[ECOLOG-L] summer courses at Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research

[David Inouye]

SUMMER TREE-RING STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA LTRR

The Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research (LTRR) is 
offering short summer courses in 
dendrochronology, including studies in 
dendroclimatology, dendroecology, and 
dendroarchaeology. Classes will convene May 16 – 
June 3rd, 2011 on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson.


Dendrochronology is the study of natural and 
human processes that are recorded in the 
tree-ring record. This record is retained over 
time due to the remarkable preservation qualities 
of wood, and across the wide geographical 
distribution of trees. Through the science of 
dendrochronology, a broad range of ecological, 
climatic, geological, and cultural variables can 
be reconstructed and analyzed with high spatial and temporal resolution.


These two and three-week intensive courses will 
introduce students to theory, laboratory and 
field techniques, and current research in each 
subfield. Courses will be based at the 
LTRR 
(http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/) 
with field trips to sites in the Southwest 
region. Lectures will be presented by course 
instructors and other leading scientists. Course 
readings are drawn primarily from the published 
literature. Classes are designed for graduate 
students as well as faculty, postdoctoral 
researchers, and working professionals with 
suitable backgrounds. (Undergraduates need to be 
advanced in dendroarcheology and dendroecology in 
order to register.  Contact course instructor below for prerequisite)


Registration and logistics: Courses can be taken 
for university credit by registering with the 
University of Arizona Summer School ( 
http://summer-winter.arizona.edu/). Course 
numbers are Geosciences (GEOS) 597i 
(dendroclimatology), 497j/597j 
(dendroarchaeology), and 497k/597k 
(dendroecology). Online registration will open in March 2011.


Prospective students should contact the 
instructor of the course of interest ASAP to 
obtain permission to register. 


Tuition will be payable to the University of 
Arizona upon acceptance into the course by the 
instructors and submission of application 
materials. Off-campus housing is available and 
must be arranged separately. All international 
students or those requiring special arrangements 
to participate should contact one of the 
instructors as soon as possible, prior to 
registration. A non-credit workshop that runs 
concurrently is available through the LTRR; 
contact the Summer School Coordinator for further information.


Courses begin Monday, May 16, 2011. Additional 
details will be posted periodically in coming 
weeks at 
http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/summerschool/index.html.


For more registration, housing, and general 
information, please contact the Summer School 
Coordinator, Lori Wilson at 520-621-1608 or email 
at 
lmwil...@ltrr.arizona.edu.


For questions regarding individual  class content 
and prerequisites, please contact:


Dendroclimatology: Ramzi 
Touchan, 
rtouc...@ltrr.arizona.edu 
(other instructor is Dave Meko)


Dendroecology: Ellis Margolis 
elli...@ltrr.arizona.edu 
(other instructors are Tom Swetnam and Don Falk)


Dendroarchaeology: Ron Towner, 
rtow...@ltrr.arizona.edu


Mail or fax: Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, 
105 West Stadium, University of Arizona, Tucson, 
AZ 85721 USA. Fax 
520-621-8229. We look 
forward to seeing you this summer!

[ECOLOG-L] FW: [ECOLOG-L] What do technicians do in the "off" season?

[Zurijanne Kelley]

-Original Message-
From: Krzysztof Sakrejda-Leavitt [mailto:krzysztof.sakre...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 8:41 AM
To: Zurijanne Kelley
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] What do technicians do in the "off" season?

Also, move to a state like Massachusetts where the health insurance for
the exploited classes is paid by society.  Alternatively, don't get sick.

Krzysztof

On 02/15/2011 10:12 PM, Zurijanne Kelley wrote:
> Here's what I got so far from everyone with a few more recommendations
> dotted about plus a few questions I have below:
> 
>- Find a temp job in the off season that is unrelated if you don't
obtain
>a career position
>- Volunteer
>- Stay in contact with former employees especially employers whose
>projects you are interested in
>- Make new friends and become couch/car savvy (fitting your entire life
>into your car/truck/hatchback)
>- Be flexible, determined and persistent!
>- State your case when applying to jobs (in cover letters); no BS!
>- Look for winter jobs in the desert, hydrology or botany related
>positions
>- Consider national parks and inquire about volunteering opportunities
>and potentially free housing
>- Apply to 39+1 jobs; it makes a difference
>- Improve yourself through courses (on and offline), or certificates
>- Consider publishing research by pursuing independent projects if
>possible while serving as a tech. Talk to your project leader about the
>possibility.
>- Consider traveling abroad to cheap countries. I went to Kenya for two
>months through Experiential Learning International. It cost me about
$1500
>for the program alone. It was the cheapest that I found with the
longest
>time period. It included two meals a day and housing.
>- Apply for unemployment if you worked in a position for at least six
>months. I've learned that it helps to apply for food stamps as well. It
>makes it easier when you're serving as a volunteer and parental/family
help
>isn't possible.
>- Live modestly! I've also learned that using coupons is amazing.
>- Don't buy a house; it decreases your flexibility when applying to
jobs.
>Don't sign an apartment lease even if the job is for five months and
the
>lease six months. That's money that could be in your pocket...yeah I
learned
>the hard way.
> 
> The questions I have are:
>  @Ms. Weissinger: When pursuing international opportunities should those
> experiences be detailed as if it were a job or as volunteer experience
> only?
> 
> @Mr. McCallum What journals would you recommend for techs without advanced
> degrees to pursue publication in?
> 

-- 

---
Krzysztof Sakrejda-Leavitt

Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
319 Morrill Science Center South
611 N. Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01003

work #: 413-325-6555
email: sakre...@cns.umass.edu
---

[ECOLOG-L] FW: [ECOLOG-L] What do technicians do in the "off" season?

[Zurijanne Kelley]

I second this wholeheartedly. 

 

From: Ian Will [mailto:igw...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 12:17 PM
To: Zurijanne Kelley
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] What do technicians do in the "off" season?

 

One of the in-between jobs that I feel works well is substitute teaching.
Depending on the your needs and the needs of your local districts this may
have to be a supplemental to another job.

The district I am with (and all others as far as I can tell) have a
callout-offer system, so you work only when they call and you accept the
job. This means you can disappear for a seasonal job or travel at the drop
of a hat, and come back to a job right away. The downside is that there are
a number of days that you may not get any calls, and therefore don't make
any money. But, you can work for multiple districts in your area to bolster
your chances.

