To: Recipients of ECOLOG-L digests <ECOLOG-L@UMDD.UMD.EDU>
Subject: ECOLOG-L Digest - 17 Feb 2001 to 18 Feb 2001
There are 10 messages totalling 649 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. how do animals cope with different environmental conditions?
2. Job: conservation biology, Antioch New England Graduate School
3. Habitat selection
4. Statistical Question-3
5. Habitat selction
6. Passport, please A global strategy to curb invasive species
7. Emma Lucy Braun "Deciduous Forests of North America" (2)
8. Biostatistical Software
9. Help with Habitat Selection
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 11:17:16 -0500
From: "David W. Inouye" <di5@umail.umd.edu>
Subject: how do animals cope with different environmental conditions?
I am looking for information on how animals from the same species manage to
cope with different environmental conditions.
It is likely that animals form less suitable environments need to make
larger energy invests in order to be able of finding mates, enough food,
good refugees, etc. Are there comparison between how this differences
affect their life habits, their searching strategies, diet amplitudes,
overall fitness, etc.?. For example, animals foraging in areas where food
availability is lower should travel further to get enough food than animals
inhabiting areas with pleanty of food. Or they have to switch their food
habits. How do animals manage to survive and maintain healthy populations
in suboptimal environmental conditions?, do predators change their hunting
strategies?. Are there changes in their physiology, their ethology?, their
ecology?, etc. Which are those changes?, which are the outcopmes of these
changes?, differences in their longevity, in their densities, in their
size?, etc.
I am interested both in comparisons between disturbed and not disturbed
areas, and in comparison between areas that are naturaly more and less
suitables because of their biotic and abiotic characteristics.
Both comments and references will be appreciated.
Thanks.
Alvaro Soutullo
Montevideo, Uruguay
sutu@adinet.com.uy
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 11:39:40 -0500
From: "David W. Inouye" <di5@umail.umd.edu>
Subject: Job: conservation biology, Antioch New England Graduate School
Professor, Conservation Biology
Department of Environmental Studies
Antioch New England Graduate School
Antioch New England Graduate School invites applications for a full-time,
benefited core
faculty position in the Master's Program of the Department of
Environmental Studies to
begin summer or fall semester 2001. A Ph.D. in biology or equivalent is
required, along
with demonstrated achievements in research and teaching. Applicants are
sought who have
a background in plant ecology, excellent communication skills, and an
enthusiastic
commitment to non-traditional approaches to higher education. Ability to
discuss
ecological questions at different spatial scales, proficiency in
statistics and quantitative
ecology, and strong familiarity with GIS are highly desirable. The
successful candidate
will teach courses on: (1) Ecological Research Methods (covering field
techniques
regularly used in plant and animal studies); (2) preparation of thesis
proposals; and (3)
habitat restoration, landscape ecology, remote sensing or advanced GIS,
and will
supervise Master=FFs theses within the department=FFs Conservation Biology
program. This is
primarily a teaching position; nonetheless, it is essential that the
candidate be a practitioner
in the field of conservation biology with active research interests.
The application deadline is March 4, 2001, or until a suitable candidate
is found.
Applicants should forward statements of research and teaching interests, a
curriculum
vitae, and three letters of reference to: Conservation Biology Search
Committee,
Department of Environmental Studies, Antioch New England Graduate School,
40 Avon
Street, Keene, NH 03431-3516. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt,
and the
search will continue until the position is filled. For additional
information, please call:
603-357-3122 ext. 328; e-mail: sweller@antiochne.edu (with Search in the
subject line);
or fax: 603-357-0718. Information about Antioch New England=FFs
Environmental Studies
Department and this position, can be found at www.antiochne.edu. EOE.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 08:36:14 +0200
From: Yaron Ziv <yziv@BGUMAIL.BGU.AC.IL>
Subject: Re: Habitat selection
Warren: There is no contradiction between habitat preference and habitat
selection. As I have written in my previous message: "habitat preference
is only the first step in the process of exploring what the organisms
indeed do in a realistic environment." (which is habitat selection). If
one finds out after serious exploration that the organisms s/he studies are
not constrained directly or/and indirectly by competitors and predators
(and mutualists, etc.) and there is only one relevant habitat for these
organisms, then habitat selection is simply habitat preference -- organisms
are only where they "want" to be (and if there is only one habitat they
don't have a choice; the alternative is extinction . . ..) However, if
there are more than one habitat, Ideal Free Distribution suggests that we
should define not only primary preference but also secondary preference,
and so on. Habitats are species-specific and fitness-based; at a certain
point where relevant habitats (r>0) are already occupied by individuals,
the selection of habitat by the nth individual depends on the other
individuals; hence, it is almost always more complicated than the simple
first-step habitat preference.
-- Yaron.
>In a message dated 17-Feb-2001 06:43:50 Pacific Standard Time,
>yziv@BGUMAIL.BGU.AC.IL writes:
>
><< it is indeed so important to measure habitat
> selection and not habitat preference. >>
>
>What about organisms that can choose on the basis of preference? If an
>organism is constrained, it may be best to consider just selection and n
t
>think of it as preference. If an organism is not constrained, e.g., lar
e
>mammals, then we may need to consider preference when manipulating habit
t.
>Comments?
>
>Warren Aney
>Senior Wildlife Ecologist
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 00:49:17 EST
From: {Charles Singletary} <Darwinboy01@AOL.COM>
Subject: Statistical Question-3
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I would once again like to thank everyone for responding to my question.
However I feel the need to clarify a point or two, based on some of the
responses I received. In writing the proposal for my project I, of course,
planned out the statistical tests to run on the comparison of the stoneflies
for the four substrates I sampled. But like most things, ideas changed.
