[ECOLOG-L] tenure track job related to chemical ecology (metabolomics)
Metabolomics Position! (We welcome applications from chemical ecologists who use metabolomics in their research)... The Department of Biology at the University of Nevada Reno (UNR) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Metabolomics. Outstanding candidates are sought whose research utilize novel approaches in metabolomics to address biological questions that complement one or more existing departmental research strengths, including chemical and cellular biology; molecular ecology; behavioral ecology and genetics; interaction ecology; evolutionary biology; neuroscience; and conservation biology. The successful candidate will be expected to develop an innovative, externally funded research program, to contribute to teaching existing biology courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and to develop new courses in his/her areas of expertise. UNR offers a highly collaborative research environment, including the Nevada Institute for Chemical Ecology and excellent core facilities in proteomics, genomics, bioinformatics, and high-performance computing. A shared instrumentation laboratory offers extensive instrumentation for structure elucidation, including NMR, GC-MS and LC-MS. The Department of Biology is home to 34 faculty, who participate in several interdisciplinary PhD programs, including the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology and the Cell and Molecular Biology programs. The department is rapidly growing with 5 new faculty recruited within the last two years in the areas of neuroscience, evolutionary and functional genomics, and bioinformatics. The current searches include faculty positions in animal physiology and disease ecology. The application closing date is 12-January-2015. Please feel free to contact Lee Dyer (ld...@unr.edu) for more information. The full details and official search announcement are here: https://www.unrsearch.com/postings/16414 The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action in recruitment of its students and employees and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national origin, veteran status, physical or mental disability, and sexual orientation, or genetic information, gender identity, or gender expression. The University of Nevada, Reno employs only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States. Women, under-represented groups, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Also, Reno is an awesome place to live! Some keywords: Great Basin, Sierra Nevada, skiing, climbing, hiking, kayiking, birding, Nevada Museum of Art, Nevada Bugs and Butterflies, Great Basin Brewing Company, Bay Area, Sacramento, Yosemite, Truckee River, Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, Ecology, Evolution, Conservation Biology, Chemical Ecology, plant-animal interactions, orovada soils, sandstone, mountain bluebird, sagebrush, indian ricegrass, vivid dancer damselfly, desert tortoise, Lahontan cutthroat trout, western juniper, Ichthyosaur *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office)
[ECOLOG-L] Tenure-track positions: 1) Bioinformatics and 2) Functional Genomics
ECOLOG:Please see below for details on two faculty positions in the Biology Department at UNR. The department and location are awesome!Cheers, Lee Department of Biology Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Faculty Positions The Department of Biology seeks two faculty positions, one in FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS and one in BIOINFORMATICS, at the assistant professor level, tenure-track. For the functional genomic position, we are seeking candidates using functional genomic and bioinformatic approaches to investigate cellular and neural functions, but any other areas of focus will be considered. Of particular interest are candidates who integrate innovative high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics-based experimental approaches to examine neural functions through detailed analysis of the genome and/or transcriptome. For the bioinformatics position, we are interested in candidates whose research seeks to develop and apply computational and quantitative methods to interrogate large data sets in the study of biology. Possible areas include, but are not limited to, genomic and transcriptomic data analysis, regulatory networks, biological systems, and should address fundamental questions in biology, including biomedical, evolutionary and ecological fields. The successful candidates will be expected to develop an innovative, extramurally-funded, research program, and teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Department recently hired a genome biologist and is currently recruiting two Neurobiologists, who together with the new faculty hires in functional genomics and bioinformatics would generate synergistic interactions with the diverse faculty in the Biology Department including faculty supported by a Neuroscience and Cell Signaling COBRE. The University of Nevada, Reno, offers competitive start-up support, in addition to an interactive research environment, including outstanding core facilities in proteomics, genomics, microscopy, bioinformatics and flow cytometry. The Biology Department is home to 26 faculty members that maintain nationally recognized, extramurally funded research programs, mentor 50 graduate students, and participate in undergraduate teaching. The Department has a growing neuroscience, developmental biology and evolutionary genomics research clusters, focusing on neural development, behavioral genetics, speciation and adaptation. Faculty members in the Department of Biology have close ties to the University of Nevada School of Medicine and over $60 million of NIH funds have recently been targeted for biomedical research development on campus. Reno is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe, and was recently rated one of the best small cities in the US for outdoor recreation and overall quality of life. Go to http://jobs.unr.edu to submit application materials, including an application letter, CV, research plans, teaching interests, and contact information for three references. Applications received by January 10, 2014 will receive full consideration. *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office)
[ECOLOG-L] PhD student: fire and interaction diversity
We are seeking to recruit a motivated PhD student to become part of a team of researchers examining the relationships between fire and diversity in longleaf pine forests in the Southern United States with a focus on quantifying diversity of trophic interactions. The successful applicant for this position should have a Bachelor's or Master's degree with demonstrated experience in ecology, evolution, or statistics. Helpful skills include: · Quantitative experience (statistical models, analytical models, simulations) · SAS and R programming skills· Natural history experience in southern pine ecosystems· Passion for fire, insects, plants, and diversity The student will be supported by a paid Research Assistantship (RA) while working towards a PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology (EECB) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Work would be conducted with Dr. Lee Dyer at UNR and Dr. Joe O'Brien at the US Forest Service, Georgia, as well as with collaborators across the Americas. We prefer to fill the position this coming Spring (January 2014), but we are also open to a starting date at the end of the Spring semester (May 2014). We can offer 4 years of competitive RA support, followed by TA positions. The study site is located in old growth longleaf pine sites in the Florida panhandle at Eglin Air Force Base. Longleaf pine forests are one of the most biologically rich terrestrial ecosystems in the world and the study sites is located in the largest remaining intact longleaf landscape. The candidate would be actively involved in both experimental and operational prescribed fires and will receive wildland fire certification through the USFS. The PhD student will live part time in Reno and part time in Florida. The University of Nevada, Reno is located in the western Great Basin, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains; in other words, it is one of the best places to live in the world. Reno is a small, dynamic, and diverse city, with opportunities for excellent dining and community events along the scenic Truckee River that runs through town. We find that quality of life here is high, particularly if you are interested in outdoor activities, including world class rock climbing, hiking, skiing, kayaking, tubing, swimming, photography, and birding. And if you love cool big cities (and traffic), the bay area (San Francisco) is just a few hours away by car. The study site is located near Destin, FL and minutes from the Gulf of Mexico and associated beaches. While Florida is topographically challenged when compared to Nevada, outdoor opportunities still abound including kayaking, sailing, SCUBA diving, fishing, hiking, and wildlife watching. To apply, please send the following: (1) CV including names and contact info for 3 references; (2) GRE scores and GPA from previous programs; (3) cover letter stating your interest in pursuing a PhD and stating your ability to start in either Spring or Summer (2014). Send materials to: ecod...@gmail.com. Relevant links:University of Nevada, Reno: http://www.unr.edu/Graduate Program in EECB: http://environment.unr.edu/eecb/Dyer lab: http://wolfweb.unr.edu/~ldyer/www.caterpillars.orgO’Brien lab:http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/forestdisturbance/#http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/staff/819 Position will be open until filled. *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office)
Re: [ECOLOG-L] banana monocultures wildlife - ref needed!