Ian

On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 7:12 PM, Zurijanne Kelley  wrote:

Here's what I got so far from everyone with a few more recommendations
dotted about plus a few questions I have below:

  - Find a temp job in the off season that is unrelated if you don't obtain
  a career position
  - Volunteer
  - Stay in contact with former employees especially employers whose
  projects you are interested in
  - Make new friends and become couch/car savvy (fitting your entire life
  into your car/truck/hatchback)
  - Be flexible, determined and persistent!
  - State your case when applying to jobs (in cover letters); no BS!
  - Look for winter jobs in the desert, hydrology or botany related
  positions
  - Consider national parks and inquire about volunteering opportunities
  and potentially free housing
  - Apply to 39+1 jobs; it makes a difference
  - Improve yourself through courses (on and offline), or certificates
  - Consider publishing research by pursuing independent projects if
  possible while serving as a tech. Talk to your project leader about the
  possibility.
  - Consider traveling abroad to cheap countries. I went to Kenya for two
  months through Experiential Learning International. It cost me about $1500
  for the program alone. It was the cheapest that I found with the longest
  time period. It included two meals a day and housing.
  - Apply for unemployment if you worked in a position for at least six
  months. I've learned that it helps to apply for food stamps as well. It
  makes it easier when you're serving as a volunteer and parental/family
help
  isn't possible.
  - Live modestly! I've also learned that using coupons is amazing.
  - Don't buy a house; it decreases your flexibility when applying to jobs.
  Don't sign an apartment lease even if the job is for five months and the
  lease six months. That's money that could be in your pocket...yeah I
learned
  the hard way.

The questions I have are:
 @Ms. Weissinger: When pursuing international opportunities should those
experiences be detailed as if it were a job or as volunteer experience
only?

@Mr. McCallum What journals would you recommend for techs without advanced
degrees to pursue publication in?

 

[ECOLOG-L] FW: [ECOLOG-L] What do technicians do in the "off" season?

[Zurijanne Kelley]

 

 

From: Rebecca Weissinger [mailto:rebecca.weissin...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 10:20 AM
To: Zurijanne Kelley
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] What do technicians do in the "off" season?

 

Hi Zurijanne,

 

I think it is always best to be clear about what is volunteer work and what
is paid work. Then make sure to detail your activities... did you
"independently develop a cactus monitoring program to monitor the effects of
poaching", or did you "educate park visitors on conservation issues."
Especially with volunteer opportunities you set up yourself, you often won't
have a lot of guidance or supervision, so make it clear that you didn't just
show up and have someone tell you what to do - you were motivated enough to
create and opportunity and see it through.

 

Good luck!

On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 8:04 PM, Zurijanne Kelley  wrote:

Here's what I got so far from everyone with a few more recommendations
dotted about plus a few questions I have below: 

*   Find a temp job in the off season that is unrelated if you don't
obtain a career position
*   Volunteer
*   Stay in contact with former employees especially employers whose
projects you are interested in
*   Make new friends and become couch/car savvy (fitting your entire
life into your car/truck/hatchback)
*   Be flexible, determined and persistent!
*   State your case when applying to jobs (in cover letters); no BS!
*   Look for winter jobs in the desert, hydrology or botany related
positions
*   Consider national parks and inquire about volunteering opportunities
and potentially free housing
*   Apply to 39+1 jobs; it makes a difference
*   Improve yourself through courses (on and offline), or certificates
*   Consider publishing research by pursuing independent projects if
possible while serving as a tech. Talk to your project leader about the
possibility.
*   Consider traveling abroad to cheap countries. I went to Kenya for
two months through Experiential Learning International. It cost me about
$1500 for the program alone. It was the cheapest that I found with the
longest time period. It included two meals a day and housing. 
*   Apply for unemployment if you worked in a position for at least six
months. I've learned that it helps to apply for food stamps as well. It
makes it easier when you're serving as a volunteer and parental/family help
isn't possible. 
*   Live modestly! I've also learned that using coupons is amazing. 
*   Don't buy a house; it decreases your flexibility when applying to
jobs. Don't sign an apartment lease even if the job is for five months and
the lease six months. That's money that could be in your pocket...yeah I
learned the hard way.

The questions I have are:

 @Ms. Weissinger: When pursuing international opportunities should those
experiences be detailed as if it were a job or as volunteer experience only?


 

@Mr. McCallum What journals would you recommend for techs without advanced
degrees to pursue publication in?

 

 

Re: [ECOLOG-L] What do technicians do in the "off" season?

[Olivia D.]

Dear Jason et al.,

After 10+ years of doing the seasonal field tech thing (including a couple
after getting my MS), I absolutely echo what Ms. Orling and Ms. Weissinger
and others have said (there are winter jobs in Arizona and southern
California! go travel and volunteer!), but I also want to put in a plug for
Americorps. Americorps is not just for recent high school or college
graduates. The others in my program were well-educated, well-experienced,
entry-level professionals. My Americorps position with a water district was
an opportunity to hold a lot of responsibility, learn a great deal, and work
for a whole continuous year building resume-worthy experience while getting
a stipend and funds to pay back some school loans. SCA is another good
conservation-oriented organization with leadership opportunities. In my
opinion, volunteerism gets short shrift in the US, and it's often overlooked
by those of us looking for yet another field gig.

Olivia

[ECOLOG-L] Species Occurrence Modelling Workshop, Vancouver and Quebec, March 2011

[Darryl MacKenzie]

Modelling Patterns and Dynamics of Species Occurrence Workshop
Instructor: Darryl I. MacKenzie, Proteus Wildlife Research Consultants
Vancouver, 7-11 March 2011
Quebec, 14-18 March 2011
Vancouver, 21-25 March 2011
Cost: CAD$750

There are still a few spots remaining in these courses. Registration 
details available from the below link.


The presence or absence of a species across a set of landscape units is 
a fundamental concept widely used in ecology (e.g., species range or 
distribution, epidemiology, habitat modelling, resource selection 
probability functions, as a monitoring metric, metapopulation studies, 
biodiversity and species co-occurrence). An important sampling issue, 
however, is that a species may not always be detected when present at a 
landscape unit. This will result in "false absences" causing parameter 
estimates to be biased if unaccounted for, possibly leading to 
misleading results and conclusions, even with moderate levels of 
imperfect detection.


This workshop will cover many of the latest methods for modelling 
patterns and dynamics of species occurrence in a landscape while 
accounting for the imperfect detection of the species. Participants will 
be introduced to available software through worked examples, and there 
will be special emphasis on aspects of study design. While primarily 
aimed at the beginner and intermediate level, more experienced 
researchers will also benefit from attending.


For more details visit http://www.proteus.co.nz/workshops.html

[ECOLOG-L] soil health demos

[Reinhart, Kurt]

Had to pass this link along for Ray the Soil Guy-

 

http://vimeo.com/channels/raythesoilguy 

 

If you're interested in reducing erosion and use of pesticides,
herbicides, fertilizers, and petroleum while increasing drought
tolerance, agricultural production, carbon sequestration in soils, and
overall sustainability of agriculture then have a look, link to your
website, &/or share with a friend.  Many of you are familiar with these
stories but these guys are on the front lines and doing an amazing job
of changing the minds of farmers & ranchers.

 

Hats off to Ray's group for promoting sustainable stewardship of land.

