Sent: Fri 2009-03-06 10:24
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Climate change and Agroecosystems



In the case of human mammals, there is something unique about our  place in
the world.  We have the "intelligence" to control our environment  on
a large
scale.  Our control of otherwise "natural" systems can throw  them
out of
balance, or at least, into a new balance.  In an extreme case,  this
intelligent
control can completely wipe out most if not all of our own  species and most
others (think: nuclear war).  The planet doesn't care if  this happens, and
some
species will survive and help start things over.  Is  the result
"natural" or
"unnatural"?  At that point, it's just semantics  anyway.

Peace!

Steve Kunz




In a message dated 3/5/2009 6:08:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
atom.fuller...@gmail.com writes:

I'm a  grad student who reads the list-serve to look for job opportunities,
but  these threads on agroecosystems and climate change bring up a question
I
have never really gotten a satisfactory answer to, namely: Are humans to  be
considered a part of the natural world?  On the one hand, humans  are
clearly
a species of mammal living on the planet.  Science in  general follows the
Copernican Principle: don't assume there is anything  p

[ECOLOG-L] The Sustainable Development Paradox - Part 3

[Luis Gutierrez]

The March 2009 issue of the

E-Journal of Solidarity, Sustainability, and Nonviolence (SSNV)

is online.  This is the third issue of the "sustainable development
paradox" series, and includes a synthesis of all the nformation,
analysis  and conclusions for the three-part series.  A critical
conclusion is that sustainable development is impossible without gender
equality in both secular and religious institutions.

Part 1 - January 2009 - http://pelicanweb.org/solisustv05n01.html
Part 2 - February 2009 - http://pelicanweb.org/solisustv05n02page1.html
Part 3 - March 2009 - http://pelicanweb.org/solisustv05n03page1.html

The March 2009 issue is enhanced by two "invited articles" from
distinguished authors. The April 2009 issue will start a new series on
the educational dimension of sustainable development.

SSNV is a monthly, free subscription, open access e-journal.

Sincerely,
Luis
__
Luis T. Gutierrez, Ph.D.
The Pelican Web
http://pelicanweb.org/
Editor, Solidarity, Sustainability, and Nonviolence
http://pelicanweb.org/solisust.html

[ECOLOG-L] What is "natural", was: Climate change and Agroecosystems

[joseph gathman]

> atom.fuller...@gmail.com writes:
> Are humans to  be
> considered a part of the natural world?...
...
> How do you  resolve this?

Simple: long ago I resolved to stop trying to resolve it.  ;)

Seriously, there's no clear answer that everybody agrees upon.  Your message 
summed up the problem well, so leave it at that.  It is what it is.  And, 
ultimately, I don't think we have to worry about what we call "natural" or 
"unnatural" - it doesn't really affect what we (scientists) do.  (It can, 
however, be a hot potato in the political/advocacy realm.)

I tend to think of it this way:  I think it likely that on any hypothetical 
planet with the right conditions, a sentient species is likely to evolve, and 
it will probably develop technology that alters its environment.  So in that 
sense, human civilization is just an outcome of natural evolutionary processes. 
 But I could be all wrong.

Joe


  

[ECOLOG-L] Assistant Professor job--reposting--Dover, Delaware

[kevina vulinec]

I apologize for double posting! Application materials were left out of
the first version.

DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY
POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT:  ASSISTANT PROFESSOR - BIOSTATISTICIAN
APPLY ONLINE:  WWW.DESU.EDU

General Description of the Job:
The position is a 12-month tenture-track faculty position (75%
research and 25% teaching) as a biostatistician at the assistant
professor level.  Research is open and concentration areas are in
agriculture and natural resource disciplines that include plant,
animal, and the environmental  sciences, fisheries and wildlife
sciences, genetics and genomics, morphometrics, population biology,
and/or statistical ecology.  Qualifications in statistics, with
experience in multivariate analysis, meta-analysis, Bayesian
statistics, and/or spatial statistics are requisite.  Postdoctoral
experience is desired.  The ability to work in a collaborative
interdisciplinary environment is essential.  Teaching responsibilities
include both introductory and advanced biostatistics courses at the
undergraduate and graduate levels.  As a faculty member, the
successful candidate would also mentor and advise undergraduate and
graduate students, actively engage in research, serve on academic
committees, and seek extramural  grant funding.
Because this position is partly supported by Experimental Program to
Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCor) funding, the successful
candidate will actively participate in the University's goal to
develop and establish the Center for Integrated Biological and
Environmental Research (CIBER) at DSU and the statewide EPSCoR mission
of research, education and outreach.
Qualification Standards
1. Education:  Candidate must have an earned doctorate degree in
biostatistics or a related field with demonstrated expertise in
statistical theory and  analyses in one or more of the sub-disciplines
mentioned below.
2. Successful experience:  Excellent written and verbal communication
skills are required.  Research  proficiency is expected.  Teaching
experience at the college level is desirable.
3. Other preferences:  The successful candidate must be able to work
supportively as a member of a team.

