Re: [ECOLOG-L] Ordinal vegetation data and mixed effects models
Hi Liz, Modelisation of ordinal data is quite difficult. You should read Agresti's book on categorical data to get some important information. If you're a R (or S-plus) user you can also download Laura Thompson's document to accompany Agresti's book. To be simple, a first step consist of using polynomial contrasts to take into account the ordinal component. You can then analyze your data as classical response in any model of your choice but the difference will be that you will look at linear, quadratic or cubic (depending on the number of levels) tendencies and not at differences between the levels of your factor as with a classical nominal variable. Apart from this quite technical point, I have analyze some BB data with a colleague for a river restoration program. I'm quite doubtful about the pertinence of such data as this correspond to important transformation of raw data. Another way of analyzing this data could be to use beta models as the BB scale is bounded. Regards, Nicolas Le Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:44:43 +0200, Liz Pryde elizabethpr...@gmail.com a écrit: Hello Ecolog-ers, I'm analysing my Braun-Blanquet cover data for a group of vegetation structure variables (in diff habitat types) and am having trouble finding a definitive way to do this legitimately with mixed effects models, ANOVAs and ordinations. The issue is that the BB scale is an ordinal scale. Many studies have simply taken midpoint values of the scale classes and turned the ordinal data into a metric and analysed from there. To me this seems a bit dodgy, given that there are really only 9 values that these variables can take, rather than the 100 values that is implicit in the metric percentage of cover. I have read Podani's many papers on the issues and potential solutions for ordinations but I seem to be finding it more difficult to find literature with mixed effects models, or any kind of regression-based model. Has anyone else encountered these problems? Can anyone suggest some current literature on the matter? Thank you kindly, Liz -- Nicolas PERU, PhD 33-(0)4 72 43 28 94 06-88-15-23-10 CNRS, UMR 5023 - LEHNA Université Claude Bernard - Lyon 1 43 Bld du 11 novembre 1918 Rdc Bât Forel 69622 VILLEURBANNE cedex FRANCE
[ECOLOG-L] Education Using Continental-Scale Data Interactive Framework
The conceptual framework for Education using Continental-scale Data is now available in a new interactive format! This tool is currently under development and we welcome comments and suggestions. The framework and interactive guide was developed by Tom Langen, Clarkson University and Brian Wee, NEON Inc. The interactive tool is designed to guide educators toward teaching opportunities and challenges using publically-available continental scale data and is based on input by faculty at a workshop organized by ESA in partnership with NEON Inc. in 2008 (http://www.esa.org/education_diversity/fed/2008workshop). The purpose of the framework is to guide the user through the factors and considerations that go into designing a learning activity using continental-scale data – central to the future of environmental decision- making. To access the interactive conceptual framework and give us feedback on the tool, please visit http://www.esa.org/education_diversity/fed/content/conceptual-framework. Please do check out this tool and provide your feedback by October 14, 2011. Thank you! Teresa Mourad Director, Education and Diversity Programs Ecological Society of America
[ECOLOG-L] Dendrochronology Sessions at AAG