___

Kurt Reinhart, Ecologist

USDA-Agricultural Research Service

Fort Keogh Livestock & Range Research Laboratory
 

243 Fort Keogh Rd.

Miles City, MT 59301

Ph: (406) 874-8219

Email: kurt.reinh...@ars.usda.gov

Personal educational website: http://www.iecology.net/

 

[ECOLOG-L] Resource Economist job at Union of Concerned Scientists

[Heather Sisan]

Resource Economist
Union of Concerned Scientists
Washington, DC or Chicago, IL Office 

The Union of Concerned Scientists is a nationally prominent science-based 
nonprofit working on issues we believe to be the greatest environmental 
and security threats of our time. UCS combines rigorous scientific 
analysis with innovative thinking and effective citizen advocacy to 
achieve practical solutions. We strive for a future that is free from the 
threats of global warming and nuclear war, and a planet that supports a 
rich diversity of life. Our specific focus areas include global warming, 
renewable energy, advanced vehicle technology, nuclear power safety, 
nuclear weapons and related security issues, preserving the integrity of 
science, and sustainable agriculture. 

As a core member of a vibrant and creative interdisciplinary team 
including ecosystem scientists, molecular biologists, economists, media 
professionals, lobbyists, and communications specialists, the Resource 
Economist will bring strong analytic skills and modeling expertise to our 
Food and Environment Program and to the organization as a whole. The 
Resource Economist will have significant opportunities to contribute to 
program strategies on agriculture and the environment and will bridge the 
gap between UCS and academic and government researchers focused on climate 
change and the competing uses of land for food, fiber, forest, and fuel. 

The Position: 

The Resource Economist will provide in-house expertise in land-use 
modeling to support UCS’s advocacy in the area of land use choices for 
food, fiber, forest, and fuel, and the incorporation of the unintended 
health and environmental consequences of various ranching and agricultural 
practices into policy debates. 

Responsibilities:

•   Develop in-house expertise on climate change and land-use modeling
•   Develop program goals, strategies, tactics, particularly on 
agricultural, land use, and environmental issues. 
•   Review and critique current policies; propose new policies to 
address new problems.
•   Design, implement, and manage research projects on land use and 
the externalities of agricultural and ranching policies.
•   Write program communications on agricultural, land use, and 
environmental issues.
•   Represent program on agricultural and climate issues.
•   Participate in developing fundraising strategies.

Qualifications:

•   Ph.D. in applied agricultural, resource, or environmental 
economics or other appropriate discipline 
•   Demonstrated experience with relevant models associated with the 
competition of uses for land (e.g, GTAP, FASOM)
•   Familiarity with the economics of land use issues associated with 
the externalities of agricultural activities, renewable energy mandates, 
population and economic growth, and climate change   
•   Strong analytic and project management skills
•   Understanding of how economics and advocacy shape public opinion 
and policy debates
•   Excellent writing and public speaking skills

Experience Needed:

•   Two or more years of progressively responsible experience in 
agricultural, environmental, or resource economics or other appropriate 
discipline
•   Familiarity with public policy process regarding agriculture, 
renewable energy, climate change, and land use  
•   Demonstrated ability to produce reports on economics and policy 
issues and write about complex policy and economics matters for a lay 
audience 

NGO experience is preferred but not essential. 

To Apply:

Before March 14, please submit a cover letter with salary requirements and 
how you learned of the position and resume via email to j...@ucsusa.org 
and include “Resource Economist” in the subject line. Email materials in 
Word documents only. No phone calls.

[ECOLOG-L] Job : GIS / DATABASE SPECIALIST

[Amy C Macleod]

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) / DATABASE SPECIALIST: The primary 
purpose of this position is to provide GIS and database management support 
to the USGS research ecologist who is the principal investigator of 
several large-scale bear research projects in northwest Montana. The 
incumbent will use GIS to address ecological research questions, assist in 
the development and coordination of GIS projects, and prepare graphics for 
multimedia presentations to various technical and non-technical audiences. 
The incumbent will also assist in managing project databases, provide data 
summaries as needed and help coordinate field activities. The incumbent 
will work under the technical supervision of the Research Ecologist. This 
position is duty-stationed at the USGS Glacier Field Station in West 
Glacier, Montana and is full time for at least 2 years, starting as soon 
as possible.

For more information: http://nrmsc.usgs.gov/jobs

[ECOLOG-L] Job Opportunity: Assistant Professor in Human Dimensions

[Tomoaki Miura]

Position Title:  Assistant Professor in Human Dimensions of Agroecosystems and 
Natural Resources
Institution:  University of Hawaii at Manoa


The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM) at the 
University of Hawaii at Manoa seeks applicants for a full-time, tenure-track 
position at the Assistant Professor level in Human Dimensions of Agroecosystems 
and Natural Resources, to begin on August 1, 2011.


Full-time, 9-month, tenure-track academic position – 50% Research / 50% Teaching


An applicant with interest in an integrated systems approach (i.e. coupled 
human-nature systems approach) to understanding the linkages, interactions, and 
dynamics between natural environments, and ecosystems, and human systems for 
sustainable livelihoods is desired. 


The successful candidate is expected to develop an extramurally-funded, active 
research program on human dimensions of natural resources, including such 
aspects as agroecosystems, human-nature conflicts, urban-rural interface, water 
security, ecosystem services, or sustainable systems; and to actively 
participate in undergraduate and graduate teaching which include developing and 
teaching a new undergraduate and/or graduate course in human dimensions of 
natural resources and/or ecosystem services, teaching/co-teaching core courses 
in the NREM undergraduate and/or graduate curriculums, and advising 
undergraduate and graduate students. 


Review of applications will begin on March 28, 2011 and will continue until the 
position is filled.  Applicants should provide a cover letter, curriculum 
vitae, official transcripts, and contact information (name, telephone number, 
address, and email address) for three professional references to Natural 
Resources & Environmental Management, College of Tropical Agriculture & Human 
Resources, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, 1910 East West Road, Sherman 101, 
Honolulu, HI 96822.


For further information of the position, please visit 
http://www.pers.hawaii.edu/wuh/search.aspx (Position Number 83142) or contact 
Dr. Catherine Chan-Halbrendt (chanh...@hawaii.edu; +1-808-956-7530). 


The University of Hawai’i is an equal opportunity/affirmative action 
institution.  All qualified applicants will be considered, regardless of race, 
sex, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital 
status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation or status as a disabled 
veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era.  Women, members of minority groups, 
veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

[ECOLOG-L] Call for Abstracts open for Conference on Informatics for Phylogenetics, Evolution, and Biodiversity (iEvoBio)

[Hilmar Lapp]

The Call for Abstracts for full talks is now open for the 2011  
conference on Informatics for Phylogenetics, Evolution, and  
Biodiversity (iEvoBio), at
http://ievobio.org/ocs/index.php/ievobio/2011. See below for  
instructions.


Accepted talks will be about 15-20 minutes in length and will be  
presented during the full talk sessions in the morning of each of the  
two conference days, following the day's keynote presentation.