Hi Wendee,There are quite a few citations you could use that quantify the relationship between management intensity and different measures of biodiversity in banana. Hopefully you consider invertebrates to be wildlife because the references below mostly focus on invertebrates. All of them include literature cited relevant to effects of management intensity on other taxa, including vertebrates. Most of the publications that I list below also focus on the subtle differences in management that exist in Costa Rica banana - for example, utilizing different levels of carbamate nematicides, or applying different mixes of fungicides, herbicides, fruit bags, or insecticides. These subtle changes in management (similar to the types of changes advocated by the management at EARTH) caused impressive changes in arthropod diversity as well as very interesting subtle changes in chemically mediated interactions between trophic levels (e.g., nematicides may poison the immune response of caterpillars). Stephens, C.S. Ecological upset and recuperation of natural control of insect pests in some Costa Rican banana plantations. Turrialba 1984, 34, 101–105.Thrupp, L.A. Entrapment and escape from fruitless insecticide use: Lessons from the banana sector of Costa Rica. Int. J. Environ. Stud. 1990, 36, 173–189.Smilanich, A.M. and L.A. Dyer. 2012. Effects of banana plantation pesticides on the immune response of lepidopteran larvae and their parasitoid natural enemies. Insects 3:616-628.Matlock, R.B.; de la Cruz, R. An inventory of parasitic Hymenoptera in banana plantations under two pesticide regimes. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 2002, 93, 147–164.Dyer, L.A.; Matlock, R.B.; Chehrezad, D.; O’Malley, R. Predicting caterpillar parasitism in banana plantations. Environ. Entomol. 2005, 34, 403–409.Stireman, J.O., III; Dyer, L.; Matlock, R. Top-Down Forces in Managed Versus Unmanaged Habitats. In Ecology of Predator-Prey Interactions; Barbosa, P., Castellanos, I., Eds.; OxfordUniversity Press: Oxford, UK, 2005; pp. 303–323. *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:25:12 -0500 From: wendeenic...@nasw.org Subject: [ECOLOG-L] banana monocultures wildlife - ref needed! To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU I have an article coming out July 1 on the quite impressive EARTH University in Costa Rica, and how they've transform the banana industry in that area (their bananas are sold at Whole Foods they're not organic, but they are grown in between shade trees, and they've cut way down on the use of chemicals, etc). Here's where i need your helpŠ Anyway, so this pub (Environmental Health Perspectives ehponline.org) requires citations, and I am desperately looking for a study to reference that backs up a statement I made that traditional banana plantations are inhospitable to wildlife (or, at least, have much less wildlife than say a shade-grown plantation). I looked online, ad in Google scholar, and just can't seem to find anything but it seems obvious there MUST be such a study! Any suggestions? Wendee Wendee Nicole, M.S. Wildlife Ecology ~ Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian Web: [ http://www.wendeenicole.com ] Blog: [ http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com ] Twitter: twitter.com/bohemianone Email: wendeenic...@nasw.org Online Magazine Writing Classes start Jun 8 July 20, 2013 - Ask me!