Hello Ecologers! Final Call for Papers Dendrochronology Sessions at the Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting, New York, New York (February 24th - 28th, 2012) Sponsored by the Biogeography, Paleoenvironmental Change, and Climate Specialty Groups This the final call for tree ring talks to be presented at AAG. We will organize sessions based on topics of the submitted abstracts. Likely sessions will include: Dendrochronological Applications (co-organizer, Grant Harley) Dendroclimatology (co-organizer, Josh Wixom) Dendroecology Dendrogeomorphology (co-organizer, Markus Stoffel) Dendropyrochronology Stable Isotopes (co-organizer, Shelly Rayback) Tropical Dendrochronology (organizers, Matthew Therrell and Valerie Trouet) We continue to encourage researchers to present in other themed sessions that suit your research, but hope we can attract many tree-ring scientists to attend these organized sessions to provide interaction and exchange of ideas and possible future collaborations. If you are interested in participating in these organized sessions, please contact Stockton Maxwell (rs...@psu.edu) or the other organizers with a working title and subdisciplinary category. Abstracts should be submitted online to the AAG. Once you have registered, the AAG PIN number you are given must be e-mailed to Stockton Maxwell (rs...@psu.edu) by October 10th (complying with this deadline will give us time to finalize the sessions by the formal October 13th submission deadline for the AAG). AAG Call for Papers and abstract guidelines: http://www.aag.org/cs/annualmeeting/call_for_papers/abstract_guidelines Feel free to contact any of our organizers about your interest in these sessions. Stockton Maxwell, lead organizer Penn State University rs...@psu.edu Josh Wixom West Virginia University jwi...@mix.wvu.edu Grant Harley University of Tennessee ghar...@utk.edu Shelly Rayback University of Vermont shelly.rayb...@uvm.edu Markus Stoffel University of Berne markus.stof...@dendrolab.ch Matthew D. Therrell, Southern Illinois University therr...@siu.edu Valerie Trouet University of Arizona tro...@ltrr.arizona.edu -- R. Stockton Maxwell, PhD Postdoctoral Scholar The Pennsylvania State University Department of Geography 205 Walker Building University Park, PA 16802
[ECOLOG-L] NE Region STEM Teaching Conference - Oct. 22, 2011
If you teach science at a two or four year college/university
or are thinking of a teaching career,
please join us
SENCER
Northeast Regional meeting
Stonehill College
Saturday, October 22nd, 2011
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Martin Auditorium
320 Washington Street, Easton, MA
Stonehill College will be hosting the NE Region SENCER meeting October 22 from
9am-4pm. An NSF funded project to improve teaching within STEM disciplines,
Science Education for New Civic Engagement supports faculty in crafting courses
centered on student-centered learning and real world applicability. In
addition, SENCER courses often incorporate community based (service) learning
initiatives. To learn more about SENCER go to
http://www.sencer.net/About/projectoverview.cfm. The morning session will focus
on effective teaching strategies for science courses, including SENCER model
courses. Come prepared to share your ideas and/or revise an existing course
during the morning workshop. The afternoon session will feature focus on two
possible areas based on interest:
1. Community based learning
2. Assessment
Your registration fee of $10 will cover lunch at the conference.
To register please go to the following url:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NZYT9VY
Registration deadline: Tuesday, October 18
$10.00 registration (cash or check at the door)
For more information please send an e-mail to Susan Mooney
(smoo...@stonehill.edu) or Maria Curtin (mcur...@stonehill.edu)
___
¸.´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.(((º¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.(((º.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.(((º
When you come to the edge of all that you know, you must believe in one of two
things:
there will be earth upon which to stand, or you will be given wings.