Submitted talks should be in the area of informatics aimed at  
advancing research in phylogenetics, evolution, and biodiversity,  
including new tools, cyberinfrastructure development, large-scale data  
analysis, and visualization.


Submissions consist of a title and an abstract at most 1 page long.  
The abstract should provide an overview of the talk's subject.  As the  
number of program slots for full talks is limited, the abstract should  
give enough detail so reviewers can decide whether the submission  
merits a full talk or whether it should be moved to one of the  
Lightning Talk sessions.  If the subject of the talk is a specific  
software component for use by the research community, the abstract  
must state the license and give the URL where the source code is  
available so reviewers can verify that the open-source requirement(*)  
is met.


The deadline for submission is March 18, 2011. We intend to notify  
authors of accepted talks before early registration for iEvoBio (and  
Evolution) ends. Further instructions for submission are at the  
following URL:


http://ievobio.org/ocs/index.php/ievobio/2011/schedConf/cfp

Full talks are 1 of 5 kinds of contributed content that iEvoBio will  
feature. The other 4 are: 1) Lightning talks (5 mins long), 2)  
Challenge entries, 3) Software bazaar demonstrations, and 4) Birds-of- 
a-Feather gatherings. The Call for Challenge entries is already open  
(see http://ievobio.org/challenge.html). The calls for contribution to  
the other 3 sessions will open later, and will remain open until  
shortly before the conference or until the respective track fills up.


More details about the program and guidelines for contributing content  
are available at http://ievobio.org.  You can also find continuous  
updates on the conference's Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/ 
iEvoBio , or subscribe to the low-traffic iEvoBio announcements  
mailing list at http://groups.google.com/group/ievobio-announce


iEvoBio is sponsored by the US National Evolutionary Synthesis Center  
(NESCent) in partnership with the Society for the Study of Ecolution  
(SSE) and the Society of Systematic Biologists (SSB). Additional  
support has been provided by the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL).



The iEvoBio 2011 Organizing Committee:
Rob Guralnick (University of Colorado at Boulder) (Co-chair)
Cynthia Parr (Encyclopedia of Life) (Co-chair)
Dawn Field (UK National Environmental Research Center)
Mark Holder (University of Kansas)
Hilmar Lapp (NESCent)
Rod Page (University of Glasgow)

(*) iEvoBio and its sponsors are dedicated to promoting the practice  
and philosophy of Open Source software development (see http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php) 
 and reuse within the research community. For this reason, if a  
submitted talk concerns a specific software system for use by the  
research community, that software must be licensed with a recognized  
Open Source License (see http://www.opensource.org/licenses/), and be  
available for download, including source code, by a tar/zip file  
accessed through ftp/http or through a widely used version control  
system like cvs, Subversion, git, Bazaar, or Mercurial.  Authors of  
full talks who cannot meet this requirement at the time of submission  
should state their intentions, and are advised that the requirement  
must be met by June 19, 2011, at the latest.

[ECOLOG-L] Help Not a joke! Preserving fecal matter

[Wayne Tyson]

I know this sounds like a joke, but I'm serious. 

What is the best way to preserve dried fecal matter (for display)? While I 
would like to preserve its present appearance, I realize that it may not be 
possible to do without making it look shiny (polyvinyl acetate), and I would 
like to do it myself with minimal apparatus. 

WT

[ECOLOG-L] spaces still available, Western Huckleberry Forum

[Andra Forney]

A few spaces are still available for the Western Huckleberry Forum taking place 
February 22nd and 23rd at the foot of the Canadian Rockies in beautiful 
Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada.

The black mountain huckleberry is one of the most important wild berry species 
for both bears and humans, in western Canada and the United States.  However, 
over the past 50 years the abundance and productivity of this species has been 
in decline.  This conference will bring together huckleberry experts, resource 
managers, foresters, ecological restoration experts, huckleberry pickers and a 
diverse crowd to learn about and discuss the most recent research on this 
important berry, and what can be done to improve the wellbeing of this species 
through out its range.

For more information including a list of speakers, information on how to 
register and accommodations in the Cranbrook area please visit: 
http://www.ser.org/serbc/events.asp

[ECOLOG-L] 2 positions open at NSF

[Inouye, David William]

2 openings for permanent program directors, in EP and PCE:

The Evolutionary Processes Cluster supports research on
microevolutionary processes and their macroevolutionary consequences.
Topics include mutation, gene flow, recombination, natural selection,
genetic drift, assortative mating acting within species, speciation, and
long-term features of evolution.  

The Population Community Ecology Cluster supports research that advances
the conceptual or theoretical understanding of population ecology,
species interactions and community dynamics in terrestrial, wetland and
freshwater habitats. We encourage projects that integrate theoretical,
modeling, and empirical approaches, or that promote synthesis across
spatial and temporal scales.  

http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?OPMControl=2136910&org=NSF 

 

David W. Inouye

 

Program Director

Population and Community Ecology Cluster

Division of Environmental Biology

National Science Foundation

4201 Wilson Blvd, Suite 635
Arlington, VA 22230
Phone: 703.292.8570
Fax: 703.292.9064

E-mail: dino...@nsf.gov

 

[ECOLOG-L] FW: Knowledge of Climate Change Across Global Warming's Six Americas

[Inouye, David William]

Dear Friends,
 
Today we are pleased to announce the release of a new report entitled
"Knowledge of Climate Change Across Global Warming's Six Americas
 ." This report draws from a national study
we conducted last year on what Americans understand about how the
climate system works, and the causes, impacts, and potential solutions
to global warming and is available here
 .
 
Overall, we found that knowledge about climate change varies widely
across the Six Americas - 49 percent of the Alarmed received a passing
grade (A, B, or C), compared to 33 percent of the Concerned, 16 percent
of the Cautious, 17 percent of the Doubtful, 4 percent of the
Dismissive, and 5 percent of the Disengaged. In general, the Alarmed and
the Concerned better understand how the climate system works and the
causes, consequences, and solutions to climate change than the
Disengaged, the Doubtful and the Dismissive. For example: 
 
*  87% of the Alarmed and 76% of the Concerned understand that
global warming is caused mostly by human activities compared to 37% of
the Disengaged, 6% of the Doubtful and 3% of the Dismissive;
*  86% of the Alarmed and 71% of the Concerned understand that
emissions from cars and trucks contribute substantially to global
warming compared to 18% of the Disengaged, 16% of the Doubtful and 10%
of the Dismissive;
*  89% of the Alarmed and 64% of the Concerned understand that a
transition to renewable energy sources is an important solution compared
to 12% of the Disengaged, 13% of the Doubtful and 7% of the Dismissive.
 