Re: [ECOLOG-L] filtering messages
So in response to what seemed like a reasonable suggestion (from another list poster) that ECOLOG posters limit the number of posts per individual (sort of like asking excessively vocal faculty members to allow a faculty meeting to proceed by limiting their outbursts) and that we try to keep post quality high (sort of like peer review), the Ecolog moderator advises that we just filter posters who are taking over Ecolog or who are obvious trolls? Such a response is analogous to this line of reasoning: Ecologist: We need to decrease the number of papers per issue, increase the quality of papers, and increase the rigor of peer review in the journal Ecology. (There is too much noise and too many errors on Ecolog, we should ask members to limit the number of posts per person and push for greater quality.) ESA: if you don't like papers in Ecology, then don't read them. (Just filter out the noise.) I have had an Ecolog subscription since it started, when I was a grad student, and it was really useful and interesting. However, in my personal, subjective, anecdotal opinion, the average quality of posts has severely declined. I used to recommend it to students, but now I do not, because the very faint signal of good ecological information is often lost in the noise of excessive (and sometimes unintelligible) prose from a small fraction of posters. Sure, there are options for dealing with this putative problem, such as filtering, or using the digest, but these are sub-optimal and are somewhat like trying to treat a sickness rather than trying to prevent it. I cannot recommend this forum to students or colleagues because I can see little value now other than job postings. The occasional opportunity for one to offer an opinion on theory or methods (or to get insight from relevant theoretical or methodological posts) often will be met with a cacophony of disorganized, top-of-the-head ideas and opinions (uh... kind of like this post right here?). Conversely, and equally frustrating, substantive theoretical questions may often be met with complete silence. It does beg the question of why I still have my subscription... The irony here (actually, there are several ironies in this post) is that I HAVE filtered certain posters, thus I have missed most of the discussion here... Cheers, Lee p.s. I once had a post denied because I said that a climate-change denier poster was hoist by his own petard (from Shakespeare). So there is SOME quality control on Ecolog. *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) Date: Tue, 28 May 2013 23:05:51 -0600 From: ino...@umd.edu Subject: [ECOLOG-L] filtering messages To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU I suspect that all e-mail programs have the capability to filter messages. You can typically filter by subject, by sender, etc. So it's not difficult to set up your account to filter out messages from particular ECOLOG-L subscribers, or threads you don't want to follow. For example, here's information about how to do that with Outlook. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/manage-email-messages-by-using-rules-HA010355682.aspx For Eudora, go to Tools Filters (probably the same for Thunderbird). For Gmail, see https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6579?hl=en. Another option is to get the daily digest so all you get is one message a day from the list. To set your subscription to the digest form, send (from your subscribed address) the message set ecolog-l digest to lists...@listserv.umd.edu And you can also scan listserv messages on the weekly archive, which has a table of contents for each week: https://listserv.umd.edu/archives/ecolog-l.htmlhttps://listserv.umd.edu/archives/ecolog-l.html David Inouye, list owner and moderator. Dr. David W. Inouye, Professor Associate Chair, Director of Graduate Studies 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 2013-14 President-elect, Ecological Society of America
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Calculus for Biology Majors
Hey wait a second, what happened to liberal arts education? Shouldn’t everyone know math and Shakespeare? Pure math is fun, if you give it a chance, and who cares if it is directly applicable to your job? Would you rather watch TV (which seems infinitely boring and not at all applicable to a job) than learn differential equations? I loved the calculus courses I took as an undergrad, along with philosophy, statistics, music, art, P-chem, physics, political science, Shakespeare, Milton, Classical Studies, etc. To be successful in biology, you really should learn a @#$-ton of math and you should read a @#$-ton of literature too. In fact, not only are math and statistics (and literature, philosophy, art, etc.) important for ecology, but they are also important for being a responsible citizen.I have also seen a number of posts that pass the buck over to collaborators. As somebody who is very interested in collaborative research, I would urge collaborative ecologists to learn as much as possible about their colleagues’ fields of research. I get the most out of working with chemists when I can sit with them and try to make sense out of NMR results as opposed to demanding that they resolve structures for me by some deadline. The same could be said for collaborating with statisticians and modelers – it is far more productive to work WITH them as opposed to asking them to do stuff for you.Cheers, Lee *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:44:02 + From: ford@buckeyemail.osu.edu Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Calculus for Biology Majors To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU I would love if more institutions offered math courses tailored to specific fields of study. I can say that as an undergraduate, I did not fair well in my general calculus course because I did not see the application of it for the natural resources realm. I also feel that teachers/teaching assistants play a huge factor. For my one required calculus course, I had a teaching assistant that was not fluent in English that taught my recitations as well as the teacher, and it was incredibly difficult to understand concepts and how they might apply. That opens up a whole different can of worms, but the general principle is that teachers should try to meet students half-way when it comes to enthusiasm and real world applications. I feel that tailored math courses would help many students realize why math is so important in the first place. Rob From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] on behalf of Sarah Shannon [smsha...@indiana.edu] Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 8:51 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Calculus for Biology Majors When I was getting my B.S. in Plant Biology at the University of California, Davis, we were required to take a full year of Calculus. They had an excellent course called Calculus for Biology Majors. It was quite rigorous, and required a lot of work from us, but was the best math course I've ever taken. All questions were in the form of word problems (e.g., given the following information, how often must a patient take the drug to maintain a concentration level above 100ppm in the blood?). I highly recommend courses like this for biology programs. I can think of ways to adapt physics and statistics courses in a similar manner. Sarah Shannon Indiana University
Re: [ECOLOG-L] correlation v. causation