~Richard Bach
Liberty without learning is always in peril; learning without liberty is always
in vain. ~JFK
Bronwyn Heather Bleakley, PhD_⌠_⌠_⌠_⌠
Assistant Professor /* | | | \\{
Stonehill College { | | | |
Department of Biology \*_|_|_|_//{
New Science Center⌡ ⌡ ⌡ ⌡
320 Washington St.
Easton, MA 02357
(508)565-1590 ˚o __/§≈~§≈~
mailto:bbleak...@stonehill.edu bbleak...@stonehill.edu
o /o ) }}~~{§≈ʃ
mailto:bhbleak...@gmail.com bhbleak...@gmail.como
___ _}}~~{§≈ʅ
§ §≈~
___
¸.´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.(((º¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.(((º.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.(((º
[ECOLOG-L] Fwd: ASN Award and Nomination Deadlines
Please post Begin forwarded message: From: Dan Bolnick a...@press.uchicago.edu Date: September 28, 2011 1:47:09 PM CDT To: danboln...@mail.utexas.edu Subject: ASN Award and Nomination Deadlines If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may see it online. Share This: Nominations for ASN Executive Committee Members of the American Society of Naturalists (ASN) are invited to submit nominations for the Executive Committee (EC). Elections will be held in 2012 for President, Vice President, and Secretary. The President will serve on the EC from 2013 through 2017 and act as President in 2014. The Vice President will serve on the EC from 2013 through 2014 and attend EC meetings ex officio in 2015. The VP symposium will be presented at the meetings in 2014. The Secretary will serve on the EC from 2013 through 2015 as Secretary and from 2016 through 2018 as Past Secretary. Letters of nomination should be submitted by December 1, 2011, to a...@press.uchicago.edu. Please indicate “ASN Nomination” in the subject line. Nominations for 2012 Sewall Wright Award The Sewall Wright Award is given annually and honors a senior but active investigator who is making fundamental contributions to the Society’s goals, namely promoting the conceptual unification of the biological sciences. The award includes an honorarium of $1,000. The recipient need not be a member of the Society. For the 2012 Sewall Wright Award, the nomination packet, which must include a letter of nomination and a curriculum vitae including a publication list, should be sent by December 1, 2011, to a...@press.uchicago.edu. Please indicate “Sewall Wright Award” in the subject line. Nominations for 2012 Edward O. Wilson Naturalist Award The Edward O. Wilson Naturalist Award is given to an active investigator in midcareer who has made significant contributions to the knowledge of a particular ecosystem or group of organisms. Individuals whose research and writing illuminate principles of evolutionary biology and an enhanced aesthetic appreciation of natural history will merit special consideration. The recipient need not be a member of the Society. The award will consist of an especially appropriate work of art and a prize of $2,000, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Naturalists. For the 2012 Edward O. Wilson Naturalist Award, a nomination packet that includes a letter of nomination, a curriculum vitae including a publication list, and three key publications should be sent by December 1, 2011, to a...@press.uchicago.edu. Please indicate “E. O. Wilson Award” in the subject line. Applications for 2012 Jasper Loftus-Hills Young Investigators’ Award The Jasper J. Loftus-Hills Young Investigators Award was established in 1984 to recognize promising, outstanding work by investigators who received their doctorates in the three years preceding the application deadline or who are in their final year of graduate school. Jasper Loftus-Hills (1946–1974) was an Australian biologist of exceptional promise, who had published 16 articles in the three years after receiving his degree. He was killed by a hit-and-run driver while tape recording frog calls along a Texas highway. The recipient need not be a member of the Society. The award includes presentation of a research paper at the annual meeting of the ASN, an award of $500, a travel allowance of $700, and a supplement of $500 in case of international travel. The prize committee requests applications for the 2012 award from anyone supporting the objectives of the Society. Suggested names and addresses of people who should be encouraged to apply are also welcome. Applications should consist of no more than three pages (excluding tables, figures, and references) that summarize the applicant’s work, no more than four appropriate reprints, a curriculum vitae, and two letters from individuals familiar with the applicant’s work. Application materials should be sent via e-mail by December 1, 2011, to a...@press.uchicago.edu. Please indicate “Young Investigators’ Prize” in the subject line. Applications for ASN Student Research Award The ASN announces the first annual Student Research Awards, which support research by student members that advances the goals of the society: the conceptual unification of ecology, evolution, or behavior. The award consists of a $2,000 check to the candidate. An applicant must be a member of the ASN (membership is international), must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, must have passed to candidacy in a PhD program or equivalent, and must be at least one year from completing the PhD. Applicants should send a two-page proposal (not including references). In addition, applicants should include a budget with justification (one page), a short curriculum vitae (two pages), a statement from the PhD supervisor that verifies that