However, this study also found that occasionally the Doubtful and
Dismissive have as good or a better understanding than the Alarmed or
Concerned. For example:
 
*  79% of the Dismissive and 74% of the Doubtful correctly
understand that the greenhouse effect refers to gases in the atmosphere
that trap heat, compared to 66% of the Alarmed and 64% of the Concerned;
*  The Dismissive are less likely to incorrectly say that "the
greenhouse effect" refers to the Earth's protective ozone layer than all
other groups, including the Alarmed (13% vs. 24% respectively);
*  50% of the Dismissive and 57% of the Doubtful understand that
carbon dioxide traps heat from the Earth's surface, compared to 59% of
the Alarmed, and 45% of the Concerned.
 
This study also identified numerous gaps between expert and public
knowledge about climate change. For example, only:
 
*  13% of the Alarmed know how much carbon dioxide there is in the
atmosphere today (approximately 390 parts per million) compared to 5% of
the Concerned, 9% of the Cautious, 4% of the Disengaged, 6% of the
Doubtful and 7% of the Dismissive;
*  52% of the Alarmed have heard of coral bleaching, vs. 24% of the
Concerned, 23% of the Cautious, 5% of the Disengaged, 21% of the
Doubtful and 24% of the Dismissive;
*  46% of the Alarmed have heard of ocean acidification, vs. 22% of
the Concerned, 25% of the Cautious, 6% of the Disengaged, 23% of the
Doubtful and 16% of the Dismissive.
 
This study also found important misconceptions leading many to
misunderstand the causes and therefore the solutions to climate change.
For example, many Americans confuse climate change and the hole in the
ozone layer. Such misconceptions were particularly apparent for the
Alarmed and Concerned segments:
 
*  63% of the Alarmed and 49% of the Concerned believe that the hole
in the ozone layer is a significant contributor to global warming
compared to 32% of the Cautious, 12% of the Disengaged, 6% of the
Doubtful and 7% of the Dismissive;
*  49% of the Alarmed and 36% of the Concerned believe that aerosol
spray cans are a significant contributor to global warming compared to
20% of the Cautious, 9% of the Disengaged, 7% of the Doubtful and 5% of
the Dismissive;
*  39% of the Alarmed and 23% of the Concerned believe that banning
aerosol spray cans would reduce global warming compared to 13% of the
Cautious, 3% of the Disengaged, 4% of the Doubtful and 1% of the
Dismissive.
 
Concerned, Cautious and Disengaged Americans also recognize their own
limited understanding of the issue. Fewer than 1 in 10 say they are
"very well informed" about climate change, and 75 percent or more say
they would like to know more. The Alarmed also say they need more
information (76%), while the Dismissive say they do not need any more
information about global warming (73%).
 
Overall, these and other results within this report demonstrate that
most Americans both need and desire more information about climate
change. While information alone is not sufficient to engage the public
in the issue, it is often a necessary precursor of effective action.
 
In a few weeks we will be releasing a report on climate change knowledge
among American teenagers, provid

[ECOLOG-L] The Purpose of the Environmental Crisis

[Neil Cummins]

If you are interested in the work of Friedrich Hölderlin, or the idea that
the environmental crisis has a purpose, then you might find this following
book of interest:


The Purpose of the Environmental Crisis:  A Reinterpretation of Holderlin's
Philosophy

A Book Description and other information can be found here:


http://www.cranmorepublications.co.uk/the-purpose-of-the-environmental-crisis


Best

Neil

[ECOLOG-L] measures of volume/weight of food items in gut contents of 2-20 cm fishes

[Gianluca Polgar]

Dear all,

I am working on the gut contents of small fish species (approxim. 2-20 
cm TL), and I would like to measure the VOLUME of the food items as a 
measure of bulk.


1) I may estimate the volume of the meiofauna, which usually includes 
small and transparent organisms (e.g. diatoms) by using the fine focus 
knob of an optical microscope to measure the thickness, and digital 
imaging to measure the area.


2) Much larger items (e.g. > 4 mL), could be measured by water 
displacement in 10 mL graduated cylinders (usually having an accuracy of 
+/- 0.2 mL, that is about 5% of the minimum measured volume) ... IF the 
object (e.g. a large cheliped) fits inside the cylinder.


3) But what about intermediate objects (e.g. larger than about 1-2 mm)? 
These ones do not fit in the visual field of the microscope, and are 
usually not transparent. Large errors can be made with the fine focus 
knob. I was thinking about water displacement ... that would mean an 
instrument to measure the volume of small solids of irregular shape, in 
a range of 4 microL (+/- 0.2 microL) to 4 mL (+/- 0.05 mL).


What would you suggest? I thought using high performance syringes and 
calculate the volume with or without the object inside (e.g. 1 x 5 
microL, 1x 10 microL, 1 x 100 microL, 1 x of 1 mL, 1 x 2.5 mL and 1 x 5 
mL). Yet the internal diameter of the syringes might be too small to fit 
in the food items ...


I may also wish to measure the WEIGHT of the food items:

1) For smaller ones I could infer it from linear or volume measurements 
plus density estimates, either available in the literature (e.g. 
Eletheriou & McIntyre, 2005), or empirically determined (e.g. by 
extraction with Ludox sol for items such as diatoms or forams).


2) Larger items could be measured on a precision balance ... Yet would 
the former estimates be comparable with these direct measurements?
For example, since the dry weight (oven-drying them to constant weight) 
would not be comparable to the weight inferred from volume and density 
estimates (would it?), I should just "blot" or air-dry larger items for 
a few minutes... yet won't this determine a considerable difference of 
the percentage of evaporated water between different items?


I almost could not find anything in the literature, and this is my first 
experience with these methods ...
Could anyone share with me his opinions, comments, suggestions, 
criticisms, etc.?   :-)


Thank you!

All the best,

Gianluca


--
Gianluca Polgar Ph.D.
Senior lecturer in Ichthyology
Institute of Biological Sciences
Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences
Faculty of Science, University of Malaya
50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel.: 017-6223549
Fax (ISB): 03-79674178
e-mail: gianluca.pol...@gmail.com
www.themudskipper.org

O___!__/__
{__)_\

[ECOLOG-L] Two postdoc positions at SERC

[David Inouye]

TWO POST-DOCTORAL POSITIONS AVAILABLE AT THE 
SMITHSONIAN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER


Funding is available for two post-doctoral 
researchers to work with Denise Breitburg’s 
Marine & Estuarine Ecology Lab at SERC.


SHALLOW WATER HYPOXIA – TIPPING THE BALANCE FOR 
INDIVIDUALS, POPULATIONS AND ECOSYSTEMS.