Originally I planned to simply compare substrates using an ANOVA. My
committee felt this was acceptable. It was not until I finished sampling
however that another faculty member expressed concern about trying to compar
using different methods. An ANOVA or Kruskall Wallis test would answer my
original question, does each species inhabit one substrate significantly
more. This however did not answer WHICH substrate each species selected more
often. I appreciate the comments about the difference between preference and
selection. I hope my question wasn't lost in semantics to some, and that I
explained the situation thoroughly enough. So once again, thanks to everyone
who responded.
Chip Singletary
Dept. of Biology
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee NC 28723
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<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2>I would onc
again like to thank
everyone for responding to my question.
<BR>However I feel the need to clarify a point or two, based on some o
the
<BR>responses I received. In writing the proposal for my project I, of
course,
<BR>planned out the statistical tests to run on the comparison of the
toneflies
<BR>for the four substrates I sampled. But like most things, ideas cha
ged.
<BR>Originally I planned to simply compare substrates using an ANOVA.
y
<BR>committee felt this was acceptable. It was not until I finished sa
pling
<BR>however that another faculty member expressed concern about trying
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compare
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wer my
<BR>original question, does each species inhabit one substrate signifi
antly
<BR>more. This however did not answer WHICH substrate each species sel
cted more
<BR>often. I appreciate the comments about the difference between pref
rence and
<BR>selection. I hope my question wasn't lost in semantics to some, an
that I
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everyone
<BR>who responded.
<BR>
<BR>
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 21:39:00 EST
From: Aneyww@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Habitat selction
In a message dated 17-Feb-2001 06:43:50 Pacific Standard Time,
yziv@BGUMAIL.BGU.AC.IL writes:
<< it is indeed so important to measure habitat
selection and not habitat preference. >>
What about organisms that can choose on the basis of preference? If an
organism is constrained, it may be best to consider just selection and not
think of it as preference. If an organism is not constrained, e.g., large
mammals, then we may need to consider preference when manipulating habitat.
Comments?
Warren Aney
Senior Wildlife Ecologist
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 20:16:04 -0500
From: Karen Claxon <kclaxon@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Passport, please A global strategy to curb invasive species
16 FEBRUARY 2001 AT 12:00 ET US
Contact: Mark Shwartz
mshwartz@stanford.edu
650-723-9296
Comment: Harold A. Mooney, Department of Biological Sciences
hmooney@jasper.stanford.edu
650-723-1179
Stanford University
Passport, please: A global strategy to curb invasive species
Plants have no respect for boundaries. Nor, for that matter, do zebra
mussels, crazy ants or Nile perch. When alien species invade, they wreak
havoc on economies and ecosystems across the globe. Curbing the problem
is an international task, says Harold A. Mooney, a Stanford biologist
who helped design a global plan to deal with the invaders.
``If we have a fire, then we send for the fire truck. People respond
right away. But we have no strategy for invasive species,`` says Mooney,
the Paul S. Achilles Professor of Environmental Biology. He will outline
a 10-point strategy to curb invasive species at the American Association
of the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference on Friday, Feb. 16, at 9
a.m. PT.
Mooney is speaking on behalf of the Global Invasive Species Programme
(GISP), an international collaboration of scientists, lawyers and policy
makers that has been working for three years to come up with an
effective and globally acceptable plan.
Behind habitat destruction, alien invasion is the second greatest cause
of species extinction worldwide. On islands, alien invasion is the
number one cause of extinction, says Laurie Neville, project officer for
GISP.
When the small brown tree snake arrived on the coast of Guam, it entered
an island with 13 species of forest birds, 12 types of lizards and three
bat species. Today, only one bat species remains, three forest birds and
six native lizard species.
Biodiversity loss, though devastating, is not the only issue. More than
one million nocturnal brown snakes now inhabit even the smallest spaces
on Guam. They cause black-outs by crawling on power lines, hunt in
family chicken coops and slide into homes through bathroom vents.
Guam may sound extreme, but many examples rival the plague-like status
of the brown tree snake. The invasive, hardy water hyacinth strangled
the ecosystem and economics of Lake Victoria in Africa until a
multimillion dollar international control program was put into effect.
Crazy ants form supercolonies in the rainforests of Christmas Island,
changing the habitat and preying on the animals of the forest floor. The
alien star thistle outcompetes native desert grasses of California.
``The range-lands of the west are being taken over by noxious weeds
causing enormous financial loss,`` says Mooney.
The human propensity to travel, carrying plants, animals and bacteria,
is essentially taking our ecosystems back some 200 million years, when
the Earth consisted of a supercontinent called Pangea. During that era,
plant seeds and animals could move freely across the land, since they
were not yet separated by thousands of miles of ocean. Mooney dramatizes
the long-term consequences of alien invasion by holding up a picture of
the continents as Pangea once again.
Currently there is no global network set up to deal with or prevent
future ecosystem invasions. ``We`re looking at designing something like
the CDC [Centers for Disease Control],`` says Mooney. ``We need
something comparable for invasive species.`` He will introduce the 10
elements of the GISP global strategy - a ``framework for mounting a
global-scale response`` - at the AAAS symposium.
Mooney will describe the need for a ``rapid response mechanism`` - a
fire truck for invasive species. If nations develop the resources to
react immediately to an invasion, they will save money and time by
controlling the invasive species before it establishes itself.
Mooney also will address the crucial need for developing international
financial checks and balances. ``If you import something, and it gets
away, you should help pay,`` Mooney says. He suggests adopting a type of
bond, or insurance system, where those who do the importing contribute
to a fund set aside to fight harmful invasive species. The GISP strategy
also recommends considering the actual cost of invasives and
incorporating that cost into a financial code of conduct for the
importers.
One of the most controversial areas, Mooney says, is the legal arena.
``There are a lot of holes and inconsistencies`` in current national and
international law touching invasive species, he notes. The goal is to
create consistent laws, whether in the export country, the import
country, or both, that help minimize the introduction of alien species.
To synthesize three years of research and finalize the 10-point global
strategy, Mooney met with other biologists, along with economists,
lawyers and policy makers from around the world in Cape Town, Republic
of South Africa, this past September. ``This is a consensus,`` says
Mooney.