I don’t know what constitutes the popular use of correlation, but the (1980) Steele and Torrie quote is more of an opinion or view than a definition – I’m not saying it’s wrong, but the mathematical definitions of correlation are less subjective or mushy. Anyway, based on the responses to the quote I threw out there, I am guessing that none of the critics have actually read the book I recommended (from which the “correlation implies causation” quote was taken – my apologies for quoting it out of context – I assumed ecologists were familiar with some literature surrounding path analysis) and probably haven’t read another work that I enthusiastically recommend - Sewell Wright’s “Correlation and Causation,” which is available for free as a PDF if you search for it. I will not defend the quote myself, I’ll just recommend those published works, which certainly take into account all of the comments that it elicited and elegantly explore the questions about correlation and causation. Of course it is easy to criticize poorly procured correlations and it is a ton of fun to come up with spurious correlations that were calculated for the sole purpose of showing that unrelated variables can be correlated. But, like it or not, research in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology has long depended on good correlational data, and it seems like a fair idea to pay attention to great thinkers like Sewell Wright when they come up with methods for testing causal hypotheses using correlational data (i.e. path analysis). I definitely agree that experiments are awesome (read the first sentence of Sewell Wright’s Correlation and Causation, he agrees too). I adore well-designed, relevant experiments, and I don’t know anybody who would argue that experiments are not one of the best ways to (try to) test for causal relationships. However, causality is really a slippery concept – experiments can also fail to appropriately test causality, as discussed in the broad literature on this topic. Furthermore, experiments are only one of our many tools as ecologists, and I have seen countless irrelevant, horribly conceived ecological experiments where the investigators appear to have never made a useful observation in the field, nor considered interesting correlations in the systems they study, nor actually measured a useful variable in a real ecosystem. Yes, correlational data have been abused frequently and some investigators unwittingly assume proximal causal relationships from field data or from inappropriately applied regressions. But it is troubling when ecologists refuse to acknowledge that you can test causal hypotheses using approaches such as structural equation modeling (or they simply dismiss such approaches as elaborate models), or when they feel that an experiment proves some proximal causal relationship between two variables (i.e. they ignore latent variables or causal webs). Arguments about which approach is better or more legitimate are not very helpful, when in fact the best scientists start with their question and attempt to utilize all available tools for generating and testing good hypotheses related to that question. Those tools include analytical models, simulation models, lab experiments, field experiments, mensurative experiments, observational data, and statistical models. If you want to know the answer to questions such as what causes higher diversity in the tropics (a latitudinal correlation noted many years ago by Darwin, Wallace, and others, who generated some nice causal hypotheses about the relationship), I would recommend using all of these tools to test your favorite causal hypotheses – and make sure that a heavy dose of observational data are included. *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:11:49 + From: william.resetar...@ttu.edu Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] correlation v. causation To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Seems relevant at this time to remind ourselves of the statistical meaning of correlation vs its popular use and perhaps more importantly why Ecology and Evolutionary Biology became and continue to be experimental sciences whenever possible. From the classic stats text Steele and Torrie (1980 p 277). Correlation measures a co-relation, a joint property of two variables. Where variables are jointly affected because of external influences, correlation may offer the most logical approach to that analysis of the data. Regression deals primarily with the means of one variable and how their location changes with another variable. Š. Correlation is associated with descriptive techniques: regression has to do with a relation between population means and the values of a concomitant variable. Thus, whereas
Re: [ECOLOG-L] correlation v. causation
My favorite *introduction* to this vast topic can be found in the first few chapters of Bill Shipley's short book, Cause and Correlation in Biology (2000). A quote from his book: In fact, with few exceptions, correlation does imply causation. If we observe a systematic relationship between two variables, and we have ruled out the likelihood that this is simply due to a random coincidence, then something must be causing this relationship. *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2012 10:57:34 -0500 From: devan.mcgrana...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] correlation v. causation To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Hi Shelley, others, Slate recently had a great article on correlation and causation with a historical perspective. My favorite line: 'No, correlation does not imply causation, but it sure as hell provides a hint. http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/10/correlation_does_not_imply_causation_how_the_internet_fell_in_love_with_a_stats_class_clich_.html Having nothing better to do, I set fire to the prairie. -- Francis Chadron, 1839, Fort Clark, North Dakota http://www.devanmcgranahan.info
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Bias for positive results in science was Sarewitz on Systematic Error
Martin,Good point - of course all good science is hypothesis driven ... but I am sure that nobody wants the literature flooded with the thousands of hypotheses that go through my mind when I'm in the field or laboratory. Most of these informal hypotheses are unreasonable, silly, confused, and reflect my general attention deficit, none of them have been ground-shaking new ideas. In contrast, I'd like to think that some ecologists have appreciated the data I've collected that were relevant to established hypotheses. Sure, I get excited about cool new hypotheses or ideas, but I don't like the idea of continually abandoning established hypotheses that are formulated from decades of observations, modeling, and careful discussion - but lack sufficient data-rich tests across multiple ecological systems. I think we are flitting about trying to be unique and cutting-edge, and as a result the literature tends to be sort of like my thought processes in the field (a terrible confession to make in a public forum) - too many new, carelessly developed ideas, and not enough solid, painfully collected data. So in your post, you've restated longstanding hypotheses about resource-consumer relationships and how they are altered by abiotic factors, but you've left out the parts that are far more interesting - Which caterpillars are eating the daisies (I really want to know - I've never collected leps from daisies)? Are they really capable of reducing daisy abundance? What secondary compounds mediate the putative caterpillar-daisy interaction? Who are the parasitoids that are attacking the caterpillars and perhaps being eaten by your birds? For me, the answers to these questions are more valuable than re-framing some new trophic cascades hypothesis and they fit with Pedro's argument that we need to understand and describe this daisy-caterpillar-bird system before generating potentially irrelevant hypotheses - the key here wasn't the obvious fact that we've utilized a bunch of informal hypotheses in our muddled brains, it is that we decided to figure out the basic natural history before trying a bird exclosure experiment. Cheers, Lee *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) Date: Thu, 17 May 2012 09:16:15 -0400 From: mme...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Bias for positive results in science was Sarewitz on Systematic Error To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU But Pedro, how do you go about understanding a system without, either formally or informally, generating and testing hypotheses? If I observe that caterpillars are eating daisies and catbirds are eating caterpillars, my mind automatically thinks, Hmm, maybe the catbird population density affects the daisy population density. That's a hypothesis. Do I now have to force my self not to think any more in that direction so I can continue to gain understanding in other areas? Of course, other things might be affecting the daisy population, like rain fall or competition with golden rod. I wonder if...oops! There I go again. These damn hypotheses keep sneaking in. C'mon. Martin M. Meiss 2012/5/16 Pedro Barbosa pbarb...