[ECOLOG-L] Sign on to the Intl Scientist Economist Statement on Biofuels and Land Use
Please consider joining the International Scientists and Economists Statement on Biofuels and Land Use. You can read the statement and add your name online here: www.ucsusa.org/EUletter. The Union of Concerned Scientists, in coordination with our EU colleagues, is working with scientists and economists around the world to weigh in with the European Commission and urge the commission to include consideration of indirect land use change emissions in their biofuels policies. You may have seen some recent press on the issue, with stories like this: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/business/global/questioning-europes-math-on-biofuels.html?_r=2. We have helped organize letters like this in the United States and California, and the voices of scientists and economists were critical in persuading regulators to do the right thing in the face of substantial pressure from industry. We have assembled a large and influential group of scientists and economists in the US for earlier efforts, including Nobel laureates and members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, but in order to be effective in the EU, we need a broad list of signers from across the globe. I hope you will sign on today, and also share it with your colleagues around the world to help us build up global support. The window of opportunity is small, as the commission may be making its final decision very soon. Read the letter and sign on today: www.ucsusa.org/EUletter. Best, Sarah Sarah Roquemore Outreach Coordinator Tropical Forest Climate Initiative Union of Concerned Scientists 1825 K Street NW Suite 800 Washington DC 20006-1232 Direct Line: 202-331-5669 Fax: 202-223-6162 www.ucsusa.org/forests Founded in 1969, the Union of Concerned Scientists is an independent, science-based nonprofit working for a healthy environment and a safer world.
[ECOLOG-L] Assistant Professor Ecosystem Ecology
Assistant Professor, Ecosystem Ecology, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington The School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington (IUB) invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in ecosystem ecology with an emphasis on effects of climate change. We seek an outstanding individual at the rank of Assistant Professor who will complement existing strengths in the environmental sciences on the IUB campus. Preference will be given to candidates with experience using ecological models to examine ecosystem processes at various temporal and spatial scales. Modeling may involve the application of geographic information systems, remote sensing and/or numerical and mechanistic models. Collaboration with faculty in other related disciplines on the IUB campus, including the Center for Research in Environmental Sciences (http://www.indiana.edu/~cres1/index.shtml), is encouraged. Research infrastructure is available in a new multidisciplinary science building with state-of-the art laboratories for environmental scientist! s. The successful applicant is expected to establish an independent, externally funded research program and to teach effectively at undergraduate and graduate levels. Postdoctoral research experience is preferred. Applications should include a current curriculum vita, statements of research and teaching interests, and names and contact information for three references. Applications should be submitted to speaj...@indiana.edu before 1 November 2011 to receive full consideration. Please contact J.C. Randolph ( rando...@indiana.edu ) for additional information.
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Monarch butterfly migration status
On Sep 27, 2011, at 11:32 AM, David Inouye wrote: Monarch Population Status - September 2011 by Chip Taylor - Director, Monarch Watch The migration is just beginning to navigate a 1000 miles of hell - a nearly flowerless/nectarless and waterless expanse of central KS, OK, TX, and NE MX (see Drought Monitor at http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/). On Sept. 18-19 I drove around northwestern Oklahoma and south-central Kansas (in the hell zone) and what I saw did not match Dr. Taylor's frightening description. I found a green or greenish-tan landscape with the usual abundance of sunflowers and other nectar plants one typically sees in Sept. The milkweed also looked normal and not severely water stressed. Starting from Oklahoma City, I drove a roughly circular route through the hell zone (exceptional drought zone) of northwestern Oklahoma and south-central Kansas as shown on this map: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/hellzone.jpg Here are some pictures and videos I took, all of which were taken in the hell zone: On Sept. 18 I drove north on I-35 from Oklahoma City and often saw Asclepias viridis milkweed along the roadside. I stopped at a few patches and found one plant with a 3rd instar monarch caterpillar: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/viridisa.jpg http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/viridisb.jpg I also saw occassional stands of sunflower nectar plants like this: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/sunflowersOKC.jpg