[ECOLOG-L] PhD position – functional diversity of Lake Baikal phytoplankton

[Stephanie Hampton]

*PhD position – functional diversity of Lake Baikal phytoplankton*

We seek a PhD student to investigate functional diversity of endemic and 
cosmopolitan phytoplankton in Lake Baikal, Siberia within the new 
multi-institutional NSF project* Dimensions of Biodiversity: Lake Baikal 
responses to global change: the role of genetic, functional and 
taxonomic diversity in the plankton*. Lake Baikal is the oldest, largest 
by volume and most diverse lake on Earth and is undergoing rapid 
warming.The main goal of the project is to determine whether endemic 
plankton have enough genetic and functional diversity to help them adapt 
to and persist in the changing climate or whether they will be replaced 
by more warm-adapted cosmopolitan plankton, with significant 
consequences for the entire ecosystem.


The PhD student will be based at the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) of 
Michigan State University working under the supervision of Elena 
Litchman and collaborating with faculty and students at the University 
of Texas-Austin, Wellesley College, University of California-Santa 
Barbara, East Tennessee State University and Irkutsk State University. 
The student will conduct experiments and field work at Lake Baikal and 
in the lab in Michigan to assess key functional traits in common endemic 
and cosmopolitan phytoplankton.


The deadline for application is December 1, 2011 but late applications 
may be considered. Contact Elena Litchman (litch...@msu.edu 
) for more information on the position and the 
application process.


For a project abstract, see: 
http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=1136710

[ECOLOG-L] Call for papers: Culture, Climate and Change: Biocultural Systems and Livelihoods

[Will Allen]

Dear colleagues,

The new, open-access transdisciplinary journal "Culture, Climate and Change:
Biocultural Systems and Livelihoods" (CCC:BSL) aims to critically engage
with and disseminate biocultural approaches to understanding and responding
to climate change and global change processes. The first issue is now open
for submissions.  Contributions should emphasise the interconnected reality
of indigenous biocultural systems and how they enable adaptive capacity,
resilience and mitigation. 

A feature of this first issue will be a section on REDD and REDD+. We are
particularly interested in articles that explore the relationship between
the rights of forest dwelling indigenous peoples and climate change
mitigation mechanisms for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest
Degradation (REDD).

Submissions that provide local perspectives and knowledge as well as
academic and professional inquiry are welcomed. Topics  could expand on
discourses and practices of socio-ecological and biocultural complex
systems, climate change, conservation, endogenous development and indigenous
rights. Original articles, research report summaries and brief
communications are welcome. Articles will begin to be published in January
2012 and can continue to be published until the issue closes. Types of
papers include: i) research articles (5 – 8,000 words); essays; book and
report reviews.

INFORMATION TO AUTHORS

Please visit the CCC:BSL site at
http://journals.sfu.ca/ccc/index.php/ccc/index for all the information on
how to format your manuscript, as well as on-line submissions. Please note
that you must register (go to
http://journals.sfu.ca/ccc.index.php/ccc/user/register) as an author to be
able to submit your manuscript.  For more information:
http://journals.sfu.ca/ccc/index.php/ccc/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions
 Completed manuscripts submitted by December 23rd will be considered for the
journal launch in January 2012. Manuscripts submitted after this date will
also be considered for the first issue, which will continue to publish
papers through till March 2012.  

Short contributions: Maximum length 2,000 words 
Research articles: Maximum length 8,000 words  

JOURNAL EDITORS 
 
Dr Marina Apgar, Indigenous Peoples’ Biocultural Climate Change Assessment
(IPCCA) initiative, Asociacion ANDES, Cusco, Peru  
Dr Will Allen, Learning for Sustainability -
http://learningforsustainability.net/ 
Dr Martin Pedersen, Co-founder  tr33 - http://tr33.org.uk/about-tr33/
Dr Nina Moeller, Freelance Consultant, UK 

Please forward this introduction to the Culture, Climate and Change:
Biocultural Systems and Livelihoods journal, and call for papers onto
interested colleagues and networks.

thanks

Dr Will Allen
Culture, Climate and Change: Biocultural Systems and Livelihoods journal
http://journals.sfu.ca/ccc/index.php/ccc/index

[ECOLOG-L] PIT tags for plants?