Whereas in the past, the invasive species issue has partitioned people
in agriculture, shipping, and government, ``that meeting in South Africa
was a coming together,`` notes Mooney. ``It was a breath of fresh air.``
###
Editors: This release was written by science writing intern Louisa
Dalton. Professor Harold A. Mooney will participate in the symposium,
``Stopping the Invasions: International Scientific Efforts to Stop
Invasive Species (Part 1),`` at the annual meeting of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science on Friday, Feb.16, from 9
a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Hilton San Francisco & Towers, 333 O`Farrell
St., San Francisco, CA 94102. For more information, see the AAAS website
at http://www.aaas.org/meetings
Relevant Web URLs:
http://jasper.stanford.edu/gisp/
http://www.issg.org/
http://www.iucn.org/
By Louisa Dalton
For a graphic of 21st century Pangea, visit our website at
http://Newsphotos.stanford.edu.
http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/su-ppa021201.html
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 11:27:09 -0500
From: Frances Reed <freed@BLACKBURNPRESS.COM>
Subject: Emma Lucy Braun "Deciduous Forests of North America"
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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Dear ECOLOG-L subscriber:=20
We are a relatively new publishing company, dedicated to keeping in =
print and available for purchase book titles which larger publishers =
have lost interest in and have declared "out of print". We are =
especially interested in scientific and technical titles.
(1) We have recently reprinted "Plant and Crop Modelling" by John H. M. =
Thornley and Ian R. Johnson. For further information please point your =
browser to: http://www.blackburnpress.com/biobook1.html
(2) We are very interested in the possibility of reprinting the =
following three titles and would very much like to hear from you about =
your level of interest in seeing these titles returned to print.=20
Emma Lucy Braun "Deciduous Forests of North America", published in 1950.
Montgomery, F.H. "Seeds and Fruits of Plants of Eastern Canada and the =
Northeastern United States," University of Toronto Press, 1977.=20
Thomas S. Elias "The Complete Trees of North America"=20
Would you agree that there are still audiences for any of these titles?=20
(3) Of course, we'd also be delighted to hear about any other titles you =
think would merit bringing back into print and made available again.
Please respond directly to me.
Many thanks.=20
Frances Reed
Publisher
The Blackburn Press
973-228-7077
973-228-7276 (fax)
freed@blackburnpress.com
------=_NextPart_000_016C_01C0999D.BAF7EFA0
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<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>Dear ECOLOG-L subscriber: <BR><BR>We are a
elatively new =
publishing company, dedicated to keeping in print and =
available for=20
purchase book titles which larger publishers =
have lost interest in and=20
have declared "out of print". We are especially interested in=20
scientific and technical titles.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>(1) We have recently reprinted "Plant and Crop Modelling" by John
=
H. M.=20
Thornley and Ian R. Johnson. For further information please point your =
browser=20
to: <A=20
href=3D"http://www.blackburnpress.com/biobook1.html">http://www.blackburn
press.com/biobook1.html</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>(2) We are very interested in the possibility of reprinting the =
following=20
three titles and would very much like to hear from you about your =
level of=20
interest in seeing these titles returned to print. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Emma Lucy Braun "Deciduous Forests of North America", published i
=20
1950.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Montgomery, F.H. "Seeds and Fruits of Plants of Eastern =
Canada and=20
the Northeastern United States," University of Toronto Press,=20
1977. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thomas S. Elias "The Complete Trees of North America" </D
V>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>Would you agree that there are still audiences for any
f =
these titles? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>(3) Of course, we'd also be delighted to hear about any other =
titles you=20
think would merit bringing back into print and made available=20
again.<BR><BR>Please respond directly to me.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Many thanks. </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Frances Reed<BR>Publisher<BR>The Blackburn=
0
Press<BR>973-228-7077<BR>973-228-7276 (fax)<BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:freed@blackburnpress.com">freed@blackburnpress.com</A>
<BR>=
</DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 00:41:24 -0700
From: Paul Johnson <p.johnson@PRODIGY.NET>
Subject: Biostatistical Software
I have just completed a CD-ROM of "Biostatistical Software" as advertised on
the Internet. If anybody is interested
Click here for more details
http://pages.prodigy.net/johnsonp12/biostat.html
Sincerely, Paul Johnson
The software includes:
i) Clinical trial software, ii) Model selection, iii) Quality control, iv)
Bootstrap, Monte Carlo, EM algorithm, and Box-Cox transformation, v)
Pharmaceutical and nonparametric, vi) Time series and wavelet analysis, vii)
Environmental and Ecological statistics, vii) Distance measure, degree of
agreement and various tests, viii) Statistical analysis package and a
Distributional library, ix) Randomization and Analysis-of-Mean Type tests,
and x) Regression, Estimation and sample size determination.
The CD-ROM costs $12.95 which includes shipping and handling to anywhere in
the world (so basically at cost).
I thought the subscribers of ECOLOG-L may be interested.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 15:45:34 -0500
From: Ken Klemow <kklemow@WILKES1.WILKES.EDU>
Subject: Re: Emma Lucy Braun "Deciduous Forests of North America"
Frances Reed of Blackburn Press wrote:
>We are a relatively new publishing company, dedicated to keeping in
>print and available for purchase book titles which larger publishers
>have lost interest in and have declared "out of print". We are
>especially interested in scientific and technical titles.
>
>(1) We have recently reprinted "Plant and Crop Modelling" by John H.
>M. Thornley and Ian R. Johnson. For further information please point
>your browser to: http://www.blackburnpress.com/biobook1.html
>
>(2) We are very interested in the possibility of reprinting the
>following three titles and would very much like to hear from you
>about your level of interest in seeing these titles returned to
>print.
>
>Emma Lucy Braun "Deciduous Forests of North America", published in 1950.