@umd.edu Let me add that perhaps it is time to judge grants/papers not just based on whether they are testing hypotheses (often proposed after lab, as opposed to field research), and recognize that it might be more appropriate to understand an ecosystem, ecological interaction, or ecological dynamic before generating hypotheses. Thus, supporting research that aims to understand and/or describe what is occurring in nature, AKA natural history, before we generate 'hypotheses' might be the appropriate way to go! Pedro Barbosa Department of Entomology Plant Sciences Building University of Maryland College Park, Maryland, 20742 (301) 405-3946 Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable Finley Peter Dunne From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [ ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Lee Dyer [oru...@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 3:11 PM To: ecolog-l Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Bias for positive results in science was Sarewitz on Systematic Error I agree with John that an important part of this for Ecology is the concept of adding depth to our information base. I am amazed at how natural history is still devalued and frowned upon (true in chemistry too, for natural products chemistry). A memorable comment from a reviewer was that the (well-designed and executed) study under consideration was just another brick in the wall, meaning that there was nothing new and exciting for the reviewer
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Bias for positive results in science was Sarewitz on Systematic Error
I agree with John that an important part of this for Ecology is the concept of adding depth to our information base. I am amazed at how natural history is still devalued and frowned upon (true in chemistry too, for natural products chemistry). A memorable comment from a reviewer was that the (well-designed and executed) study under consideration was just another brick in the wall, meaning that there was nothing new and exciting for the reviewer. But the most exciting and refreshing Ecology includes walls that are solid because they are filled with bricks (e.g., replicated trophic cascades studies that use similar methods, study systems, and hypothesis tests). In contrast, while new walls (e.g., new ideas about indirect effects across trophic levels) are useful for progress, the push for everything to be earth shattering, new, and exciting, does not necessarily lead us closer to the truth or push our science forward. *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) Date: Wed, 16 May 2012 07:35:47 -0700 From: gerla...@pacbell.net Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Bias for positive results in science was Sarewitz on Systematic Error To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU I read the report as stating that there is a rewards structure built into our academic and research institutions that almost guarantees that studies are designed so that the rejection of the null hypothesis is assured and that findings of no difference are not published. This is pretty much the same conclusion that report after report has found. Those reports also found a de-emphasis on research that adds depth to our information base as compared to those that are testing very narrow hypothesis. Given that rewards structure, why would anyone expect that replicated testing would be done? John Gerlach From: malcolm McCallum malcolm.mccal...@herpconbio.org To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Wed, May 16, 2012 6:55:58 AM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Sarewitz on Systematic Error Hard to believe they let this statement make it into publication... A biased scientific result is no different from a useless one. Neither can be turned into a real-world application. Especially after just a few lines earlier they state... Bias is an inescapable element of research, especially in fields such as biomedicine that strive to isolate cause–effect relations in complex systems in which relevant variables and phenomena can never be fully identified or characterized. In other words, the anti-research/anti-academic/anti-intellectual crowd can now grab these two sentences, misquote them and indicate that a paper in science just stated that RESEARCH IS A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE IT NEVER HAS ANY REAL WORLD APPLICATION It would be great if a paper criticizing errors in others' work actually read their work carefully! :) (that is a tongue in cheek comment by the way). This entire commentary is actually a criticism of our lack of replication by multiple researchers. When a study comes out, it needs to be reinvestigated by others, not just accepted. Take a landmark paper, hand it to an MS student and have them redo the study and then add a follow up twist. This is simply not done enough today. On Tue, May 15, 2012 at 10:30 AM, Matt Chew anek...@gmail.com wrote: Everyone should take a minute to read this Nature 'world view' piece. http://www.nature.com/news/beware-the-creeping-cracks-of-bias-1.10600?WT.ec_id=NEWS-20120515 5 Matthew K Chew Assistant Research Professor Arizona State University School of Life Sciences ASU Center for Biology Society PO Box 873301 Tempe, AZ 85287-3301 USA Tel 480.965.8422 Fax 480.965.8330 mc...@asu.edu or anek...@gmail.com http://cbs.asu.edu/people/profiles/chew.php http://asu.academia.edu/MattChew -- Malcolm L. McCallum Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry School of Biological Sciences University of Missouri at Kansas City Managing Editor, Herpetological Conservation and Biology Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive - Allan Nation 1880's: There's lots of good fish in the sea W.S. Gilbert 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction MAY help restore populations. 2022: Soylent Green is People! The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) Wealth w/o work Pleasure w/o conscience Knowledge w/o character Commerce w/o morality Science w/o humanity Worship w/o sacrifice Politics w/o principle Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Is there a peer-review crisis in ecology? Summary of analyses.
Thanks for the data Chris.As an editor, the stats reported by this poll fit my own experience that reviews are harder to procure each year and I know many other editors agree. As an author, I have an anecdote that fits the trend: A former student had a paper rejected recently (I am a coauthor) because the journal could not find reviewers for her paper. That's pretty frustrating because my ownpolicy is to review at least 5 times as many papers as I publish per year (on top of editorial duties). Reviewing duties are as important as publishing and we should consider ourselves hidden coauthors of all the manuscripts we review.I think journals should require authors to review at least 3 manuscripts per paper published in their journal (even if there is a long list of authors) before allowingthe authors to submit again. *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:33:00 -0400 From: lor...@yorku.ca Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Is there a peer-review crisis in ecology? Summary of analyses. To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Hi Ecolog, In January, I conducted a poll to assess whether there is any evidence for a crisis in the review of ecology papers. The proxy used was the decline to review rate (weighted analysis of reported requests by reviews actually done). I know there are other possible estimates and that the sample size is not large, but the outcome of the survey is described in a paper in Immediate Science Ecology (http://library.queensu.ca/ojs/index.php/ISE), just scroll to the bottom of the main page and the pdf link is on the right. The weighted mean decline to rate was 49%. I am not sure if we can interpret this as a crisis, i.e. those that are likely the most appropriate referees turn down doing reviews about the half time. Personally, I think so. I also analyzed the responses by productivity and role one serves in the process and reported those findings in the paper. If you are interested in gender effects, I summarized the findings on the Oikos Blog (http://oikosjournal.wordpress.com/). Men turn down reviews about 1.5 times more frequently than women in ecology. Again, this is just a exploratory dataset to examine peer review for ecologists by an ecologist. Please contact me or post to the blog if you to discuss implications further, but I did not want to extend this much further than an exploratory examination. cheers, chris.