[David Inouye]

Does anyone have experience using PIT tags for tagging (and 
relocating) plants in the field?  It seems like they might be a good 
substitute for other, more conspicuous, tags.  But I have had 
aluminum tags (cut from beverage cans) in use for 38 years and 
they're still doing the job.


David


Dr. David W. Inouye, Professor
Dept. of Biology
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-4415

Rocky Mtn. Biological Laboratory
PO Box 519
Crested Butte, CO 81224

ino...@umd.edu
301-405-6946 

[ECOLOG-L] Summary: How to find jobs in Europe?

[Allyssa Kilanowski]

Thank you for all of the responses to my query.  I've included a list
of all the sites recommended to me and the number of times they were
suggested.

(4) http://www.gfoe.org (mainly scientific jobs are posted here). Gfoe
is the Ecological society of Germany.
(3) www.greenjobs.de (good for germany, also non--scientific jobs in Ecology)
(2) http://www.jobvector.de/en/
(2) http://www.academics.de/ (usually require a higher degree)
(1) http://jobs.uni-hd.de/
(1) German Zoological Association (Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft),
http://www.dzg-ev.de/
(1) the Ethologische Gesellschaft (Ethological Society),
http://www.ethol-ges.org/
(1) http://listserv.uni-heidelberg.de/science-jobs-de/sjd-e.html (a
listserv in Germany for academic jobs in Biology)
(1) http://www.stellenboersen.de/stellenboersen/spezial/biologie
(overview of existing job databases and search engines)
(1) http://www.sfecologie.org/ecodiff/ (French, but posting cover all of Europe)
(1) http://www.kisswin.de/stellenboerse/stellensuche.html
(1) 
http://www.vbio.de/informationen/ausbildung__karriere/karriere__und_berufsinformationen/weitere_124_jobboersen/index_ger.html?raw=stellen&ZMS_HIGHLIGHT=raw
(1) www.telejob.ch
(1) http://www.stopdodo.com/
(1) www.jobs.ac.uk

Use Journals to specify location for a job search:
http://scjobs.sciencemag.org/JobSeekerX/SearchJobsForm.asp
http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/welcome
http://www.newscientistjobs.com/jobs/default.aspx

General job databases: monster.de, stepstone.de, jobpilot.de. In
addition and depending on what kind of job you are looking for, search
the ads in the big newspapers (www.faz.de, www.sueddeutsche.de)


Best,
Allyssa Kilanowski

-- 
Allyssa Kilanowski
Research Technician
Florida State University
King Life Sciences Building
319 Stadium Drive
Tallahassee FL 32306
603-254-6884

[ECOLOG-L] Presidio ecologist job

[Mark Frey]

A great job is now open in the Presidio of San Francisco (see below).
Please distribute widely.

Mark Frey
Exotic Plant  Management Team Liaison
National Capital Region, NPS
202-342-1443 x 217
mark_f...@nps.gov

 The Presidio Trust is a Federal government corporation that manages and
protects the Presidio of San Francisco. The Trust is now accepting
applications for the following Federal excepted-service position.
*

SUPERVISORY ECOLOGIST
*

Serves as program expert in ecology; oversees implementation of restoration
projects including planning, design, construction, and stewardship; serves
as COTR for projects conducted through contracts, interagency and
cooperative agreements; develops/implements plans for inventorying,
monitoring, and preservation of species; develops/implements research and
resources action plans/strategies to manage/protect/restore natural
ecosystems and environmental conditions; develops guidelines to manage
complex or unusual problems, or novel or controversial aspects of
ecology/natural resources; develops and oversees scientifically credible
protection, mitigation, and restoration of critical habitats; carries out
field and lab studies on plants and plant ecology; keeps up-to-date on
restoration ecology and shares knowledge with staff; develops and carries
out statistically valid data collection protocols using advanced
technology; performs data entry and quality control checks on data
collection and entry performed by others; analyzes data and prepares
scientific reports regarding results of management, protection,
restoration, inventory, monitoring, and research; summarizes new
information for use by the scientific community, park staff, cooperators
and partners; uses GIS technology to answer inquiries from managers and
others; assists in preparation of EAs for park projects; evaluates EAs and
EISs for projects affecting park resources; acquires/maintains
equipment/supplies necessary for field work; supervises employees and
indirectly supervises interns and volunteers; works with park education
staff to incorporate new information into education programs; serves as
vegetation and natural resources liaison with other Trust divisions, the
National Park Service and Golden Gate Parks Conservancy; provides
ecological guidance/support to Trust departments for plans, environmental
documents and other NEPA/ESA actions; assists in developing timelines,
budgets and strategies to restore native plant communities; and keeps files
of all natural resources capital projects. Full time position with
benefits.