Essential Functions
The following are the functions essential to performing this job.
1. Teach a maximum of three courses each academic year, as required
2. Develop a nationally recognized research program.
3. Publish in recognized refereed journals.
4. Develop and submit grant proposals; coordinate and manage grants secured.
5. Advise undergraduate and graduate students
6. Participate in local, regional, national and international conferences.
7. Supervise assigned staff, including students.
8. Serve on academic committees, as assigned.
9. Participate in outreach activities, as needed.
10. Perform service to the community, as appropriate.

Performance Standards
The criteria for evaluation in this position include, but are not
limited to, the following:
1. Develop a Plan of Work that addresses the needs of the citizens of Delaware.
2. Provide reports on input, impact, and successful outcomes of the
faculty member's programs.
3. Produce scholarly work in peer-reviewed scientific journals, books,
and other publications.
4. Secure research project funding from extramural granting agencies.
5. Exhibit excellence in research, teaching, and service.
6. Comply with and facilitate the EEO mandate of Delaware State
University and USDA.

Applicants should submit electronically as ONE PDF FILE that includes
a letter of application, curriculum vitae, statements of research and
teaching goals, and scanned transcripts.  In addition, arrange to have
three letters of reference sent directly to:  Dr. Dyremple Marsh,
Dean, Delaware State University, College of Agriculture and Related
Sciences, 1200 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE  19901; email:
lhopk...@desu.edu
The position is to be filled for the 2009 Fall semester.

-- 
Kevina Vulinec, PhD, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware 19901-2277, (302) 857-6457
Fax: (302) 857-6455, kvuli...@desu.edu

[ECOLOG-L] Postdoc: functional biodiversity research, Germany

[David Inouye]

Jena, Germany: Postdoctoral position in functional biodiversity research

The position is based at the Institute of Ecology of the 
Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena and will focus on synthesizing 
work on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem 
functioning in biodiversity experiments and in natural and managed 
systems. The successful applicant will have the task to analyze if 
and how the mechanisms identified in biodiversity experiments can be 
applied to more natural systems and vice versa. The person will 
closely work together with researchers of the Jena grassland 
biodiversity experiment (www.the-jena-experiment.de). Preference is 
given to applicants with proven experience in community ecology and 
modeling. Experience in scientific writing is desirable. Please 
address further questions to 
wolfgang.weis...@uni-jena.de.


Central tasks include the scientific preparation and coordination of 
future project applications, the organization of workshops, and 
analyses of already existing data sets, pre-selection of suitable 
experimental sites and conduction of pre-studies. Further information 
are available under: 
www.uni-jena.de/ecology.html.


The successful candidate should hold a PhD a relevant field. Salary 
and benefits are linked to the German employee scale TV-L (full position).


As the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena intends to increase the 
proportion of female employees in science, women are particularly 
encouraged to apply. In case of equal personal aptitudes and 
qualification priority will be given to disabled persons.


 Please send your application document (cover letter, CV, list of 
publications, names and addresses of three references, all in a 
single pdf-file) with the corresponding reference number  to 
wolfgang.weis...@uni-jena.de and 
quote reference number 21/2009.  Review of applications starts on 13. 
March 2009 and continues until the position is filled.



Wolfgang W. Weisser
Institute of Ecology
Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
Dornburger Str. 159
07743 Jena
Germany

Tel:  0049 (0) 3641 949 410/400
Fax: 0049 (0) 3641 949 410/402

Homepage: www.uni-jena.de/ecology.html 

[ECOLOG-L] Summer Field Positions for Students: Forest Ecology on the Colville National Forest

[Gunnar Carnwath]

DESCRIPTION:  One (1) field crew supervisor and one (1) field crew 
position will be hired to assist a University of Montana graduate student 
with data collection.  The project’s objective is to assess the response 
of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir to drought and climate variability 
across different habitat types and growing conditions.  The crew will 
spend approximately three months working across all corners of the 
Colville National Forest in northeast WA to locate sites and collect 
data.  Camping will sometimes be required to access the most remote sites.