Along the eastern outskirts of Enid, Oklahoma the landscape was still mostly green with sunflowers and lots of monarchs: Still photo: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/enida.jpg Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0chg-fzeKbU 10-15 miles north of Enid, Oklahoma along Hwy 81 there were fields galore of sunflowers: Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LJV3ZMOJ5I At one spot I found a monarch caterpillar in a patch of latifolia milkweed that looked healthy and not water stressed: Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzBh6m_CyjE Now going west on hwy 64 about 5 miles before the town of Nash, Oklahoma, I took this video of monarchs nectaring on sunflowers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDwcTaI2Iak Continuing west on hwy 64 one mile past Nash, OK I saw large fields of sunflowers like this: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/nash.jpg Continuing west on hwy 64 two miles west of Jet, OK I saw many monarchs nectaring on an unidentified flower: Still photo: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/jetb.jpg Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhrcyRD1ULA Five miles west of Nash, still on hwy 64, I encountered this huge field of alfalfa (cow feed) with numerous monarchs nectaring in it: Still photo: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/jetc.jpg Six miles south of Cherokee, Oklahoma, at the intersection of Hwy 64 and Hwy 8 I saw many monarchs nectaring on sunflowers: Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jHvnZ3WwzI At the town of Burlington, Oklahoma I encountered yet another huge field of alfalfa with numerous monarchs nectaring in it. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTnVIlbbNI4 Another nectar plant I saw from time to time in this region was goldenrod: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/kansasa.jpg The next morning (Sept. 19) in the town of Alva, Oklahoma, I observed monarchs migrating east and southeastward at the rate of 1-5 per minute which indicates they were abundant in this northwest region of the State: Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1J1_GEtFx4 Driving south from Alva along hwy 281 I observed nectar flowers from time to time and stopped to take this video of many bees on the flowers which shows the flowers were producing nectar despite the drought: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9bI4mIZIWg Sunflowers became increasingly abundant like this: Still photos: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/sunalva.jpg http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/signwaynoka.jpg http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/waysun.jpg Some people think these sunflowers look stunted from the drought and may not be producing much nectar. So I took held the video camera up close to the flowers and observed several insects were indeed gathering nectar or pollen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlMaaEWye_k Along the eastern outskirts of Waynoka, Oklahoma I encountered still more sunflowers plus a huge field of alfalfa: Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfN4gkCieWU Although flowering alfalfa is a powerful attractor for migrant monarchs, relatively few monarchs were seen nectaring in this field which I think suggests the migrants were not hungry enough to be distracted from their high altitude (soaring) migratory flight (a northwest wind that day caused most of the monarchs to go into high altitude soaring mode). I checked into a motel in Watonga, Oklahoma and then drove around town and from time to time saw fields of nectar plants
[ECOLOG-L] Technician position at Los Alamos National Lab
Apologies for cross-posting Technician position at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Earth and Environmental Sciences Division at Los Alamos National Lab has support for a highly motivated individual interested in working on two DOE funded studies of the mechanisms of vegetation mortality during drought. These projects are specifically focused on the carbon and water-based mechanisms of mortality using field manipulations of precipitation and temperature of piñon pine-juniper woodlands, with opportunities extending to modeling and remote sensing investigations of the distribution of mortality and its consequences. These are interdisciplinary studies involving multiple academic and forest service collaborators. The selected candidate will split their time between analysis and management of large data sets, field measurements, and laboratory analyses. Opportunities to co-author publications are abundant, and particularly strong candidates may be considered to continue on for graduate degrees within these projects. Minimum qualifications include a B.Sc. at the time of appointment (M.Sc. is acceptable), willingness to work in a team environment, and strong data analysis experience such as with Microsoft excel. It is desirable if the candidate has experience using MATLAB, S-PLUS, or similar data analysis packages, experience with dataloggers or other physiological instrumentation, laboratory analysis experience, and a background in biology, chemistry, computer science, or similar fields. To apply, please send a CV and very short statement of career goals to Nate McDowell (mcdow...@lanl.gov, 505-665-2909).