Requires baccalaureate degree in ecology, botany, environmental studies, or
related and either a Masters degree plus 2 years experience in vegetation
restoration, or four years experience in vegetation restoration;
professional knowledge of ecological principles and the flora, fauna and
physical environment of the park; and knowledge of laws, regulations,
policies and guidelines for management and monitoring of natural resources,
including endangered and exotic species; scientific data acquisition and
analysis standards, methods, and recording techniques; program management
and administration of budget, contracts, and personnel; computer hardware,
software and applications; skill in oral and written communication;
vegetation management tools/equipment and how to maintain them; and safety
procedures in vegetation management.
*

The Presidio Trust is an equal opportunity employer, offering a competitive
benefits package. To apply call (415) 561-5300 (Monday-Friday, 8 am – 5 pm)
to request an application package, OR download the application from our
website, www.presidio.gov/jobs , and mail the application to Human
Resources, Presidio Trust, P.O. Box 29052, San Francisco, CA 94129-0052.
*

[ECOLOG-L] Ph.D. position available in ecosystem ecology

[Mark Bradford]

Ph.D. opportunity in Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology

Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies



A Ph.D. position is available for a well-qualified, post-Masters student to
join the Bradford Lab at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental
Studies in the fall of 2012. We seek a graduate student with a strong
background in ecology, biology, biogeochemistry, or related disciplines.



Our research primarily involves the integration of observational and
experimental approaches in field-settings to understand global change
impacts on plants, animals and microorganisms in grasslands and forests,
and what the consequences are for ecosystem carbon cycling and
storage.Much of this work involves the application of stable carbon
and nitrogen
isotope, tracer techniques and, where necessary, the use of
controlled-laboratory manipulations to tease apart competing mechanistic
hypotheses. Existing expertise in these techniques, or a willingness to
develop new skills, is important. The student will have the opportunity to
conduct field research at our research sites in Connecticut, North
Carolina, Georgia, New York City, and New Hampshire, with possibilities to
visit and work with collaborators in other parts of the world.



Further lab details can be found at:

http://bradfordlab.com/

* *

Application details are available at:

http://environment.yale.edu/prospective/Doctoral-Programs/



*Contact:*

*Dr. Mark Bradford*

*Assistant Professor of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology*

*Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies*

*Email: **mark.bradf...@yale.edu*



The university is an AA/EEO employer and encourages applications from women
and minorities.

[ECOLOG-L] Post-doctoral associates, Graduate Student, Research Associates/Assistants, Data Manager, and Web Developer Positions at LUMCON

[Brian Roberts]

The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) seeks a cadre of 
Postdoctoral Associates (2), Graduate Student (1), Research 
Associate/Assistants (2), Data Manager (1), and Web Developer (1) to help with 
research programs that investigate the “Effects of the BP Deepwater Horizon 
Oil Spill on Coastal Ecosystems of the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Drs. Nancy 
Rabalais and Brian Roberts seek several scientists to join a large, multi-
institution team of researchers studying the impacts of the oil spill on salt 
marshes and coastal environments. Studies include differentiation of coastal 
ocean oxygen and phytoplankton dynamics from pre- and post-spill conditions, 
the biogeochemistry of oil-affected marsh ecosystems, benthic studies of oil-
affected marsh ecosystems and related wetland gas exchange. Detailed 
information on the positions can be found at 
http://www.lumcon.edu/information/jobs/. Applications should include a letter 
of interest, a current resume, and name, address, phone and email contact for 
at least three individuals qualified to comment on scientific and work 
qualifications with a byline of “LUMCON BP GRI Research Program.” Send to Dr. 
Rabalais (nrabal...@lumcon.edu) and/or Dr. Roberts (brobe...@lumcon.edu). 
Questions should be directed to Dr. Rabalais (985-851-2801) or Dr. Roberts 
(985-851-2821). LUMCON offers state benefits and is an Equal Employment 
Opportunity/ADA Employer.  