A position is available to design and conduct 
field and laboratory research on the effects of 
diel-cycling hypoxia and the accompanying 
diel-cycling pH on estuarine fish, shellfish and 
food webs. This is the start of a new 5-year 
research program that focuses on the effects of 
hypoxia in shallow portions of estuaries on a 
range of processes including oyster disease, 
juvenile fish growth, fish reproduction and 
behavior. The postdoc will also have the 
opportunity to collaborate in modeling that will 
use experiment and field-sampling results to 
predict effects at the scale of populations and 
the Chesapeake Bay food web. Field work will 
focus on Chesapeake Bay and the Maryland coastal 
bays. However, the research addresses issues that 
are of general interest to management of 
estuarine and coastal waters, as well as basic 
issues in ecology related to the relationships 
among spatial variation in the environment, 
responses of individual organisms, and effects 
seen at the scale of populations and food webs. I 
am seeking a candidate with broad interests in 
fundamental issues in ecology and restoration/environmental management.


EFFECTS OF LAND USE AND SHORELINE MODIFICATION ON 
ESTUARINE FISH AND FOOD WEBS - START DATE AND APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED


A postdoctoral position is available for a highly 
qualified individual to join a multidisciplinary 
team of scientists on a study that seeks to 
understand the effects of land use and shoreline 
modification on estuarine fish and food webs. 
Increasing human populations in the coastal zone, 
along with pressures to harden shorelines in 
response to erosion and sea level rise, are 
greatly altering estuarine habitats and water 
quality. A major question is how the combination 
of these stressors will affect estuarine fish 
populations. Field work will focus on Chesapeake 
Bay and the Maryland coastal bays, but the goal 
of the research program is to address issues with 
broader geographic relevance.The successful 
candidate will lead field sampling designed to 
examine the abundances, species composition and 
distributions of fishes relative to different 
shoreline types and land uses, and will design 
complementary research incorporating the 
candidates interests and expertise. The post-doc 
will have the opportunity to collaborate with a 
diverse group of scientists with expertise in 
spatial ecology, food webs, wetlands and 
biogeochemistry. We are seeking a candidate with 
expertise in fish ecology who can add a new 
dimension to the program to complement routine 
sampling. Possibilities include, but are not 
limited to areas such as parasitology and/or fish 
health, spatial ecology, modeling and physiology. 
The successful applicant will work will Denise 
Breitburg and other PIs to develop observational 
and experimental studies relevant to both 
environmental management and basic questions in ecology.


 QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates for both positions 
should hold a Ph.D. with specialization in 
estuarine or marine ecology, fisheries, fish 
ecology, or a closely related field. Publication 
of research in the peer-reviewed literature will 
be a major factor in selecting the successful candidate.


APPLICATION INFORMATION: The initial appointments 
are for one year with full benefits and a 
competitive stipend, and continued funding is 
available for an additional 1-2 years provided 
satisfactory progress. The positions are 
available Spring 2011 and candidates should be 
able to begin the fellowships by June 2011.


Please send CV, brief statement of research 
interests, and contact information for 3 people 
who can provide references to Denise Breitburg 
(breitbu...@si.edu). Be sure to indicate which 
position you are applying to (hypoxia or 
shoreline modification). Preference will be given 
to applications received by March 4.

[ECOLOG-L] Post-doc at Ball State University in stream ecology

[Mark Pyron]

Postdoc needed to work on studies of large river fish assemblages, 
gastropod assemblages or populations, or other stream ecology topics in our 
lab. The exact research topics are flexible based on applicants desires and 
experience. 
-Starting date of August 2011. 
-PhD and publication experience required
-Background in stream ecology preferred

Application process: Please email a letter of application, complete CV, 
copies of academic transcripts, and names and contacts for three references 
to Mark Pyron at mpy...@bsu.edu. Review of applicants will begin 
immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Mark Pyron, Ph.D.
www.bsu.edu/web/mpyron/

[ECOLOG-L] WEBS: symposium for early career female biologists

[Samantha Forde]

WEBS (Women Evolving Biological Sciences) is an annual three-day symposium
aimed at addressing the retention of female scientists and issues related to
the transition of women from early career stages to tenure track positions
and leadership roles in academic and research settings. Past WEBS symposium
in 2007, 2008, and 2010 were huge successes. Early career participants as
well as our senior scientist panelists reported feeling inspired and
equipped with new connections and tools that they expect will help them in
their career in the years to come. We would appreciate your assistance in
passing along this information to any of your colleagues who you think will
be interested in our program.

WEBS targets early career women in the Biological Sciences with an emphasis
on ecology and evolutionary biology. In particular, it focuses on women who
have earned their doctoral degrees within the past two to eight years and
who do not have tenure in order to address the critical transition period
from graduate studies and post-doctoral positions to permanent research and
teaching positions.

The symposium will provide a forum for professional development, including
awareness and improvement of academic leadership skills; opportunities to
establish mentoring relationships; and resources for developing professional
networks. The 2011 symposium will be held at NESCent (National Evolutionary
Synthesis Center) in Durham, NC from November 6 -9, 2011.

Please visit our website (http://www.webs.washington.edu) for details and
application materials. Feel free to contact us with any questions you might
have (websi...@u.washington.edu). Applications open March 1, 2011 and will
be due on April 15, 2011.


Dr. Samantha Forde, University of California Santa Cruz
Dr. Claire Horner-Devine, University of Washington
Dr. Joyce Yen, University of Washington

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Keys for freshwater bivalves and gastropods in eastern U.S.A.

[Chalfant, Brian]

Enthusiastic salutations!

I gratefully received a slew of helpful responses to my request for eastern 
U.S.A. freshwater mollusk keys.  Endless thank yous to all who responded!

A few folks asked that I post a list of the recommended resources back to the 
list.  So below.  (My workplace web marshal blocked access to some of the 
online resources, so please forgive any ascriptions/acknowledgments I missed in 
that arena.)

I also received a nice list of references put together for Kentucky's aquatic 
snails that I can share - with permission of the generous aquatic zoologist who 
compiled it - if anyone's interested.

Smiles
=] Brian


Freshwater Bivalve and Gastropod References

Basch, P.F.  1963.  A review of the recent freshwater limpet snails of North 
America (Mollusca: Pulmonata).  Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 
129(8): 399-461.

Bogan, A. E. and T. Proch. 1998. Freshwater bivalves of Pennsylvania. Bulletin. 
 Journal of the North American Benthological Society 15(1):170.

Bogan, A. E. and T. Proch. 2004. Workshop on Freshwater Bivalves of 
Pennsylvania. pp. ii, 1-80, with 11 color plates, 65 figures. [reprinted 1993 
version by PA DEP]

Bogan, A. E. and J. Alderman. 2008. Workbook and key to the freshwater bivalves 
of South Carolina. United States Forest Service.  Columbia, SC. 66 pp, 5 color 
plates. Printed by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

Burch, J. B. and J. L. Tottenham.  1980.  North American freshwater snails:  
species lists, ranges, and illustrations.  Walkerana 1(3).

Burch, J. B.  1982.  North American freshwater snails:  identification keys, 
generic synonymy, supplemental notes, glossary, references, index.  Walkerana 
1(4).