>
>Montgomery, F.H. "Seeds and Fruits of Plants of Eastern Canada and
>the Northeastern United States," University of Toronto Press, 1977
>
>Thomas S. Elias "The Complete Trees of North America"
>
Frances (and all ECOLOGgers):
I, for one, would love to see all three books put on the Web for all
to access and enjoy. I'm not sure how that could be accomplished in
a for-profit environment, however.
Ken K.
--
Kenneth M. Klemow, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology & GeoEnvironmental Science
Biology Program
Wilkes University
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766
e-mail: kklemow@wilkes1.wilkes.edu
webpage: http://wilkes1.wilkes.edu/~kklemow
phone: 570-408-4758
fax: 570-408-7862
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 10:05:30 -0800
From: Amanda Bond <adl_bond@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Help with Habitat Selection
Hello everyone,
I am dealing with some phenology data from Nanaimo, BC. I need to compare
the data to phenology data from the early 1900's. Data exits for my species
at this time but not for Nanaimo. Hence I am trying to determine another
city that has simular habitat to mine.
My choices are: Alberni, Sidney, Comox, Lake Cowichan, and Saanich
If you have any suggestions, please reply directly to my e-mail
adl_bond@hotmail.com
Thanks,
Amanda Bond
Amanda D.L. Bond, B.Sc.
661 Garnet Rd.
Kamloops, BC V2B 6K2
Tel. 250-579-5677
Email: adl_bond@hotmail.com
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
------------------------------
To: Recipients of ECOLOG-L digests <ECOLOG-L@UMDD.UMD.EDU>
Subject: ECOLOG-L Digest - 15 Feb 2001 to 16 Feb 2001
There are 7 messages totalling 501 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. meter for chlorophyll a
2. Statistical Question-Part 2
3. Scientists Link Early Puberty to Chemical Exposure (3)
4. REU Opportunity - University of Toledo
5. leaf area meters
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 10:02:26 +0100
From: Michele Scardi <mscardi@MCLINK.IT>
Subject: Re: meter for chlorophyll a
"Dianne L. Hall" wrote:
> Does anyone know of a portable hand meter for measuring chlorophyll a i
> stream or lake water in the field?
Dianne,
take a look at the Yellow Spring web site
(http://www.ysi.com). I was looking for a different kind of
instrument, but I noticed a full range of hand-held
instruments. A fair warning: I never had the opportunity to
use one of their products, so I cannot say whether they
really are as good as they look or not.
Best,
Michele
---------------------------------------
Michele Scardi
Associate Professor of Ecology
Dept. of Zoology
University of Bari
Via Orabona 4
70125 Bari
Italy
phone: +39-(0)805443344
fax: +39-(0)805443358
mobile: +39-(0)3356795190
email: mscardi@mclink.it
URL: http://www.mare-net.com/mscardi
---------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 09:00:17 EST
From: {Charles Singletary} <Darwinboy01@AOL.COM>
Subject: Statistical Question-Part 2
I would first of all like to thank everyone who responded to my e-mail. I ha
e
however ran into a complication. In sampling my four microhabitats (substra
es)
I employed four different methods. I have been told by one professor that i
I
cannot make the assumptions that all methods sample equally I may not be ab
e
to compare substrates. My major professor believes this is not true and has
often compared assemblages across microhabitats using a modified Coddington
protocol for the collection of spiders which uses several different methods
I
would appreciate any input on this subject and and statistical tests taking
into account this variable.
Thanks
Chip Singletary
Dept. of Biology
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 28723
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 11:11:00 -0500
From: Steve Clough <Stephen_Clough@UML.EDU>
Subject: Re: Scientists Link Early Puberty to Chemical Exposure
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Isn't this just great science? Blaming chemicals w/o any data. Whenever th
re
is an environmental problem, chemicals are always the first to take the hit.
Why weren't kids attaining earlier puberty back in the 60's and 70's and 80'
when there were much higher concentrations of residues and additives in our
oys
and foodstuffs than there are today? Recent articles show that dioxin, merc
ry,
DDT, PCBs, etc. are all DECREASING in concentration in the general environme
t,
yet they are gaining more headlines because the detection limit is getting m
ch
lower (Hg can now be detected in the sub-ppt range in water). And, if it ca
be
detected, then there must be SOME risk, right? Which leads to absurd statem
nts
like that in the article: "Some of us have had more, some of us have had le
s,
but none of us have had no exposure." Duh. The question is how much
exposure....so let's see some data, not lousy journalism.
My hometown has a "cluster" of breastcancer cases. Right now there is a
veritable witch hunt going on (same general area as the one in the 1600's),
trying to blame power plant emissions across the harbor.....despite the fact
that there is NO EVIDENCE that environmental chemicals (e.g., PAHs) cause br
ast
cancer in women (in fact, recent research continues to verify that genetics
plays a major role, as does early/late conception). But, in today's society
someone has to take the blame....might as well be someone with deep pockets.
...
Alison Gillespie wrote:
> I came across this story on the ENN newswire today, and it reminded me
f =
> a recent string on this list regarding the same topic. I can't forward
=
> the whole story due to copyright laws, but it is about research publish
d =
> in the journal Pediatrics and I thought some of you might find it =
> interesting.
>
> To read it online go to:
>
> << http://enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/02/02152001/earlypuberty_
1939.asp =
> >>
>
> ___________________
>
> Alison Gillespie
> Public Affairs Officer
> Ecological Society of America
> 1707 H Street NW
> Suite 400
> Washington, DC 20006
> 202-833-8773 ext 211
> alison@esa.org
> fax: 202-833-8775=20
> http://esa.sdsc.edu
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<html>
Isn't this just great science? Blaming chemicals w/o any data.
Whenever there is an environmental problem, chemicals are always the first
to take the hit. Why weren't kids attaining earlier puberty back
in the 60's and 70's and 80's when there were much higher concentrations
of residues and additives in our toys and foodstuffs than there are today?&n
sp;
Recent articles show that dioxin, mercury, DDT, PCBs, etc. are all DECREASIN
in concentration in the general environment, yet they are gaining more
headlines because the detection limit is getting much lower (Hg can now
be detected in the sub-ppt range in water). And, if it can be detected
then there must be SOME risk, right? Which leads to absurd statements
like that in the article: <i>"Some of us have had more, some of
s
have had less, but none of us have had no exposure." </i>Duh.&nb
p;
The question is how much exposure....so let's see some data, not lousy
journalism.