[ECOLOG-L] Job Announcement: Wildlife Biologist in Mojave Desert
Our company is hiring a new wildlife biologist for a position on Ft. Irwin in the Mojave Desert. Please see the below link and apply through there. I would be part of the hiring process but cannot accept any documents directly... HOWEVER, if you HAVE ALREADY APPLIED through this link, you can also send your resume to: kurt.b...@us.army.mil and I can expediate the hiring process. General qualificatons include a degree in biology and some work experience with TES species and a preferred ornithologist/bird experience candidate: https://careers-qinetiqna.icims.com/jobs/25233/job?iis=Indeediisn=Indeedsn=Indeed If the link is not working, try the QinetiQ - North American website ( www.qinetiq-na.com) or go to www.indeed.com and look for 'QinetiQ wildlife'. -- Respectfully, Mr. Kurt Broz, MA Wildlife Biologist/Filmmaker (216) 299 - 7219 The unexamined life is not worth living. - Socrates
[ECOLOG-L] M.S. graduate assistantship
M.S. graduate student sought. The M.S. project involves quantitative analysis of understory plots which have been established in permanent naturally-occurring shortleaf pine growth plots. There are currently three measurements of these plots available for analysis. A fourth measurement will be obtained during the next measurement cycle which begins this fall. When the shortleaf pine overstory plots were established, an existing primarily hardwood midstory was removed and thinning treatments were applied. Understory sub-plots were established within 0.2-acre overstory plots to track the development of the understory consisting of hardwood sprouts and pine and hardwood seedling growth. Analysis of these data is valuable for indicating the future development of similar naturally-occurring shortleaf pine forests. Naturally-occurring shortleaf pine forests are important especially in the southeastern U.S. for many amenities including habitat for wildlife species such as the red –cockaded woodpecker. Qualifications: B.S. in biologically-related or a quantitative discipline such as math or statistics. Forestry coursework or background a plus. Application deadline: November 1, 2011 or until a suitable applicant is found. The stipend for the M.S. Graduate Research Assistantship is $15,000 per year. GRA begins January 2012 and renewed for two years subject to satisfactory progress on project. GRAs include tuition waivers. Please contact: Thomas B. Lynch, Oklahoma State University, 405-744-5447, tom.ly...@okstate.edu .
[ECOLOG-L] FW: Upcoming NRC Biofuels Briefing
You're invited to a Public Briefing on the upcoming report from the National Research Council: Renewable Fuel Standard: Potential Economic and Environmental Effects of U.S. Biofuel Policy. Biofuels, which are fuels derived from biological sources such as plant material, offer an alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels. Interest in biofuels stems from two potential benefits: improved U.S. energy security and reduced life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels. The Renewable Fuels Standard, enacted in 2005 and expanded in 2007 (RSF2), mandates the consumption of 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022. This report from the National Research Council, produced at the request of the U.S. Congress, provides an independent analysis of the economic and environmental effects associated with achieving the standard. Please join us at 9:30 AM for a discussion of the report and its findings. When: October 4, 2011 Where: National Press Club, Washington, DC Register to attend here: http://dels.nas.edu/Upcoming-Event/Public-Briefing-Renewable-Fuel-Standard-Potential/BANR-O-08-09-A
[ECOLOG-L] INTERNSHIPS: Health/emerging infectious diseases and environmental economics
EcoHealth Alliance is seeking two interns to work on our health and environmental economics programs. Both internships will be based at our offices in New York City and will involve working closely with EHA experts on issues such as the economics of emerging diseases or the economics of disease in wildlife trade. Internships may last for 2 or more months, at a minimum of 2 days per week. To be considered for an internship, please email the following materials in one, attached PDF file to int...@ecohealthalliance.org with Health and Economics Internship in the subject line. · Statement of Interest (maximum 1 page; indicate availability and current location) · Current Curriculum Vitae Thank you for your interest in EcoHealth Alliance! For more information about our organization, please visit http://www.ecohealthalliance.org
[ECOLOG-L] Graduate assistantships at University of Alaska-Fairbanks