Burch, J. B.  Freshwater Snails of North America.  United States Environmental 
Protection Agency.  EPA-600/3-82-026. 
http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=10004R98.txt

Burch, J. B.  1988.  North American freshwater snails: introduction, 
systematics, nomenclature, identification, morphology,  habitats, distribution. 
 Walkerana 2(6).

Burch, J. B.  1989.  North American Freshwater Snails.  Malacological 
Publications.  Hamburg, Michigan.  365 pp.  (out of print)

Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.  A Field Guide to the 
Freshwater Mussels of Connecticut.  
http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/wildlife/pdf_files/nongame/fwmusl.pdf

Cordeiro, J. and J. Bowers-Altman. 2003.  Freshwater Mussels of the New York 
Metropolitan Region and New Jersey.  Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, 
American Museum of Natural History - New York, New York.
http://cbc.amnh.org/mussel/

Cummings, K. S. and C. A. Mayer.  1992.  Field guide to freshwater mussels of 
the Midwest.  Illinois Natural History Survey Manual 5.  194 pp. 
http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/animals_plants/mollusk/fieldguide.html

Dillon, R. T., Jr., B. T. Watson, T. W. Stewart and W. K. Reeves. 2006.  The 
Freshwater Gastropods of North America.  www.fwgna.org

Evans, R. R. and S. J. Ray.  2008.  Checklist of the freshwater snails of 
Pennsylvania.  Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Sciences 82(2/3): 92-97.  
http://www.fwgna.org/downloads/Evans&Ray2008.pdf

Evans, R. R. and S. J. Ray.  2010.  Distribution and environmental influences 
on freshwater gastropods from lotic systems and springs in Pennsylvania, USA, 
with conservation recommendations.  American Malacological Bulletin 28(1/2): 
135-150.  http://www.fwgna.org/downloads/Evans&Ray2010.pdf

Goodrich, C. 1934. Studies of the gastropod family Pleuroceridae - I. 
Occasional Papers of the Museum
of Zoology, University of Michigan No. 286. 17 pp.

Goodrich, C. 1934. Studies of the gastropod family Pleuroceridae - II. 
Occasional Papers of the Museum
of Zoology, University of Michigan No. 295. 6 pp.

Goodrich, C. 1934. Studies of the gastropod family Pleuroceridae - III. 
Occasional Papers of the Museum
of Zoology, University of Michigan No. 300. 11 pp.

Goodrich, C. 1935. Studies of the gastropod family Pleuroceridae - IV. 
Occasional Papers of the Museum
of Zoology, University of Michigan No. 311. 11 pp.

Goodrich, C. 1935. Studies of the gastropod family Pleuroceridae - V. 
Occasional Papers of the Museum
of Zoology, University of Michigan No. 318. 12 pp.

Jokinen, E. H.  1992.  Freshwater Snails of New York State.  SAS Technical 
Report.  112 pp.
http://www.amazon.com/Freshwater-Snails-Mollusca-Gastropoda-Technical/dp/171972

LaRoque, A. and J. Forsyth.  1957.  Pleistocene Molluscan Faunules of the 
Sidney Cut, Shelby County, Ohio.  The Ohio Journal of Science 57(2): 81-89. 
https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1811/4425/V57N02_081.pdf?sequence=1

LaRoque, A. and J. Forsyth.  1956.  Two Pleistocene Molluscan Faunules from 
Hunter's Run, Fairfield County, Ohio.  The Ohio Journal of Science 56(6): 
325-328.
https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1811/4395/V56N06_325.pdf?sequence=1

Mackie, G. L.  2007.  Corbiculacea of North America.  The College of Idaho, 
Orma J. Sm

[ECOLOG-L] USDA Forest Service Wildlife Biologist seasonal job opening

[Bly, Kristy]

USDA Forest Service

Wildlife Biologist, GS-0486-07/09
ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER:

11-02060009-1764D-MAS

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

03/01/2011

JOB LOCATION:

DOUGLAS, WY

WORK SCHEDULE:

Seasonal

SALARY RANGE:

$38,790.00-$61,678.00

OPEN DATE:

02/16/2011

TIME LIMIT:

Term, not to exceed 24 Months

WHO MAY APPLY:

US citizens

NUMBER OF VACANCIES:

1

PROMOTION POTENTIAL:

09



NOTES:
This term position is located in Region 2 on the Medicine Bow-Routt National 
Forest and Thunder Basin National Grassland, as part of the Douglas Ranger 
District in Douglas, Wyoming.
For additional information about the duties of the position, please contact 
Misty Hays at 307-358-4690 or e-mail at mah...@fs.fed.us.
This is a full-time Seasonal, TERM appointment. The incumbent will be 
guaranteed up to 36 pay periods of full-time work within the first two-year 
initial TERM appointment. You may be placed in an intermittent non-pay / 
non-duty status during the remaining 16 pay periods within the initial TERM 
appointment. However, there may be a possibility to work more. Individuals 
hired under a Term appointment are eligible to elect health and life insurance 
benefits, and to receive within-grade increases (periodic pay raises). Term 
employees must satisfactorily complete a one-year trial period. Term employment 
does not confer competitive (permanent) status, nor entitle the term employee 
to noncompetitive appointment to permanent jobs. The duration of a term 
appointment will be determined by the length of the project, work load, and 
available funding. The initial TERM appointment is for 24 months. Extensions 
beyond this period may be authorized in one year increments, but not to exceed 
four years.
This position has a positive education requirement; therefore, a legible copy 
of your college transcripts is required. Transcripts must be attached to your 
Avue application or faxed to 253-573-9869 prior to the closing date of the 
announcement; please include your name and the announcement number on all 
documents. Applicants who fail to submit their transcripts with their 
application will not be given credit for their education.
If you are claiming 10-point preference as a widow/widower of a certain 
deceased veteran, spouse of a veteran unable to work because of a service 
connected disability, or the mother of a deceased or disabled veteran, you must 
submit an SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) and all 
supporting documentation listed on the second page of the SF-15. If you fail to 
submit the supporting documentation with your application, you will not be 
granted veterans preference. If you are not able to attach the forms to your 
application, you may fax to 253-573-9869, please include your name and the 
announcement number on all documents.
We expect to make a final job offer within 30-60 days after the deadline for 
applications.
Please read the vacancy announcement thoroughly and follow all instructions to 
ensure proper consideration. If you are unable to apply on-line or have 
questions about the meaning of items in the vacancy announcement, please 
contact Human Resources Management at 1-877-372-7248.
Applications may be reviewed to verify qualifications and eligibility prior to 
issuing lists to a selecting official.
The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent 
(Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA 
Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.
DUTIES:(The duties described reflect the full performance level of this 
position)
Manages, coordinates, or provides technical support to wildlife, vegetation and 
biological resource programs and projects.
Develops or participates in the development of policy and planning for the 
organization.
Directs or participates in the inspection and evaluation of wildlife programs 
and projects. Administers or supports the ongoing monitoring of wildlife 
studies, surveys, and activities to ensure program quality, effectiveness, 
technical adequacy, and compliance. Prepares reports of findings or contributes 
information to reporting documents.
Provides technical advice and assistance in the implementation and evaluation 
of wildlife resource management programs and projects. Consultations involve 
assessment of wildlife resources, species, habitats, environmental impacts, 
biological evaluations, and related regulatory requirements and compliance 
guidelines.
Participates in the conduct of scientific studies and projects, in management 
investigations, and/or in wildlife resource surveys.
MINIMUM FEDERAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Grade 07: BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-RESEARCH POSITIONS



A. Applicants must show successful completion of a full four-year course of 
study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher 
degree in biological science that included at least 9 semester/13 quarter hours 
in 

[ECOLOG-L] Accumulating degree days with oodles of data.