RESPONSIBILITIES:  Primary duties will involve coring trees and measuring 
various stand and tree attributes. Locating study sites will be an 
important and challenging component of these positions and will require 
the use of topographic maps, GPS, 4WD and off-trail hiking.  
 
QUALIFICATIONS:  These positions will be hired as USFS employees through 
the STEP program.  Candidates must be students that plan on returning to a 
college or university degree program following the field season.  These 
positions are best suited to upper-level undergraduates or graduate 
students who are giving serious consideration to advanced study or 
professional work in forest ecology or silviculture.  Candidates must be 
in good physical condition and capable of working long days in the field 
under hot, rugged and sometimes remote conditions.  Most importantly, I 
seek individuals who are self-motivated, detail-oriented, have legible 
handwriting, and can work and live cooperatively with others. Valid 
driver’s license and safe driving record is required.

SALARY:  $13.18 to $16.44/hr DOE.  Housing will be available.

DURATION/SCHEDULE:  Positions will be based out of the Sullivan Lake 
Ranger District, ~20 miles from the Canadian border.  Anticipated start 
and end dates are 8 June to 28 August 2009.  The work schedule will most 
likely be four 10 hour days with three days off each week.

CLOSING DATE:  Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until 10 
April 2008.

APPLICATION MATERIALS: 1) Cover letter that includes information about 
your interests and qualifications; dates of availability; and names, phone 
numbers, and email addresses of 3 references - including your most recent 
employer; 2) Resume; 3) Academic Transcripts.

TO APPLY: Attach application materials (preferably as a single Microsoft 
Word or Adobe PDF file) using the following naming 
format: “lastname_firstname_09App”.  Email complete application with 
subject line “2009 Field Work Application” to: gunnar_carnw...@yahoo.com   

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Gunnar Carnwath, PhD candidate 
University of Montana
Email: gunnar_carnw...@yahoo.com
Phone: 509-675-1540

[ECOLOG-L] GDP, housing bust, and habitat conversions

[Rob Baldwin]

Has anyone been giving thought to how the current economic downturn might be
affecting rates of habitat conversion? In the U.S., housing-based habitat
conversions have been one of the leading drivers of habitat loss and
degradation, during the most recent decades. This perhaps represents an
opportunity for an empirical test of the steady state economy ideas. GDP has
measurably dropped in the last months; have rates of habitat conversion
likewise dropped?


-- 
Robert Baldwin
Assistant Professor, Conservation Biology/GIS
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
(864) 656-4857

Re: [ECOLOG-L] "Natural" systems

[Daniel A Fiscus]

Brian, Adam and all,
 
Another angle I like to consider is that we could treat natural
and human nature and naturalness of humans all as flexible
and open to our creative and participatory input and action. 
One quick citation for this approach is the book by Wes 
Jackson - "Becoming Native to this Place". Rather than treat
"natural" as a static, objective, absolute, immutable term and
reality, we can decide, assert, agree and act to make ourselves
natural, as well as what that means to us. Many of us are not
native to this place (Wes Jackson in Kansas or myself in 
Western Maryland) yet following Jackson's lead we could 
make a different reality - we could become native, or become
natural, a natural part of the local environment, community,
ecosystem able to co-exist with other species, self-sustain
over the long-term and maybe even do more good than harm.
 
I think it is a good question and topic of discussion, and even
if messy, confusing or difficult still worth wrestling with. If it
points to deep issues like paradigmatic stances of objectivist
versus participatory human-nature relations, and lets people 
consider the implications, then it seems to have real value.
 
A few rough thoughts on this...a topic I have also ponder all
through grad. school and after...
 