<p>My hometown has a "cluster" of breastcancer cases. Right now
here
is a veritable witch hunt going on (same general area as the one in the
1600's), trying to blame power plant emissions across the harbor.....despite
the fact that there is NO EVIDENCE that environmental chemicals (e.g.,
PAHs) cause breast cancer in women (in fact, recent research continues
to verify that genetics plays a major role, as does early/late
conception).
But, in today's society, someone has to take the blame....might as well
be someone with deep pockets.....
<br>
<br>
<p>Alison Gillespie wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>I came across this story on the ENN newswire tod
y,
and it reminded me of =
<br>a recent string on this list regarding the same topic. I can
t
forward =
<br>the whole story due to copyright laws, but it is about research pu
lished
=
<br>in the journal Pediatrics and I thought some of you might find it
<br>interesting.
<p>To read it online go to:
<p><< <a
href="http://enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/02/02152001/earlypuberty_41939.a
p">
http://enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/02/02152001/earlypuberty_41939.asp<
a>
=
<br>>>
<p>___________________
<p>Alison Gillespie
<br>Public Affairs Officer
<br>Ecological Society of America
<br>1707 H Street NW
<br>Suite 400
<br>Washington, DC 20006
<br>202-833-8773 ext 211
<br>alison@esa.org
<br>fax: 202-833-8775=20
<br><a href="http://esa.sdsc.edu">http://esa.sdsc.edu</a><
/blockquote>
</html>
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 10:48:12 -0700
From: Mari Reeves <mreeves@MONTANA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Scientists Link Early Puberty to Chemical Exposure
Had to put in my 2 cents on Mr. Clough's comment:
"Recent articles show that dioxin, mercury,
DDT, PCBs, etc. are all DECREASING in concentration in the general
environment,
yet they are gaining more headlines because the detection limit is getting
much
lower"
I am only cursorily familiar with the literature on this subject, but as I
understand it, the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals are often much
more pronounced when the exposure occurs to the organism in utero.
Therefore, although effects may be showing up now, the exposures may have
taken place years ago,
"back in the 60's and 70's and 80's
when there were much higher concentrations of residues and additives in our
toys
and foodstuffs than there are today".
There is also increasing evidence that although in SOME places
concentrations of these chemicals may be decreasing, the climate system may
serve to concentrate organochlorine (OC) chemicals in arctic and alpine
regions. These chemicals are fairly insoluble in water, therefore they
don't wash out in rain in the temperate latitudes where they are applied as
herbicides, etc. The OCs can therefore ride the storms up and to the north
(and south), where they reach their freezing point and come out as "toxic
snow" (forgive me, i don't have the reference in front of me, but i think i
am quoting Schindler here). There is increasing evidence that this climate
mechanism is causing OC chemicals to accumulate in arctic and alpine
ecosystems. Because the chemicals are lipid-soluble, they can then
accumulate in arctic and alpine food webs, where they are currently being
detected. I have some references, if anyone is interested.
"Not all that is counted counts
and not all that counts can be counted"
A. Einstein
********************************************
Mari K. Reeves
Reclamation Research Unit
Department of Land Resources
and Environmental Sciences
Room 106B Linfield Hall
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana 59717-2910
Phone: (406) 994-4183
Fax: (406) 994-4876
Email: mreeves@montana.edu
http://agadsrv.msu.montana.edu/reclamation/
**********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 15:03:28 -0500
From: Deb Neher <dneher@UOFT02.UTOLEDO.EDU>
Subject: REU Opportunity - University of Toledo
The University of Toledo will be holding a nine week Research Experience
for Undergraduates (REU) program at its Lake Erie Research and Education
Center http://www.lec.oregon.oh.us/. Students will participate in an
interdisciplinary research project that will help them pursue a career in
the environmental discipline. Students will work as a team to address
environmental problems affecting watersheds in the United States. Students
in their Sophomore or Junior years from a wide range of interests including
Geography, Public Policy, Biology, Ecology, Geology, Environmental
Engineering, Remote Sensing, and Environmental Law are encouraged to apply.
Only U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible for the program.
The focus of the study will be the Maumee River that flows through Toledo
into Lake Erie. This river and its watershed contribute one half of the
sediment loading to Lake Erie and contaminants that threaten aquatic
habitats and drinking water supplies. Each student will focus on a
different aspect of this environmental puzzle.
Projects you can do:
Study of sediments in the Maumee River,
contamination and impacts on aquatic habitats.
The impact of habitat fragmentation on populations.
The study of policy issues and environmental law
cases.
Heavy metal contamination studies.
Nitrogen budget of microbiotic crust communities
The use of remote sensing to study farming
practices and land use change.
And other studies
You will receive:
$2,500 stipend
Lodging
Travel to and from Toledo
To apply: send a short narrative of your career goals and research
interests, a copy of your college transcripts and two letters of reference t
:
Director, NSF-REU Program
Lake Erie Center
The University of Toledo Deadline: March 15, 2001
6200 Bayshore Road
Oregon, Ohio 43618.
Deborah Neher
Assistant Professor of Ecology
Department of Earth, Ecological & Environmental Sciences
University of Toledo
2801 W. Bancroft St.
Toledo, OH 43606
Phone: 419-530-2585
Fax: 419-530-4421
Email: deborah.neher@utoledo.edu
http://www.eeescience.utoledo.edu/Faculty/Neher/Default.htm
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 17:12:33 -0500
From: "Henshel, Diane S." <dhenshel@INDIANA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Scientists Link Early Puberty to Chemical Exposure
I'd like to add to Mari's comment.
1) The global transport mechanism is called the grasshopper effect by some.