[ECOLOG-L] Graduate Research Assistantship in Interaction Diversity
Position: Graduate Research Assistantship in Interaction Diversity and Fire Ecology in Longleaf Pine Forests We are seeking to recruit a highly motivated student to become part of a team of researchers examining the effects of fire on LL Pine forests in the Southern US with a focus on quantifying diversity of trophic interactions. The successful applicant for this position should have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in ecology or evolution. Quantitative experience (statistical models, analytical models, simulations) is a plus. The Research Assistantship would be part of the Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology graduate program at the University of Nevada, Reno (links below). Work would be conducted in the Dyer lab, working closely with Dr. Joe O'Brien at the US Forest Service in Georgia as well as collaborators at UNR and across the Americas. We prefer to fill the position this coming Fall of 2012; but we are also open to a starting date in the subsequent Spring semester (start of 2013). We can offer 5 years of competitive RA support, followed by TA positions. To apply, please send the following: (1) CV including names and contact info for 3 references; (2) GRE scores and GPA from previous programs; (3) cover letter stating your interest in pursuing a PhD and stating your ability to start in either Fall (2012) or Spring (2013). Send materials to: ecod...@gmail.com. Relevant links: University of Nevada, Reno: http://www.unr.edu/ Graduate Program in EECB: http://environment.unr.edu/eecb/ Dyer lab: http://wolfweb.unr.edu/~ldyer/ www.caterpillars.org The University of Nevada, Reno is located in the western Great Basin, close to the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. In my opinion, this is one of the best places to live in the world. Reno is a small, dynamic, and diverse city, with opportunities for excellent dining and community events along the scenic Truckee River that runs through town. We find that quality of life here is high, particularly if you are interested in outdoor activities, including world class rock climbing, hiking, skiing, kayaking, tubing, swimming, photography, and birding. And if you love cool big cities (and traffic), the bay area (San Francisco) is just a few hours away by car. Position will be open until filled. Lee Dyer
Re: [ECOLOG-L] chapters/texts on path analysis
I agree that the Mitchell chapter in the Scheiner and Gurevitch book is good (also see his paper in Functional Ecology 6:123-129). Ullman is another good author, with a number of Structural Equation Model chapters in several different books (usually stats books for psychology - like Tabachnick and Fidell's Using Multivariate Statistics). However, I don't think you can do justice to the strength, intricacies, and pitfalls of path analysis in a short format. Why not encourage the student to really delve into the topic? I would recommend Shipley's book (Cause and Correlation in Biology - one of my favorite books and a quick read) along with Grace's book (Structural Equation Modeling and Natural Systems - also a good read and a nice compliment to the Shipley book) as starters and use these as springboards to doing analyses and getting into the rich literature on the topic. *** Lee Dyer Biology Dept. 0314 UNR 1664 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin St Reno, NV 89509 Email: nolaclim...@gmail.com Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:11:16 -0400 From: gretelcla...@gmail.com Subject: [ECOLOG-L] chapters/texts on path analysis To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Hi list, I am wondering if any of you know of a fairly comprehensive, but not too lengthy statistical explanation of path analysis. I have been reading CC Li's Path Analysis- a primer, which I understand is the standard reference on the subject but am finding it long. It seems like the subject could be handled fairly thoroughly in more concise and yet still comprehensible way, and I am wondering if such a treatment exists. If not just for myself, I also need to find something to recommend to a (quantitatively minded) undergraduate on the subject, and she certainly will not have time to read the Li book. I have also found there is some coverage of the subject in the Quinn and Keough stats book, but I am wondering what else is out there. Thanks for any thoughts, Gretel Clarke PhD student, UVM _ Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/196390709/direct/01/
[ECOLOG-L] postdoc in chemical ecology
Post-Doctoral Position in Chemical Ecology A 2-year postdoctoral fellowship is open in Lee Dyer’s laboratory at the University of Nevada Reno for research in chemical ecology in natural and agricultural systems. Duties include: 1) Setting up the new chemical ecology laboratory at UNR; 2) Conducting insect feeding experiments to test for synergistic interactions between different plant secondary metabolites; 3) Collection, extraction and quantification of secondary metabolites, including saponins from alfalfa and tropical trees, imides from plants in the genus Piper, and iridoid glycosides from various temperate weeds and trees; 4) Supervising the maintenance of caterpillar and parasitoid colonies; 5) Developing independent research in the field or lab. Additional duties may include preparation of grant proposals and manuscripts, maintenance of existing equipment, and collaborating with a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students. REQUIREMENTS: Ph.D. in chemistry, ecology, chemistry, or closely related field and a background in analytical techniques, preferably including knowledge of maintenance and operation of GC-MS, GC-FID, HPLC, TLC and photospectrometry. Writing skills as well as experience working with plants and insects is preferred. Send via email attachment a letter of application, curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, and names and addresses of three references to Lee Dyer at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Review of applications will begin in early December. UNR is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. ***Lee DyerBiology Dept. 0314UNR 1664 N Virginia StReno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin StReno, NV 89509 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) _ Access your email online and on the go with Windows Live Hotmail. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_access_112008
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Obama - good news for ecologists?
Will Obama increase science funding? I think we'll finally see that promised doubling of the NSF budget. Here is a clip from what David Goldston (Bipartisan Policy Center) wrote on Nature online today: Money is likely to be available for such initiatives. The financial crisis and economic slowdown will probably contribute to a boost in research spending. Concerns about the ballooning deficit are being eclipsed by the push to use government spending to stimulate the economy. And the size of the total domestic spending pie — which Obama wanted to enlarge even before the Wall Street meltdown — is always the best indicator of how much will be allocated to science. Beyond that, science advocates will no doubt contend that research spending should be especially favoured in any economic stimulus package because it contributes to future economic growth. That line of argument may get science still more money even though research doesn't fit the profile of ideal stimulus spending — programmes that quickly get money into the hands of lower- and middle-income consumers who will spend it most rapidly. So the question doesn't seem to be whether research budgets will fare better under Obama, but rather by how much. The budgets of the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Office of Science at the Department of Energy are likely to be put on a path to double over 10 years, a move that both President George W. Bush and the Democratic Congress have supported in principle. And doubling spending at the three agencies is relatively cheap; together they now spend about $11 billion a year. Obama has also called for a 10-year doubling of the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), now about $30 billion a year. ***Lee DyerBiology Dept. 0314UNR 1664 N Virginia StReno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin StReno, NV 89509 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2008 11:59:13 -0600 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Obama - good news for ecologists? To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU I think Barack Obama's victory is great news in terms of energy policy and other policies related to global warming. As for research funding, I hate to speculate. Obama will want to increase funding for science and promote science education (including environmental education), which is a big step up from the Bush administration's willful ignorance and neglect. However, he's inheriting two wars, a massive recession, a lousy health-care system, and a budget deficit in excess of a trillion dollars, and there are a lot of things he'd like to do that go beyond solving all these huge problems. As an intelligent adult, he'll be making some unpopular compromises, cutting back on some very worthwhile programs just to pay for the bare necessities. While he clearly sees science and education as very high priorities, I'm not sure how ecology will stack up against all the other issues he will have to address. On Wed, Nov 5, 2008 at 10:15 AM, =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Brian?= [EMAIL PROTECTED]wrote: What do you think this means in terms of funding, job opportunities, environmental education, research and policy, etc.? What major changes (if any) do you think might occur over the next few years that will affect our personal and professional lives as ecologists? Should we be excited? Kind of a vague and open-ended question, I realize, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts. _ Get 5 GB of storage with Windows Live Hotmail. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_5gb_112008
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Obama - good news for ecologists?