[Chalfant, Brian]

Hello Ecolog-gers!

Anyone have ideas on how to calculate accumulated degree days for a larger 
dataset?

The data I'm working with consists of daily maximum and minimum air temperature 
readings from a few score of sites across Pennsylvania over the last 20 years.  
What I want to do is to calculate accumulated degree days for each year at each 
site.  I'm going with calendar year for simplicity's sake.  I know how to 
calculate degree days, it's the accumulation part I'm stumbling on.  And I know 
how to sum degree days for each year and each station - that's easy.  I also 
know how to calculate time-lagged running averages, but that's not really what 
I'm aiming for here.  I want the degrees days to accumulate each successive 
(Julian) day at each station for each year, and to start over accumulating for 
each new station and/or year combination.  That is to say, for 1 May 2008 at 
the Chalk Hill site, I want to sum all the degree days from 1 January 2008 to 
30 April 2008 at that site.  The only way I'm presently aware of to do this is 
"by hand" in Excel, and that's not really practical given the size of the 
dataset I'm working with and temporal allocation considerations imposed by 
mortality.  Does any one know of a script (R? SAS?) to do this?  I can envision 
some, but they get unwieldy pretty quick.  Or is a way this can be done with a 
database query?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

Smiles
=]  Brian

Brian A. Chalfant | -ologist
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Rachel Carson State Office Building
400 Market Street | Harrisburg, PA 17101
Phone: 717.787.9639 | Fax: 717.772.3249
www.depweb.state.pa.us

[ECOLOG-L] Dive GIS summer course 2011: early-bird registration open

[frah...@yahoo.com]

Dear all,

The second early-bird registration deadline for the Dive GIS 2011 course is
quickly approaching. Enroll by March 31st 2011 and be entitled to a reduced 
registration fee. 

The course organized by Mappamondo GIS in collaboration with Capo
Rizzuto Marine Protected Area, represents a unique training initiative that
offers the chance to learn Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing
methodologies while becoming a certified SCUBA diver in the context of
marine environment management and science.

Participants are introduced to the underwater world through PADI Open Water
Diver and specialty courses, and to GIS through leading ESRI authorized
classes. The skills gained are put into practice on a real case study
concerning marine habitat mapping from remotely sensed images and finding
associations among biotic and abiotic components using GIS. Marine fauna and
flora, habitat and GIS data are collected in the field while SCUBA diving or
snorkeling.

The course is at its 6th edition! It will be held from the 31st of July to
the 10th of August 2011 in the Capo Rizzuto Marine Protected Area, Crotone -
Italy.

Dive GIS course is for you if you wish to:

   1. Learn state of the art GIS and Remote Sensing methodologies used 
formarine 
applications
   2. Learn to use the ArcGIS software
   3. Become a certified diver
   4. Collect scientific data in the field and underwater
   5. Identify marine flora and fauna
   6. Be passionate about the marine environment and the conservation of its 
resources
   7. Network and socialize in an international environment


More information, photos and reviews from previous editions and online
registration at:
URL: www.mappamondogis.it/divegis.htm
Email: i...@mappamondogis.com



  

Re: [ECOLOG-L] What do technicians do in the "off" season?

[Zurijanne Kelley]

Here's what I got so far from everyone with a few more recommendations
dotted about plus a few questions I have below:

   - Find a temp job in the off season that is unrelated if you don't obtain
   a career position
   - Volunteer
   - Stay in contact with former employees especially employers whose
   projects you are interested in
   - Make new friends and become couch/car savvy (fitting your entire life
   into your car/truck/hatchback)
   - Be flexible, determined and persistent!
   - State your case when applying to jobs (in cover letters); no BS!
   - Look for winter jobs in the desert, hydrology or botany related
   positions
   - Consider national parks and inquire about volunteering opportunities
   and potentially free housing
   - Apply to 39+1 jobs; it makes a difference
   - Improve yourself through courses (on and offline), or certificates
   - Consider publishing research by pursuing independent projects if
   possible while serving as a tech. Talk to your project leader about the
   possibility.
   - Consider traveling abroad to cheap countries. I went to Kenya for two
   months through Experiential Learning International. It cost me about $1500
   for the program alone. It was the cheapest that I found with the longest
   time period. It included two meals a day and housing.
   - Apply for unemployment if you worked in a position for at least six
   months. I've learned that it helps to apply for food stamps as well. It
   makes it easier when you're serving as a volunteer and parental/family help
   isn't possible.
   - Live modestly! I've also learned that using coupons is amazing.
   - Don't buy a house; it decreases your flexibility when applying to jobs.
   Don't sign an apartment lease even if the job is for five months and the
   lease six months. That's money that could be in your pocket...yeah I learned
   the hard way.

The questions I have are:
 @Ms. Weissinger: When pursuing international opportunities should those
experiences be detailed as if it were a job or as volunteer experience
only?

@Mr. McCallum What journals would you recommend for techs without advanced
degrees to pursue publication in?

[ECOLOG-L] Citations for recreational impacts on water quality

[Raphael Mazor]

I am looking for studies that show a link (or a lack thereof) between 
pressures from forest recreation (e.g., hiking, camping, horseback 
riding, etc., and management of these activities) on environmental 
quality of rivers, particularly in terms of ecological integrity and 
water quality.


Any help would be greatly appreciated. PDFs would be even more appreciated.

Thanks!

--
Raphael D. Mazor
Freshwater Biologist
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
3535 Harbor Blv Suite 110
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Tel. (714) 755-3235
Fax. (714) 755-3299

[ECOLOG-L] Sisters Oregon/Cascades wildlife/env research?

[Wendee Holtcamp]

Does anyone do any cool research in or near Sisters, Oregon in the Cascades?
:-) 

I'm a freelance environmental journalist and heading there for the birth of
my niece, but while there I want to possibly explore story ideas! Email me.
bohemian_AT_wendeeholtcamp.com 

Wendee

~~

 Wendee Holtcamp, M.S. Wildlife Ecology ~ @bohemianone
Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian
  http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com  
 
~ 6-wk Online Mag Writing Bootcamp Starts Feb 26 & April 9~

 ~~~
Bohemian Adventures Blog - http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com