By this time many scientists have documented this effect, and several
chemicals appear to be involved (PCBs, DDT/DDE, toxaphene for three.)
2) I hesitate to say PCBs etc are decreasing overall in the environment.
They are redistributing, and in some places decreasing. By far the most
common data used to demonstrate that PCBs are decreasing in the biota or in
the environment are the trends analyses of PCBs in the Great Lakes
ecosystem. Look again at those trends, and pay careful attention to the x
axis. The levels have come down dramatically from the chemical hayday of
the 60s and 70s. However, there has been little change, or some up and some
small down (depending on the Lake and year being examined) since the mid
1980s. In the past decade and a half (since 85 or 86), the PCB levels have
not really changed much. Concentrations are now such that they are no
longer generically lethal, allowing the more resistent species to thrive, in
fact. Concentrations of PCBs are, however, still very much so in the range
in which toxic effects are manifested in more sensitive individuals, at more
sensitive life stages, and in more sensitive organ systems.
Thus, if the basis for the "PCB levels are dropping" statement comes from
the Great Lakes, stop saying it. They are not really dropping anymore.
There was a great reduction to less toxic, but still toxic, levels, and then
there was a flattening of the curve. In specific areas, PCB levels are
definitely decreasing as a result of specific processes, anthropogenic and
natural. So, in some places, PCBs and other organoclorines are being
removed or bioremediated. In those specific places, concentrations are
indeed decreasing. In other areas, the sediment with higher concentrations
of PCBs are being covered by sediments with lower concentrations of PCBs as
the upstream sources are isolated, cleaned up or otherwise eliminated from
the system. In these cases surficial sediments may be lower, and less may
be immediately entering the food chain, but the PCBs have not disappeared.
AND, specific natural and anthropogenic processes could make them available
again. Natural processes include flooding, earthquakes, and severe surface
weather (like hurricanes). Anthropogenic processes include incomplete
dredging, such as is presently proposed for the Indiana Harbor Canal. I
believe the test dredge on the Fox River also left higher concentrations of
PCBs exposed than had been present in surficial sediments prior to that test
dredge. In other words, buried is not, by any means, gone.
I, for one, would prefer that we as scientists stay as specific as possible,
and make fewer sweeping statements. The environment is phenomenally
complex. A change happening in one place may not be happening elsewhere.
Different natural and anthropogenic forces play a role in different areas
and sites. Global "warming" is really not global warming, as some areas may
not get warmer. Global climate change is more precise, more accurate, and
less confusing to the lay person. The environment is improving overall, as
we decrease inputs, and try to slowly clean up the mess we made in the past.
But we run into trouble when we make imprecise sweeping statements like
"dioxin, mercury, DDT, PCBs, etc. are all DECREASING in concentration in the
general environment." Whoa there. We do ourselves no justice when we lay
down imprecise and sweeping expectations and then the non-scientist realizes
that this generalization does not apply to where he or she lives. As
scientists, we could try to avoid this pitfall.
Diane Henshel
-----Original Message-----
From: Mari Reeves [mailto:mreeves@MONTANA.EDU]
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2001 12:48 PM
To: ECOLOG-L@UMDD.UMD.EDU
Subject: Re: Scientists Link Early Puberty to Chemical Exposure
Had to put in my 2 cents on Mr. Clough's comment:
"Recent articles show that dioxin, mercury,
DDT, PCBs, etc. are all DECREASING in concentration in the general
environment,
yet they are gaining more headlines because the detection limit is getting
much
lower"
I am only cursorily familiar with the literature on this subject, but as I
understand it, the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals are often much
more pronounced when the exposure occurs to the organism in utero.
Therefore, although effects may be showing up now, the exposures may have
taken place years ago,
"back in the 60's and 70's and 80's
when there were much higher concentrations of residues and additives in our
toys
and foodstuffs than there are today".
There is also increasing evidence that although in SOME places
concentrations of these chemicals may be decreasing, the climate system may
serve to concentrate organochlorine (OC) chemicals in arctic and alpine
regions. These chemicals are fairly insoluble in water, therefore they
don't wash out in rain in the temperate latitudes where they are applied as
herbicides, etc. The OCs can therefore ride the storms up and to the north
(and south), where they reach their freezing point and come out as "toxic
snow" (forgive me, i don't have the reference in front of me, but i think i
am quoting Schindler here). There is increasing evidence that this climate
mechanism is causing OC chemicals to accumulate in arctic and alpine
ecosystems. Because the chemicals are lipid-soluble, they can then
accumulate in arctic and alpine food webs, where they are currently being
detected. I have some references, if anyone is interested.
"Not all that is counted counts
and not all that counts can be counted"
A. Einstein
********************************************
Mari K. Reeves
Reclamation Research Unit
Department of Land Resources
and Environmental Sciences
Room 106B Linfield Hall
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana 59717-2910
Phone: (406) 994-4183
Fax: (406) 994-4876
Email: mreeves@montana.edu
http://agadsrv.msu.montana.edu/reclamation/
**********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 18:20:23 -0600
From: Thomas Rosburg <thomas.rosburg@DRAKE.EDU>
Subject: leaf area meters
Does anyone have advice or comments about leaf area meters?
I'm looking for one that can be used in the field on a variety of leaves,
including bipinnately compound with small leaflets.
Anyone have experience with any of these models?
*LI-3000A from Li-COR
*CI-420 from CID, Inc.
*AM-100 from Dynamax
Thanks in advance!
