[ECOLOG-L] Graduate Assistantship in Silviculture at University of Florida

[Ajay Sharma]

Graduate Research Assistantship Announcement
School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, 
Gainesville, FL 
Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Newton, Georgia

A Master of Science graduate assistantship is available with Dr. Ajay Sharma in 
the School of Forest Resources and Conservation – University of Florida. The 
assistantship will be in collaboration with and supported by the Joseph W. 
Jones Ecological Research Center, under joint supervision of Dr. Seth Bigelow 
(forest ecologist) and Dr. Sharma. 

Project Description
“Community re-organization after windstorms in longleaf pine forests”
The re-organization of forest communities after major canopy-opening 
disturbance depends on the presence and size of regenerating trees and their 
ability to quickly respond to increased resources. Disturbance regimes in 
frequent-fire longleaf pine ecosystems are thought to be characterized 
historically by single-tree or small group mortality due to lighting strikes, 
but larger openings due to hurricanes may have played a significant role in the 
development of these forests. Longleaf seedling and sapling growth may increase 
exponentially at larger opening sizes, yet competing hardwoods may benefit from 
the same resource pulse.  This study will be conducted during the early stages 
of forest community re-organization after Hurricane Michael in two longleaf 
pine locations of varying severity of impacts along the storm’s path: a 
moderate-to-severe impact area, and a light-to-moderate impact area. The 
objectives are to characterize the frequency distribution of canopy opening 
sizes created by the storm at each location; to measure height growth of 
regenerating longleaf pines and competing hardwoods across a gradient of light 
availability created by these openings; and to determine how soil conditions 
and time since fire interact with light to shape competitive outcomes. The 
resulting analysis will assist forest managers in identifying post-hurricane 
scenarios under which intervention may be required to achieve desired future 
conditions.

The graduate assistant is expected to spend first year at the University of 
Florida, Gainesville for completing course work, and the second year at the 
Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center at Ichauway, located near Newton, 
GA, for research work. Duties include satisfactory completion of coursework, 
field data collection and analyses, writing a thesis and peer-reviewed 
publication(s) related to the study. An ideal candidate for this position will 
have a B.S. degree in forestry or a closely related discipline, experience in 
field work, familiarity with longleaf pine ecosystems, proficiency in written 
and oral communication, strong GRE scores, and evidence of scholastic success. 
The position will begin in Fall (August) 2019. 
The assistantship includes full tuition, competitive stipend, and fringe 
benefits. To apply, please submit the following to Dr. Ajay Sharma 
(ajay.sha...@ufl.edu) and/or Dr. Seth Bigelow (seth.bige...@jonesctr.org). 
1) statement of career goals
2) curriculum vitae
3) transcripts of course work
4) GRE scores
5) contact information for three references
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a candidate is 
selected. 

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Humans in the definition of ecosystems

[Ajay Sharma]

I would suggest reading O'Neill, Robert V. (2001). Is It Time to Bury the
Ecosystem Concept? (With Full Military Honors, of Course!). *Ecology*, 82:
3275-3284.
The eminent authors concludes in the article there is need to make revisions
in the concept of ecosystem. Especially, as far as the role and place of
humans is concerned. He points out that the humans are the ultimate invasive
species in the ecosystem that alters both the biotic and abiotic components.
A must read and very interesting article.

Ajay Sharma
PhD Student,
SFRC, UF, Gainesville, FL

On Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 10:19 PM, Daniel A Fiscus dafis...@frostburg.eduwrote:

 Fabrice,

 An interesting and evocative question and dilemma! I should really think on
 it over time and reply in depth...but some thoughts of the top instead...

 I agree with other repliers that the definition really does not exclude
 humans per se...unless we focus on the special aspect of your ID of humans
 as special animals. So I think the CBD definition is OK in the broadest
 sense of all animals.

 But I also agree that humans are special animals...so what could we change?

 My core idea of ecosystem as I remember Tansley to have originally coined
 it mentioned and emphasized reciprocal influence between the abiotic and
 biotic realms. And I think it a reasonable extension to also suggest the
 definition so far includes a sense of a balanced reciprocity...not
 necessarily equilibrium, stasis, homeostasis or simple stability...but still
 in general a kind of equal weighting, value, importance, dominance, or
 causal driving by the biotic and abiotic realms.

 If we tried to address what is special about humans as animals, in this
 context of ecosystem as a functional biotic-abiotic unit...what to
 emphasize?

 One option would be to say that when humans enter the integrated functional
 whole of an ecosystem, the relationship is no longer reciprocal or balanced
 between biotic and abiotic realms. This does not necessarily have to mean
 that this change is bad, just that it is different from ecosystems without
 humans. The change would be compatible with the idea of the anthropocene era
 in which humans are the main driving force of change...even geologic,
 atmospheric, biogeochemical, species extinctions, etc. changes...on the
 planet. Another very general analogy would be to say that without humans the
 organisms and communities within ecosystems (biotic) adapt themselves mainly
 to survival needs as defined by abiotic changes, but humans (biotic) adapt
 (alter) the abiotic (and biotic) environment to our own needs. This is
 grossly general...and not even a clearly separable difference between humans
 and other species, especially those studied as ecosystem engineers, but it
 is a rough start.

 So...a revised approach would be to leave the definition of ecosystem as it
 is (or one of the other classic or widely used versions by Odum and others),
 but to add some modifier to another term or type of ecosystem and define
 that one differently. This might be coupled human-natural ecosystems or
 human-dominated ecosystems or human ecosystems or ecosystems with
 humans.

 But I think you open a can of worms that has to remain fuzzy and
 open-ended, because I think it an open question as to whether we humans can
 continue this lopsided relationship and continue to alter the environment to
 our needs and wishes. If the pendulum swings back as we reach the
 environmental limits of the planet, then the old and original ecosystem
 definition may be fine. If we find some way to transcend these planetary
 limits or boundaries...then we humans really are special enough to require
 an expanded definition of ecosystem.

 Some thoughts...would be fun to discuss more...

 Dan



 --
 Dan Fiscus
 Assistant Professor
 Biology Department
 Frostburg State University
 308 Compton Science Center
 Frostburg, MD 21532 USA
 301-687-4170
 dafis...@frostburg.edu



 -Original Message-
 From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of
 Fabrice De Clerck
 Sent: Fri 6/25/2010 11:20 AM
 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
 Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Humans in the definition of ecosystems

  Dear Friends,

 An environmental economist colleague of mine is disappointed with the CBD
 definition of ecosystems which gives the impression that only pristine areas
 are ecosystems. Can anyone point us to a more recent definition of
 ecosystems that explicitly includes humans as an integral part of the
 definition?

 Here is the original question:

 The CBD defines ecosystems as a dynamic complex of plant, animal and
 micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a
 functional unit.

 I find this boring, as it leaves us humans, as special animals, out of the
 picture. When you read it, it is easy to think of pristine environments. Has
 there been any reaction or correction of this definition? I need an
 authoritative quote that balances the CBD´s

 All reactions welcome