Graduate student assistantships at University of Alaska-Fairbanks Graduate student assistantships are available in the laboratory of Dr. Jay Jones (http://users.iab.uaf.edu/~jay_jones/) at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Please contact Dr. Jones (jay.jo...@alaska.edu) regarding interest in the following projects. The application deadline for the graduate program in the Department of Biology Wildlife (http://www.bw.uaf.edu/graduates/index.php) is Jan 15. 1. Scale, Consumers and Lotic Ecosystem Rates (SCALER) A Ph.D. assistantship is available to support research related to the multi-site, collaborative SCALER project. This project focuses on issues of scaling in stream ecology and is part of a larger collaborative effort to be conducted at sites across North America. Students working at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will focus their field work in the boreal forest at the Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watersheds (CPCRW; located near Fairbanks), but will be involved in cross-site synthesis. SCALER will address the following overarching question: How can small-scale ecological experiments be applied to understand the behavior of entire ecological systems? The broader SCALER project includes sites in the tropical forest, temperate deciduous forest, prairie, and tundra biomes. Streams in each of these five regions will be examined at scales of centimeters to 1000s of meters in streams of varying size. Rates of stream metabolism (photosynthesis and respiration) and nutrient uptake will be measured, as well as the way these ecosystem processes respond to animal exclusions (used to mimic loss of animal diversity in streams) in small headwater to mid-order stream reaches. Reach scale studies will be linked to the scale of watersheds and regions by modeling, and verified by broader, but less intensive sampling. 2. Climate-mediated coupling of hydrology and biogeochemistry in arctic hillslopes We are seeking an M.S. student to develop a thesis related to biogeochemistry of arctic hillslopes. The student will join a team that is investigating coupled hydrology and biogeochemistry of arctic hillslopes, in effort to understand how climate-induced changes in water and nutrient cycles on land are propagated to stream networks. Observed increases in fluxes of water, nitrogen, and phosphorus from river networks to the Arctic Ocean may be caused by release of nutrients from thawing permafrost, changing precipitation patterns, increased rates of biogeochemical reactions, or expanded storage capacity in thawed soils. However, the flowpaths connecting terrestrial ecosystems to stream networks remain poorly understood. We will focus on transport and reaction of water and solutes within water tracks, which are linear regions of surface and subsurface flow that connect hillslopes to streams and account for up to 35% of watershed area in arctic tundra. The research team includes watershed ecologists (Tamara Harms, Jay Jones) at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and hydrologists (Sarah Godsey, Mike Gooseff) at Idaho State University and Pennsylvania State University. Field work for the project will be based at the Toolik Field Station, and will begin 5/12. 3. Watershed, Permafrost and Climate Change Controls on Stream Ecosystems The third project investigates how streams are linked to their catchments, and focuses on how permafrost influences groundwater inputs of nutrients and organic matter to streams. The boreal forest in interior Alaska is underlain with discontinuous permafrost, which has a major affect on watershed hydrology. Where permafrost is present, groundwater flowpaths through catchments are largely restricted to soils, whereas in the absence of permafrost water can infiltrate into deeper bedrock regions of watersheds. In addition to affecting hydrology, permafrost stores soil organic matter that will potentially be released to streams and the atmosphere with climatic warming and permafrost thaw. In particular, groundwater inputs of nutrients and organic matter may shift with changing climate and the extent of permafrost. An interesting sidelight of this research is the role of forest fires and their influences on permafrost. Fire alters the albedo of soil and, as a consequence, can lead to thawing of permafrost. Fire frequency has been increasing in interior Alaska, which has important implications for permafrost and watershed hydrology. This work is funded through the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Program (http://www.lter.uaf.edu/) and is being conducted in the Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watersheds (CPCRW; located near Fairbanks).