Thomas Rosburg
Department of Biology
Drake University
515-271-2920
------------------------------
Subject: ECOLOG-L Digest - 16 Feb 2001 to 17 Feb 2001
There are 6 messages totalling 443 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Habitat selction
2. Quotes that still work
3. Statistical Question
4. Leading marine scientists release new evidence that marine reserves
produce eno
5. AAAS atlas shows human impact on environment
6. Radio collar for slender loris
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 12:40:13 +0200
From: Yaron Ziv <yziv@BGUMAIL.BGU.AC.IL>
Subject: Re: Habitat selction
Dear Colleagues,
I would like to follow up on Tim's excellent comment. Tim referred to the
distinction between habitat selection and habitat preference and gave an
hypothetical explanation why it is indeed so important to measure habitat
selection and not habitat preference. Tim hinted to the fact that we don't
necessarily see organisms where they really "want to be" and that organisms
are sometimes pushed away from their preferred habitats. He also mentioned
a reference by Bovjberg, published in Ecology in 1970.
Habitat selection is a theoretical-based multi-process framework that
considers the distribution of organisms in space (different habitats),
given density-dependent intra- and inter-specific effects. It is mainly
based on the within-species Ideal Free Distribution of Fretwell (Fretwell
and Lucas 1969, Fretwell 1972) and has been further developed by
Rosenzweig, Abramsky, Brown, Morris, and others, to include also
inter-specific effects. The basic idea is that resources are depleted
within a habitat and that this depletion depends on the density of the
organisms -- the higher the density, the fewer resources that are available
for an individual. As a result, at carrying capacity, the per-capita
growth rate (apparently representing fitness) in all habitats -- rich and
poor(!) -- is similar. In other words, the nth individual will do the same
if choosing either the poor or the rich habitat. (This is an example for
the difference between habitat preference, i.e., where organisms tend to go
when in small numbers and without resource limitation, and habitat
selection, i.e., the actual distribution of organisms among different
habitats given all kinds of pressures. In a sense, habitat preference is
only the first step in the process of exploring what the organisms indeed
do in a realistic environment.) The quality of a habitat can be also
determined by the density of the competitors or predators, hence allowing
for the incorporation of competition and predation into the whole business
of density-dependent habitat selection. Mathematical and graphical tools
(like isolegs and isodars) are available so it is treated analytically! In
addition, the use of two-species state space for exploring
density-dependent inter-specific habitat selection is very powerful because
it allows us to describe the habitat selection of organisms within the
framework of population dynamics, i.e., isocline analysis. In sum, the
theory of habitat selection is one of the few theories which provide a way
to include and treat behavioral decisions, population dynamics, species
interactions and community structure within the same framework!
For those who are interested in reading more about it, below please find
some selected literature.
Cheers, -- Yaron.
Abramsky, Z., M. L. Rosenzweig, et al. (1990). "Habitat selection: an
experimantal field test with two gerbil species." Ecology 71: 2358-2369.
Abramsky, Z., M. L. Rosenzweig, et al. (1991). "The shape of a gerbil
isocline measured using principles of optimal selection." Ecology 72:
329-340.
Abramsky, Z., M. L. Rosenzweig, et al. (2000). "The energetic cost of
competition: gerbils as moneychangers." Evolutionary Ecology Research 2:
279-292.
Brown, J. S. (1990). "Habitat selection as an evolutionary game." Evolution
44: 732-746.
Brown, J. S. (1996). "Coevolution and community organization in three
habitats." Oikos 75: 193-206.
Fretwell, S. D. and H. L. J. Lucas (1969). "On territorial behavior and
other factors influencing habitat distribution in birds." Acta
Biotheoretica 19: 16-36.
Fretwell, S. D. (1972). Populations in a Seasonal Environment. Princeton,
Princeton University Press.
Holt, R. D. (1993). Ecology at the mesoscale: the influence of regional
processes on local communities. Species Diversity in Ecological
Communities. R. E. Ricklefs and D. Schluter. Chicago, University of Chicago
Press: 77-88.
Morris, D. W. (1987). "Spatial scale and the cost of density-dependent
habitat selection." Evolutionary Ecology 1: 379-388.
Morris, D. W. (1987). "Ecological scale and habitat use." Ecology 68: 362-36
.
Morris, D. W. and D. L. Davidson (2000). "Optimally foraging mice match
patch use with habitat differences in fitness." Ecology 81: 2061-2066.
Rosenzweig, M. L. (1979). "Optimal habitat selection in two-species
competitive systems." Fortschr. Zool. 25: 283-293.
Rosenzweig, M. L. (1981). "A theory of habitat selection." Ecology 62: 327-3
5.
Rosenzweig, M. L. and Z. Abramsky (1985). "Detecting density-dependent
habitat selection." American Naturalist 126: 405-417.
Rosenzweig, M. L. (1986). Community organization from the point of view of
habitat selectors. Organization of Communities: Past and Present. J. H. R.
Gee and P. S. Giller. Oxford, Blackwell Scientific Publications: 469-490.
Rosenzweig, M. L. and Z. Abramsky (1986). "Centrifugal community
organization." Oikos 47: 339-348.
Rosenzweig, M. L. (1991). "Habitat selection and population interactions:
the search for mechanism." American Naturalist 137: S5-S28.
Rosenzweig, M. L. and Z. Abramsky (1997). "Two gerbils of the Negev: a
long-term investigation of optimal habitat selection and its consequences."
Evolutionary Ecology 11: 733-756.
>Charles...
>
>Just an aside from your larger statistical objectives. Be sure you are
ware
>that you are measuring habitat selection and not habitat preference. Yo
may
>need experimental data to determine habitat preference because...
>
>..these organisms are not independently distributed. Their behavioral
>interactions, or the interactions between them and other members of the
>community may strongly influence their choice of habitat. Decapods for
>instance engage in interference competition and displace each other from
>preferred habitats and substrates (Bovjberg, 1970, Ecology). Things REA
LY
>get complicated when dynamics like predator avoidance get thrown into th
mix.
>
>Best of luck with this.
>
>Tim
>
>
> I am trying to determine the proper statistical tests to perform for a
> microhabitat comparison. I have surveyed plecopterans in four microhabi
ats
> (substrates) in a local creek. I have an equal number of samples for ea
h
> microhabitat (48). I want to know if each of the 26 species has a signi
icant
> preference for a particular substrate. I would appreciate any suggestio
s.