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Treatment of Ecology in AP classes

[Sarah Fann]

I think Emily Morgan has brought up an important issue that has mostly been
ignored with regards to AP courses and college credit. While there is the
danger that a student who took AP courses may not be ready for that
advanced course (which if that's true they can easily drop after the first
week), there is an equal danger that a student forced to retake material
covered in an AP course will be very bored.

I would much rather reach high and concede to take a step back than be put
in a course which is not challenging. Freshman year is very important for
promoting a proper attitude about learning and engagement. I can say
from experience that being forced to take courses that are too easy for you
in college is very damaging to academic diligence and moral. It's the
professors responsibility to set the standard for the class, and if a class
is too advanced for some AP students than it should be obvious to them
early on so that they can take action by the end of drop/add.

On Wed, Nov 23, 2011 at 8:29 AM, Emily Moran  wrote:

> I took a lot of AP classes in highschool - biology, calculus, statistics,
> physics, etc.
>
> I also switched from AP chemistry to a chemistry course at Indiana
> University halfway through the year - but that was only possible because my
> highschool was experimenting with a semester rather than full-year system,
> and because I had a lot of help from my parents (who are academics) in
> getting me registered at IU and arguing with the highschool to arrange a
> study period for me at the correct time.  I don't think most students would
> be able to make that work.
>
> Overall, the AP classes were of equivalent quality to intro university
> classes.  The University of Michigan accepted the credits, which allowed me
> to move more  into the more interesting and rigorous upper level classes.
>  That was really important - if I had to repeat all those courses, I might
> well have gotten frustrated enough to switch to history!  As it is, I took
> most of the ecology classes offered, as well as two genetics courses and 4
> years of math, and eventually pursued a Ph.D. in ecology.  And all those
> math and science courses enabled me to incorporate mathematical modeling
> and population genetics into my thesis research in ways I never would have
> predicted when I was a college student.
>
> As with any intro course, the benefit students get depends on how diligent
> they are in pursuing a subject and continuing to learn outside of class.
>  Most of the AP students I know are quite self-motivated.
>
> However, some universities or departments may be concerned that students
> cpuld, for example, take their AP credit and never think about biology
> again.
> One way to avoid this would be to accept the AP credit ON THE CONDITION
> that students take at least one upper level course in the discipline.
>
> Emily Moran
>
>
>
> On 11/22/2011 1:24 PM, Melanie Hedgespeth wrote:
>
>> It has been interesting to read the responses to this topic.
>>
>> Speaking from my own personal experience and having taken AP Bio in high
>> school, I did feel that yes, the ecology portion was a bit rushed because
>> it was towards the end of the curriculum. We had to study a bit of
>> material
>> on our own because we didn't have time to cover it all in class before the
>> exam. However, we were also told by our teacher that we needed to make
>> sure
>> to cover our bases in all areas when studying on our own. She also
>> suggested that the AP exam covers a lot of plant-related material and to
>> focus on that while studying since that is where previous students hadn't
>> done so well in the past. I felt the class in general was fine, and was
>> successful on the AP Exam (testing out of both semesters of college intro
>> bio). I was happy to not have to pay the tuition fees for 2 extra courses
>> and did fine in upper-level bio courses that I went on to take. I later
>> tutored students taking the same college intro bio course I had tested out
>> of, so I was able to see what the course entailed. Honestly, I believe
>> that
>> the AP course I had taken in high school was just as intensive as what was
>> being taught at college level. However, if I would have been required to
>> take one semester of the intro course, I would definitely have preferred
>> the ecology/evolution/genetics portion since that wasn't covered as much
>> as
>> the other areas in my circumstance. All in all, it seems very dependent on
>> the school (in terms of high school or even college) as to what level of
>> material the students are exposed to.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Melanie H.
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 6:14 PM, joseph gathman
>>  wrote:
>>
>>  Personal anecdote:
>>>
>>> While conducting part of a workshop for HS teachers, I gave them 20
>>> minutes of my freshman Intro Bio lecture on basic chemistry concepts
>>> (what's an atom, what are the types of molecular bonds, the really simple
>>> stuff that I shouldn't have to cover in college).
>>>
>

[ECOLOG-L] Graduate Programs and Assistantships at Miami University

[Crist, Thomas O.]