I don't agree that Obama is only one person - he is part of an extraodinary team that worked very hard and efficiently to win this election. His victory is part of an election that also produced additions to congress that will be friendly to science (e.g., Udall in CO and Udall in NM). Just as Obama designed and managed an impressive campaign team, I am sure he will select strong science advisers - in fact, a good series of short articles that address the question of how Obama will affect Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (or Science in general) was in Nature (455; Sept. 25) last month, which includes a list of his current science advisers. ***Lee DyerBiology Dept. 0314UNR 1664 N Virginia StReno, NV 89557 OR 585 Robin StReno, NV 89509 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-220-9391 (cell) 775-784-1360 (office) Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2008 15:53:28 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Obama - good news for ecologists? To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Well, guys, I voted for him too, and I'm hopeful he we'll take environmental issues very seriously, but I'm also trying to be realistic. (Put not your faith in princes!) He's only one man, and we are facing a host of overwhelming problems, and a large portion of our populace don't even recognize many of them as problems. Will Obama have the ability to get doubters to take him on faith? Will he be able to build consensus in a polarized and hate-filled society? Will he be able to inspire people to sacrifice, even when they know that other people are NOT sacrificing? I sure hope so, and l hope I and all well-meaning people will find ways to support him, but let's not be too disappointed if progress isn't dramatic or instantaneous. Martin Meiss 2008/11/5 Wendee Holtcamp [EMAIL PROTECTED] Does anyone have any idea who the candidates might be for his Secretary of the Interior? That will probably have an important impact on how he will impact wildlife biologists, science, conservation, etc. ~~ Wendee Holtcamp, M.S. Wildlife Ecology Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com ~~6-wk Online Writing Courses Starts Nov 8~~ ~~~ Jesus spread the wealth – does that make him a socialist? Mark 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' he said. 'Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' (NIV) -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Teresa M. Woods Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 10:52 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Obama - good news for ecologists? I think an Obama administration can give us a lot to hope for on the one hand -- Obama has spoken about restoring an emphasis on science in education, and he clearly wants to be informed by science. He's expressed serious concern about addressing global climate change. I've heard him using some of the rhetoric consistent with Tom Friedman' book, /Hot, Flat and Crowded/, emphasizing investment in renewable energy sources and green building, also for wise economic reasons. Obama's sensitive to the views in other countries, and just as leaders pressed on President Bush to recognize climate change as real and human caused, Obama will be under pressure from world leaders as well (and hopefully more receptive). On the other hand, his administration is going to be strapped by unimaginable inherited constraints. So what will be realistic? I think only time will tell. But I am ... well, hopeful. TeresaTeresa M. Woods, M.S. Coordinator Olathe Educational Partnership K-State Olathe Innovation Campus, Inc. 18001 West 106th Street, Suite 160 Olathe, KS 66061-2861 Office: Olathe Northwest High School 21300 College Blvd., Rm. 1833 Olathe, KS 66061 Tel: 913-780-7150 Mobile: 913-269-8512 =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Brian?= wrote: What do you think this means in terms of funding, job opportunities, environmental education, research and policy, etc.? What major changes (if any) do you think might occur over the next few years that will affect our personal and professional lives as ecologists? Should we be excited? Kind of a vague and open-ended question, I realize, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts. _ Windows Live Hotmail now works up to 70% faster. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_faster_112008
Re: Environmental News 12-3-2007
Out of the thousands of correlates and potential causative factors that aff= ect =93the environment,=94 why choose to examine divorce? If this is simply= basic research, it is not really that surprising or interesting. If it was= applied research, designed to influence policy, I don=92t see any good pol= icy resulting from this information. Are we to join forces with social cons= ervatives and advise people against a (sometimes very healthy) choice to ge= t divorced? =20 =20 Using the same logic as in this press release, increased crime rates are go= od for the environment because high crime leads to more people in prison, f= ewer households, and much lower per-capita consumption of prisoners versus = free citizens.=20 =20 There are many other controllable factors that affect resource use that war= rant extensive collaborative investigation. I=92m amazed that this particul= ar study was highlighted in PNAS. Lee Dyer Department of Eco= logy and Evolutionary Biology 310 Dinwiddie Hall Tulane University New Orle= ans, LA 70118 Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-862-8289 (lab) 504-862-8= 288 (office) fax: 504-862-8940 Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007 10:39:06 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: FW: Environmental News 12-3-2007 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU= -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [= mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Gary Whelan Sent: Wed= nesday, December 05, 2007 9:13 AM To: IFC Subject: Environmental News 12-= 3-2007 The Planet Feels the Pain of Divorce EAST LANSING, Michigan, Dec= ember 3, 2007 (ENS) - Divorce is bad for the environment finds the first s= tudy to link resource use with the ecology of marriage and divorce. Ac= ross the United States and in 11 other countries studied, soaring divorce = rates have created more households with fewer people. Each time a family b= reaks up the individual members set up households that take up more space = and consume more energy and water than the same people used when living to= gether. The findings of Professor Jianguo Jack Liu and Eunice Yu at M= ichigan State University are published in this week's online edition of th= e Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Not only the Uni= ted States, but also other countries, including developing countries such = as China and places with strict religious policies regarding divorce, are = having more divorced households, Liu said. The consequent increases = in consumption of water and energy and using more space are being seen eve= rywhere, he said. Each member of a former couple uses more resources = living separately than when living in the relationship. (Photo credit Kans= as State U.) Broken couples also increase demand for housebuilding and inf= rastructure