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Monarch butterfly migration status
Paul and others, I live in central Oklahoma. The photos you show look like the isolated patches of bloom that I see around. Maximilian sunflower should be at its peak right now. Instead, I see only scattered groups of a few plants, versus the acres of fields and right of way normally covered in yellow in late September. Snow on the Mountain (a euphorb) should also have extensive stands of blooming plants. Again, scattered. There are almost no fields of broomweed in bloom, one of the most drought tolerant late composites. Little ironweed is blooming, and little goldenrod compared to normal years. I can find patches of all these, but not the extensive fields. On my own property, I have a large patch of goldenrod, and lots of common and Maximilian sunflowers. Partridge pea as well. All should be at peak right now. Instead, I have isolated plants with flowers, others seem very late or simply have begun to wilt without the heads opening. Common sunflowers are dwarfed compared to norm! al years, so many fewer flower heads. My Liatris (gayfeather), an important late composite, simply failed to emerge from the ground. I hope the corms are alive. David McNeely, Edmond, Oklahoma Paul Cherubini mona...@saber.net wrote: On Sep 27, 2011, at 11:32 AM, David Inouye wrote: Monarch Population Status - September 2011 by Chip Taylor - Director, Monarch Watch The migration is just beginning to navigate a 1000 miles of hell - a nearly flowerless/nectarless and waterless expanse of central KS, OK, TX, and NE MX (see Drought Monitor at http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/). On Sept. 18-19 I drove around northwestern Oklahoma and south-central Kansas (in the hell zone) and what I saw did not match Dr. Taylor's frightening description. I found a green or greenish-tan landscape with the usual abundance of sunflowers and other nectar plants one typically sees in Sept. The milkweed also looked normal and not severely water stressed. Starting from Oklahoma City, I drove a roughly circular route through the hell zone (exceptional drought zone) of northwestern Oklahoma and south-central Kansas as shown on this map: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/hellzone.jpg Here are some pictures and videos I took, all of which were taken in the hell zone: On Sept. 18 I drove north on I-35 from Oklahoma City and often saw Asclepias viridis milkweed along the roadside. I stopped at a few patches and found one plant with a 3rd instar monarch caterpillar: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/viridisa.jpg http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/viridisb.jpg I also saw occassional stands of sunflower nectar plants like this: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/sunflowersOKC.jpg Along the eastern outskirts of Enid, Oklahoma the landscape was still mostly green with sunflowers and lots of monarchs: Still photo: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/enida.jpg Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0chg-fzeKbU 10-15 miles north of Enid, Oklahoma along Hwy 81 there were fields galore of sunflowers: Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LJV3ZMOJ5I At one spot I found a monarch caterpillar in a patch of latifolia milkweed that looked healthy and not water stressed: Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzBh6m_CyjE Now going west on hwy 64 about 5 miles before the town of Nash, Oklahoma, I took this video of monarchs nectaring on sunflowers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDwcTaI2Iak Continuing west on hwy 64 one mile past Nash, OK I saw large fields of sunflowers like this: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/nash.jpg Continuing west on hwy 64 two miles west of Jet, OK I saw many monarchs nectaring on an unidentified flower: Still photo: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/jetb.jpg Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhrcyRD1ULA Five miles west of Nash, still on hwy 64, I encountered this huge field of alfalfa (cow feed) with numerous monarchs nectaring in it: Still photo: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/jetc.jpg Six miles south of Cherokee, Oklahoma, at the intersection of Hwy 64 and Hwy 8 I saw many monarchs nectaring on sunflowers: Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jHvnZ3WwzI At the town of Burlington, Oklahoma I encountered yet another huge field of alfalfa with numerous monarchs nectaring in it. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTnVIlbbNI4 Another nectar plant I saw from time to time in this region was goldenrod: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/kansasa.jpg The next morning (Sept. 19) in the town of Alva, Oklahoma, I observed monarchs migrating east and southeastward at the rate of 1-5 per minute which indicates they were abundant in this northwest region of the State: Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1J1_GEtFx4 Driving south from Alva along hwy 281 I observed nectar