Applications are invited for the MS and PhD programs in ecology and 
environmental science at Miami University, Oxford, OH.  We offer an 
interdisciplinary PhD program in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology 
(EEEB) (http://www.cas.muohio.edu/eeeb), and MS degrees in the natural sciences 
with certificates in ecology (http://www.cas.muohio.edu/ecology) and applied 
statistics (http://www.units.muohio.edu/sta).  Our Master of Environmental 
Science program emphasizes problem solving, interdisciplinary team projects, 
and professional experience (http://www.cas.muohio.edu/men/).  Teaching and 
research assistantships are available in all graduate programs.  Over 50 
faculty members from 20 departments participate in these interdisciplinary 
graduate programs.

Students may pursue research in aquatic ecology, terrestrial ecosystem ecology, 
behavioral ecology, conservation biology, landscape ecology, physiological 
ecology, paleoecology, statistical ecology, or environmental toxicology.  
Research is supported by state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, the Ecology 
Research Center, over 1200 acres of natural areas, and nearby Hueston Woods 
State Park.  Miami University is consistently rated nationally as a public 
university with excellence in undergraduate education and selected graduate 
programs.

For more information about the EEEB program, contact Hank Stevens 
(steve...@muohio.edu); inquiries into the 
professional master's program in environmental science should be directed to 
Tom Crist (cris...@muohio.edu).


Thomas O. Crist
Director, Institute for the Environment and Sustainability
Professor, Department of Zoology
Miami University
254 Upham Hall
Oxford, OH 45056
Voice 513-529-5811
Fax 513-529-5814
thomas.cr...@muohio.edu
http://www.users.muohio.edu/cristto/
http://www.muohio.edu/ies/

[ECOLOG-L] IGERT PhD Fellowships "Genetic Engineering and Society"

[Fred Gould]

We are pleased to announce a new NSF funded, IGERT doctoral program in
"Genetic Engineering and Society: The Case of Transgenic Pests".  We are now
accepting applications and are looking for students interested in the
ecological aspects of genetically managing pests through the use of
transgenic strains. The program will also be admitting students from
molecular biology, social sciences, and humanities backgrounds.

The doctoral program will examine questions linked to the genetic
modification of mosquitoes, mice, fish, and other species that affect human
health, biodiversity, and sustainable development. The general field of
inquiry is referred to as "Genetic Pest Management". The first cohort of
students starting in July 2012 will focus on issues related to mosquitoes
that vector malaria and dengue.  Some ecological questions are: How will the
engineered strains impact disease epidemiology? What are the fitness costs
associated with an engineered trait and how will it impact the spread of an
engineered selfish genetic element? How will the population regulation and
structure of a specific mosquito impact the effectiveness of population
suppression tactics?

Students interested in the molecular genetic aspects of the program will
focus on building strains or novel gene drive mechanisms. We will also
address questions such as: What are the social, ethical, and ecological
consequences of these techniques? How can all stakeholders be involved in
decisions about these products?

We are looking for excellent students who have majored in a biological
science but have a strong interest in humanities, mathematics, and/or a
social science. Students in this program will receive a broad and rigorous
graduate training across these areas with emphasis in their chosen field. We
also welcome students who have a masters degree and want strong
interdisciplinary training at the doctoral level.
 
Students who participate in the program will receive a PhD in a home
doctoral program and a graduate minor in "Genetic Engineering and Society".
The minor will include four courses, one of which will be taught in Peru. In
addition to full fellowships (2-3 years at $30K per year), funds are
available for international internships. After the first 2-3 years students
will receive a stipend within the normal range associated with their home
doctoral program.
 