such as new roads. In the United States and 11 other count= ries such as Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Greece, Mexico and South Africa = between 1998 and 2002, if divorced households had combined to have the sam= e average household size as married households, there could have been 7.4 = million fewer households in these countries. A married household uses= resources more efficiently than a divorced household, said Liu. In t= he United States alone in 2005, divorced households used 73 billion kilowa= tt-hours of electricity and 627 billion gallons of water that could have b= een saved if household size had remained the same as that of married house= holds, the scientists found. Thirty-eight million extra rooms were need= ed with associated costs for heating and lighting. The number of rooms per= person in divorced households was 33 percent to 95 percent greater than i= n married households. People's first reaction to this research is sur= prise, and then it seems simple, but a lot of things become simple after r= esearch is done, said Liu. A professor of fisheries and wildlife and = Rachel Carson Chair in Ecological Sustainability at Michigan State, Liu ha= s spent more than two decades integrating ecology with social sciences to = understand how those interactions affect the environment and biodiversity.= Our challenges were to connect the dots and quantify their relations= hips, said Liu. People have been talking about how to protect the enviro= nment and combat climate change, but divorce is an overlooked factor that = needs to be considered. When divorced people returned to married life,= the study found that their environmental footprint shrank back to that of= consistently married households. Solutions are beyond a single idea,= Liu said. Consider the production of biofuel. Biofuel is made from plan= ts, which also require water and space. We're showing divorce has signific= ant competition for that water and space. On the other hand, more divorce = demands more energy. This creates a challenging dilemma and requires more = creative solutions. The research, Liu said, shows that environmental p= olicy is more complex than one
postdoc in chemical ecology
Post-Doctoral Position in Chemical Ecology =20 A 2-3 year postdoctoral fellowship is open in Lee Dyer=92s laboratory at Tu= lane University for research in chemical ecology in natural and agricultura= l systems. Duties include: 1) Supervising ongoing laboratory experiments i= nvestigating plant chemistry and tritrophic interactions in CO2 enriched ch= ambers and investigating synergistic effects of selected plant secondary me= tabolites; 2) Collection, extraction and quantification of secondary metabo= lites, including: saponins from alfalfa and various rain forest trees, a va= riety of defensive compounds from plants in the genus Piper, and iridoid gl= ycosides from various temperate weeds and trees; 3) Supervising the mainten= ance of caterpillar and parasitoid colonies; 4) Developing independent rese= arch in the field or lab. Additional duties may include preparation of gran= t proposals and manuscripts, maintenance of existing equipment, purchase of= new equipment, maintaining consumable supply inventory, and collaborating = with a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students. =20 REQUIREMENTS: Ph.D. in ecology, chemistry, or closely related field and a b= ackground in analytical techniques, preferably including knowledge of maint= enance and operation of GC-MS, GC-FID, HPLC, TLC and photospectrometry. Exp= erience working with plants and insects is preferred. =20 Send via email attachment a letter of application, curriculum vitae, statem= ent of research interests, and names and addresses of three references to L= ee Dyer at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Review of applications will begin in early D= ecember. Tulane University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opport= unity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. =20 =20 Lee Dyer Department of Eco= logy and Evolutionary Biology 310 Dinwiddie Hall Tulane University New Orle= ans, LA 70118 Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-862-8289 (lab) 504-862-8= 288 (office) fax: 504-862-8940 _ You keep typing, we keep giving. Download Messenger and join the i=92m Init= iative now. http://im.live.com/messenger/im/home/?source=3DTAGLM=
temporary positions at Tulane, Ecology and Evol. Biol.
Please see the ad below for 2 temp positions. The pay is decent (~50K for 9 months) and if you can squeeze in time for research there are great collaborative possibilites. Cheers, Lee The *Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology *at *Tulane University *is accepting applications for the position of *Visiting Assistant Professor *(two appointments) during the 2007-2008 academic year. Each appointment will involve the equivalent of a three-course load each semester. Teaching assignments will include lecture courses and freshman laboratories. The salary is competitive and benefits are included. Applications should include a statement of interest (including teaching philosophy and courses one could teach), curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation that specifically address teaching experience and capabilities. Send application materials via email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and by mail to Visiting Assistant Professor Search, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118. *Tulane University is an AA/EEO Employer*. -- *** Lee Dyer Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 310 Dinwiddie Hall Tulane University New Orleans, LA 70118 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-862-8289 (lab) 504-862-8288 (office) fax: 504-862-8940
Technician position at Tulane
*Ecosystem Experimental Infrastructure Technician*: The Division of Earth and Ecological Science at Tulane University seeks to hire a technician to help develop and implement large-scale experimental enclosures as part of a DOE National Institute for Climatic Change Research (NICCR) Coastal Center project led by Drs. Chambers, Dyer and T=F6rnqvist. The large enclosures w= ill be designed to allow field manipulation of water height and salinity for coastal ecosystems including salt marshes and forested wetlands. The successful candidate should have a BS or MS degree or appropriate field experience, and will work closely with project leaders and a consultant engineer. Desirable skills include experience with electronics, data acquisition and control, ecophysiological sensors, field ecology, and programming. Experience in a scientific research laboratory is also useful= . Send a short statement of professional interests and a CV/resume to Jeff Chambers ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) and include experiment technician in the subject heading. The position is open immediately with a target hire date of 1 July 2007. --=20 *** Lee Dyer Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 310 Dinwiddie Hall Tulane University New Orleans, LA 70118 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: www.caterpillars.org phone: 504-862-8289 (lab) 504-862-8288 (office) fax: 504-862-8940