Dan Fiscus
 
 
 
 
 
-- 
Dan Fiscus
Assistant Professor
Biology Department 
Frostburg State University 
308 Compton Science Center 
Frostburg, MD 21532 USA 
301-687-4170 
dafis...@frostburg.edu



From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of Czech, 
Brian
Sent: Sat 3/7/2009 5:09 PM
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] "Natural" systems



It's true that "natural" is just semantics in some contexts, but defining the 
term can affect the way our public lands are managed.  See for example the 
Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental Health Policy of the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service.  Here is one proposal for a frame of reference for 
natural conditions:



http://steadystate.org/Chronological_Frame_of_Reference_for_Ecological_Integrity.pdf
 





Brian Czech, Visiting Professor
Natural Resources Program
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
National Capital Region, Northern Virginia Center
7054 Haycock Road, Room 411
Falls Church, Virginia 22043



From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of Steve Kunz
Sent: Fri 2009-03-06 10:24
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Climate change and Agroecosystems



In the case of human mammals, there is something unique about our  place in
the world.  We have the "intelligence" to control our environment  on a large
scale.  Our control of otherwise "natural" systems can throw  them out of
balance, or at least, into a new balance.  In an extreme case,  this intelligent
control can completely wipe out most if not all of our own  species and most
others (think: nuclear war).  The planet doesn't care if  this happens, and some
species will survive and help start things over.  Is  the result "natural" or
"unnatural"?  At that point, it's just semantics  anyway.

Peace!

Steve Kunz




In a message dated 3/5/2009 6:08:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
atom.fuller...@gmail.com writes:

I'm a  grad student who reads the list-serve to look for job opportunities,
but  these threads on agroecosystems and climate change bring up a question  I
have never really gotten a satisfactory answer to, namely: Are humans to  be
considered a part of the natural world?  On the one hand, humans  are clearly
a species of mammal living on the planet.  Science in  general follows the
Copernican Principle: don't assume there is anything  particularly unique
about your place in the world.  I doubt many of  you would consider us to
have been specifically placed on the planet and  set apart from other forms
of life.  And yet, when it comes to the  things humans do, a clear
distinction is made between human causes and  natural ones, human modified
ecosystems and wild ones.  And it is  definitely useful to make distictions
between human effects and natural  ones when studying many ecosystems-I've
certainly done it in my own  research.

So why is this true?  How can natural humans cause  unnatural effects (or is
one assumption false, despite both seeming  reasonable)? Can only humans harm
the environment?  What's the  difference between an invasive species being
introduced to an island by  humans, or the same one arriving on the foot of a
bird?  What does  harming the environment mean, anyway?  Somewhat like the
two  perspectives above, I have seen it defined as: (A) changing the
environment  from it's original natural or pre-human state (which natural
state? how do  you define your baseline?), and (B) Making the environment
less capable of  supporting human life (supporting human life now or
i

[ECOLOG-L] Microbial Metagenomics Course, Summer 09

[Gwen Pearson]

Microbial Metagenomics
MMG 490/MMG 890 Section 432
Drs. Thomas Schmidt and Jay Lennon, MSU
June 15th -- June 27th 
Kellogg Biological Station
MTuWThFSat 9am - 5pm

*Admission to this class is by application only; Scholarship support is
available!* 

This course offers students opportunities to use state-of-the-art genomic
methods to address questions about the structure and function of microbial
communities. 

Our field site will be the Long Term Ecological Research Site at KBS. The
nucleic acid based data generated during the course will be integrated with
the expansive data set from the KBS LTER, which includes measurements of the
flux of greenhouse gases. The ultimate goal of the course is to uncover
relationships between changes in microbial communities and ecosystem functions.

Morning lectures will address pertinent ecological theories and principles
underlying experiments that will be conducting during the afternoon. The
afternoon laboratory sessions will be focused on molecular methods,
including generation purification of DNA from soil, PCR amplification and
construction of clone libraries, and quantitative PCR. This is an intensive
2-week course modeled after the longer and internationally acclaimed MBL
Microbial Diversity Course that Dr. Schmidt directs. 3 Credits.

Admission to this class is by application only.
http://www.kbs.msu.edu/summercourses/documents/Microbial-applic.doc
or
http://tinyurl.com/c73k62

Please email kbssum...@kbs.msu.edu with questions.

Gwen Pearson, PhD
Assistant Director for Education and Outreach
Kellogg Biological Station
http://www.kbs.msu.edu

Other KBS Summer course listings: 
http://www.kbs.msu.edu/summercourses/courses/index.php

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Thank you for responding to the survey!

[Jonathan Nelson]

Czech, Brian wrote:

Surely the key to environmental protection and economic security is not to 
maximize scientific credibility or minimize social responsibility, but rather 
to optimize the mixture.