Please visit our website for more details on the program, including a list
of participating faculty:  http://GeneticEngSoc.ncsu.edu/.  In addition to
contacting potential faculty mentors, prospective students are encouraged to
email questions to: ges_...@ncsu.edu

Below is the reference to an article that describes the evolutionary and
ecological aspects of genetic pest management:


Gould, F. 2008. Broadening the application of evolutionarily based genetic
pest management. Evolution 62: 500–510.

[ECOLOG-L] PhD program in Integrative Conservation

[Nate Nibbelink]

The University of Georgia is pleased to announce that we are accepting
applications for Fall 2012 for our Integrative Conservation (ICON) doctoral
program. As global environmental change proceeds at an unprecedented pace,
the practice of conservation is adapting to a complex set of challenges.
Recognizing that responding effectively to these challenges requires both
disciplinary expertise and well-developed tools to work across disciplines,
the University of Georgia’s ICON Ph.D. program is designed to meet that need
by ensuring that students gain disciplinary depth while also learning to
collaborate across fields of practice by engaging faculty from the natural
and social sciences to train students in an integrative and holistic way.

At the same time, this program strives to move beyond the paradigm of
interdisciplinarity by reaching outside of academia to bring together
academics and practitioners. Through internships, collaborative research,
and a practitioner-in-residence program, students will interact with
conservationists as partners and colleagues. These experiences, along with
training modules lead by communications experts, will ensure that students
learn to communicate effectively and strategically with those from other
backgrounds and disciplines as well as with lay audiences.

Funded assistantships are available to outstanding students. Currently the
ICON PhD program is open to students applying to one of four "home
departments" including the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources,
the Odum School of Ecology, the Department of Anthropology, and the
Department of Geography. 

For more information, please contact Meredith Welch-Devine,
mwdev...@uga.edu, at the Center for Integrative Conservation Research (CICR)
at the University of Georgia or see the CICR website: www.cicr.uga.edu.
Please note that prospective students apply to the program from a home
department, and departmental application deadlines vary.

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Treatment of Ecology in AP classes

[Emily Moran]

I took a lot of AP classes in highschool - biology, calculus, 
statistics, physics, etc.


I also switched from AP chemistry to a chemistry course at Indiana 
University halfway through the year - but that was only possible because 
my highschool was experimenting with a semester rather than full-year 
system, and because I had a lot of help from my parents (who are 
academics) in getting me registered at IU and arguing with the 
highschool to arrange a study period for me at the correct time.  I 
don't think most students would be able to make that work.


Overall, the AP classes were of equivalent quality to intro university 
classes.  The University of Michigan accepted the credits, which allowed 
me to move more  into the more interesting and rigorous upper level 
classes.  That was really important - if I had to repeat all those 
courses, I might well have gotten frustrated enough to switch to 
history!  As it is, I took most of the ecology classes offered, as well 
as two genetics courses and 4 years of math, and eventually pursued a 
Ph.D. in ecology.  And all those math and science courses enabled me to 
incorporate mathematical modeling and population genetics into my thesis 
research in ways I never would have predicted when I was a college student.


As with any intro course, the benefit students get depends on how 
diligent they are in pursuing a subject and continuing to learn outside 
of class.  Most of the AP students I know are quite self-motivated.


However, some universities or departments may be concerned that students 
cpuld, for example, take their AP credit and never think about biology 
again.
One way to avoid this would be to accept the AP credit ON THE CONDITION 
that students take at least one upper level course in the discipline.


Emily Moran


On 11/22/2011 1:24 PM, Melanie Hedgespeth wrote:

It has been interesting to read the responses to this topic.

Speaking from my own personal experience and having taken AP Bio in high
school, I did feel that yes, the ecology portion was a bit rushed because
it was towards the end of the curriculum. We had to study a bit of material
on our own because we didn't have time to cover it all in class before the
exam. However, we were also told by our teacher that we needed to make sure
to cover our bases in all areas when studying on our own. She also
suggested that the AP exam covers a lot of plant-related material and to
focus on that while studying since that is where previous students hadn't
done so well in the past. I felt the class in general was fine, and was
successful on the AP Exam (testing out of both semesters of college intro
bio). I was happy to not have to pay the tuition fees for 2 extra courses
and did fine in upper-level bio courses that I went on to take. I later
tutored students taking the same college intro bio course I had tested out
of, so I was able to see what the course entailed. Honestly, I believe that
the AP course I had taken in high school was just as intensive as what was
being taught at college level. However, if I would have been required to
take one semester of the intro course, I would definitely have preferred
the ecology/evolution/genetics portion since that wasn't covered as much as
the other areas in my circumstance. All in all, it seems very dependent on
the school (in terms of high school or even college) as to what level of
material the students are exposed to.

Cheers,
Melanie H.


On Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 6:14 PM, joseph gathman  wrote:


Personal anecdote:

While conducting part of a workshop for HS teachers, I gave them 20
minutes of my freshman Intro Bio lecture on basic chemistry concepts
(what's an atom, what are the types of molecular bonds, the really simple
stuff that I shouldn't have to cover in college).

After the 20 minutes, there was silence.  The teachers were astonished -
not that I would lecture on such elementary ideas (as I had expected), but
that it went so fast.  One of them said, "What you just covered in 20
minutes is a third of my semester", and the others nodded.  My turn to be
astonished.  I can't even imagine how you could stretch that stuff out for
more than a week.

The point: if a student takes AP Bio, they MIGHT just be getting what you
and I consider a proper HS bio class.  Certainly not college-level biology.

Joe


Subject: Re: Treatment of Ecology in AP classes

I can't speak directly to the question of whether the
classes provide adequate
coverage of any given topic.  Consulting the AP web
site confirms your suspicion that ecology coverage comes
last in the course.  And of course, whether any given
topic is covered adequately is strictly dependent on the
school and the teacher, not the topical listing on the web
site.  I can say, from having served as a grader for
the AP Biology exam, that ecology is well covered on the
exam.

That said, I also suspect that ecology may be a subject
that gets less than full
coverage in some of the classes because of
sequencing.  Als

[ECOLOG-L] 3 statistics courses in R

[Highland Statistics Ltd]

Apologies for cross-posting

We would like to announce 3 statistics courses:


1. Data exploration, linear regression, GLM & GAM in R. With 
introduction to R. 6 - 10 February 2012. Coimbra, Portugal.


2. Introduction to linear mixed effects modelling in R. 13 - 17 February 
2012. Lisbon, Portugal.


3. Multivariate analysis in R. 20 - 24 February. Klaipeda University, 
Lithuania.




For further information, see: www.highstat.com


Kind regards,

Alain Zuur

[ECOLOG-L] Postdoctoral Position: Detecting change in Alaskan tundra

[Steve Oberbauer]

POSITION: POSTDOCTORAL RESEACH ASSOCIATE

HOME INSTITUTION:  Department of Biological Sciences, Florida
International University

DESCRIPTION:
We are seeking a POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE for a study on the
effects of climate change on arctic tundra phenology, structure, and
composition and how detection of tundra changes can be automated.
The project focus is on ongoing long-term measurements of tundra in
response to experimental warming and background climate as part of
the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) Arctic Observatory
Network.  The goal of the project is to relate manual measurements of
plant phenology, growth, and canopy structure to small-scale remote
sensing and to automate and scale up those measurements using robotic
sensor systems.  The summer fieldwork will be based at Toolik Field
Station, Alaska with additional sites at Barrow and Atqasuk, Alaska.
The successful applicant should have experience in the use of
electronic instrumentation and sensors and familiarity with remote
sensing systems.  The position is available for up to 2 years with
annual renewal dependent on satisfactory performance.  The position
includes full health benefits and retirement.

Applications and inquiries should be sent to Steve Oberbauer
(oberb...@fiu.edu), Department of Biological Sciences, Florida
International University, Miami, FL 33199.  Applications should
include a curriculum vitae, statement of research interests and
expertise, and names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses
of three references.  The Position is open immediately and will
remain open until filled, with review of applications starting 1
January 2012.  Florida International University, the State
University of Florida in Miami, is an Affirmative Action/Equal
Opportunity Employer and actively seeks diversity among its employees.