An interesting survey on self-censorship was forwarded to me this week. 
 It's an good idea and I'd be curious to see the results, especially if 
others on this list participate.  Here's the link:


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=F1xytz_2fF_2fPl31pjFaIMzcg_3d_3d

[ECOLOG-L] Ecology Terminology Natural Re: [ECOLOG-L] "Natural" systems

[Wayne Tyson]

Honorable Forum:

It is intellectually healthy to continue to discuss meanings, particularly 
when the discussion sharpens rather than muddies distinctions. That is, 
after all, why language is useful. Language breaks down when it is used to 
manipulate rather than communicate.


Context is important, particularly when a term can mean different things in 
different contexts, but terms are most useful when they are universal in 
their meaning. In some academic contexts, for example, terms may be defined 
more or less sharply than in the general context of the broader usage in 
society at large. Beyond the sometimes necessary realm of technical jargon 
and shorthand, any discipline stands to benefit from terminology that is as 
universal, that has the same meaning in the broader context of society and 
in the realm of academic discipline. Sometimes, as in "ecology," for 
example, the meaning of terms becomes muddied by overly broad application, 
when distinctions become unclear or marginally relevant to the more 
disciplined definition. "Natural," however, while it may suffer from some 
misuse (as in advertising, which is, by its nature [no pun], artificial), 
has long served to distinguish that which is artificial from that which 
simply IS, without interference. Nature is natural; that which interferes 
with it is artificial.


WT

- Original Message - 
From: "Czech, Brian" 

To: 
Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 2:09 PM
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] "Natural" systems


It's true that "natural" is just semantics in some contexts, but defining 
the term can affect the way our public lands are managed.  See for example 
the Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental Health Policy of 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Here is one proposal for a frame of 
reference for natural conditions:




http://steadystate.org/Chronological_Frame_of_Reference_for_Ecological_Integrity.pdf 






Brian Czech, Visiting Professor
Natural Resources Program
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
National Capital Region, Northern Virginia Center
7054 Haycock Road, Room 411
Falls Church, Virginia 22043



From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of Steve 
Kunz

Sent: Fri 2009-03-06 10:24
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Climate change and Agroecosystems



In the case of human mammals, there is something unique about our  place 
in
the world.  We have the "intelligence" to control our environment  on a 
large

scale.  Our control of otherwise "natural" systems can throw  them out of
balance, or at least, into a new balance.  In an extreme case,  this 
intelligent
control can completely wipe out most if not all of our own  species and 
most
others (think: nuclear war).  The planet doesn't care if  this happens, 
and some
species will survive and help start things over.  Is  the result "natural" 
or

"unnatural"?  At that point, it's just semantics  anyway.

Peace!

Steve Kunz




In a message dated 3/5/2009 6:08:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
atom.fuller...@gmail.com writes:

I'm a  grad student who reads the list-serve to look for job 
opportunities,
but  these threads on agroecosystems and climate change bring up a 
question  I
have never really gotten a satisfactory answer to, namely: Are humans to 
be
considered a part of the natural world?  On the one hand, humans  are 
clearly

a species of mammal living on the planet.  Science in  general follows the
Copernican Principle: don't assume there is anything  particularly unique
about your place in the world.  I doubt many of  you would consider us to
have been specifically placed on the planet and  set apart from other 
forms

of life.  And yet, when it comes to the  things humans do, a clear
distinction is made between human causes and  natural ones, human modified
ecosystems and wild ones.  And it is  definitely useful to make 
distictions

between human effects and natural  ones when studying many ecosystems-I've
certainly done it in my own  research.

So why is this true?  How can natural humans cause  unnatural effects (or 
is
one assumption false, despite both seeming  reasonable)? Can only humans 
harm

the environment?  What's the  difference between an invasive species being
introduced to an island by  humans, or the same one arriving on the foot 
of a

bird?  What does  harming the environment mean, anyway?  Somewhat like the
two  perspectives above, I have seen it defined as: (A) changing the
environment  from it's original natural or pre-human state (which natural
state? how do  you define your baseline?), and (B) Making the environment
less capable of  supporting human life (supporting human life now or
indefinietely?  at  what standard of living?).  Those two goals aren't 
always

compatable.  So, comments?  Thoughts?  How do you  resolve this?

Adam


**A Good Credit Sco