----------------------
Yaron Ziv, Ph.D. Tel: +972 8 6461352/0 (office/lab)
Dept. of Life Sciences 053 574873 (mobile)
Ben-Gurion University Fax: +972 8 6472890
Beer Sheva 84105, ISRAEL E-mail: yziv@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
http://www.bgu.ac.il/life/yziv.html
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 15:51:39 -0800
From: "Peter W. Havens" <peterhavens@BAINBRIDGE.NET>
Subject: Quotes that still work
"The difficulty is to detach the framework of fact - of absolute,
undeniable fact - from the embellishments of theorists and reporters. Then,
having established ourselves upon this sound basis, it is our duty to see
what inferences may be drawn, and which are the special points upon which
the whole mystery turns."
Sherlock Holmes?
"The scientist is a practical man and his are practical aims. He does not
seek the ultimate, but the proximate. He does not speak of the last
analysis but rather of the next approximation. His are not those beautiful
structures so delicately designed that a single flaw may cause the collapse
of the whole. The scientist builds slowly and with a gross but solid kind
of masonry. If dissatisfied with any of his work, even if it be near the
very foundations, he can replace that part without damage to the remainder.
On the whole, he is satisfied with his work, for while science may never be
wholly right it is certainly never wholly wrong; and it seems to be
improving from decade to decade."
G. N. Lewis
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 19:04:55 -0800
From: Terry Morse <tlmorse@ONEMAIN.COM>
Subject: Re: Statistical Question
<color><param>0100,0100,0100</param>There have been severa
postings recently of
the form, "I've got this data.
Now, what do I do with it?" We might do well to heed the words of Sir
R.A. Fisher:
"<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>T<FontFamily>
<param>Arial</param>o
call in the statistician after the experiment is done may be no more
than asking him to perform a postmortem examination: he may be able
to say what the experiment died of."
It is good practice to consult a statistician while you are designing your
project, so you collect data that will be analyzable.
<nofill>
Terry Morse
tmorse@teleport.com
935 SW 10th Street #6
Newport, Oregon 97365
Phone: 541-265-8434
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 19:52:17 -0500
From: Karen Claxon <kclaxon@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Leading marine scientists release new evidence that marine reserves
produce eno
17 FEBRUARY 2001 AT 15:30 ET US
Contact: Nancy Baron
tojohnson@seaweb.org
202-437-5502
Valerie Holford
888-429-4988 pager
SeaWeb
Leading marine scientists release new evidence that marine reserves
produce enormous benefits within their boundaries and beyond
150 leading marine scientists call for the immediate establishment of
networks of marine reserves to replenish depleted seas
Today at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Meeting in San Francisco, past president Dr. Jane Lubchenco will release
a scientific consensus statement signed by 150 of the world's leading
marine scientists declaring that there is now compelling scientific
evidence that marine reserves conserve both biodiversity and fisheries,
and could help to replenish the seas. "All around the world there are
different experiences," says Dr. Lubchenco, "but the basic message is
the same: marine reserves work, and they work fast. It is no longer a
question of whether to set aside fully protected areas in the ocean, but
where to establish them. We urge the immediate application of fully
protected marine reserves as a central oceans management tool."
The new scientific theory of marine reserves which will be presented
today is the culmination of three years of study by an international
group of leading marine scientists. At the 1997 AAAS in Seattle,
scientists reviewed the state of the oceans and identified research
priorities. In response, this international team of scientists was
established at the National Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis
(NCEAS), University of California, Santa Barbara, and charged with
developing a better scientific understanding of marine reserves. This
new analysis now provides the scientific evidence necessary to establish
additional reserves that scientists can be confident will work.
The declining state of the oceans and the collapse of many fisheries
creates a critical need for more effective management of marine
biodiversity, populations of exploited species and the overall health of
the oceans. While marine protected areas (MPA's) and Marine Sanctuaries
have been designated to enhance conservation, they often allow
extractive activities whereas marine reserves do not. Fully protected
marine reserves are viewed by many as a key tool to help reverse
widespread overfishing and habitat disturbance. Yet because there are
gaps of knowledge about how reserves work and because they are perceived
to be taking something else away from dwindling fisheries, they are
often vigorously resisted. At present, fully protected marine reserves
encompass only 1/100 of 1 % of the seas.
"The results are startling and consistent," states Dr. Robert Warner of
the University of California, Santa Barbara. Furthermore these averages
were attained after only 1-2 years of protection: o population densities
were on average 91% higher o biomass was 192% higher o average organism
size was 31% higher o species diversity was 23% higher.
The size and abundance of exploited species also increases in areas
adjacent to reserves. Reserves serve as natural hatcheries, replenishing
populations regionally by larval spillover beyond reserve boundaries.
Dr. Callum Roberts of Harvard University, has worked closely with
fishermen and will highlight case studies from around the world. In New
Zealand, despite violent opposition at the outset, fishers have now
become the champions of reserves where they have seen populations of
snappers increase 40 fold. Closer to home, in 1994, three large areas
totaling 17,000 km2 in the Gulf of Maine were closed to all fishing
methods that put groundfish at risk. Coincidentally, scallops flourished
in the undisturbed habitat. Within five years their populations
rebounded to 9 to 14 times their density in fished areas. Monitoring
showed scallop fishers hugging the edge of the closed areas, benefiting
from high catches as a result of adult movement and export of scallop
offspring on ocean currents.
Marine reserves differ from parks on land because most marine species
disperse through the water as larvae or spores, moved by tides and
currents. Dispersal distances of 20 to 50 kms are not uncommon and 500
to 1000 kms is possible in some cases due to currents. "You want to
design reserves so that they have a spillover effect in helping
replenish the ocean beyond the protected area," says Dr. Steve Palumbi
of Harvard University. "Well- designed networks are the key."
Using new knowledge of larval dispersal patterns, scientists can
determine the optimal span, spacing and size of the pieces. The NCEAS
studies demonstrate that networks of fully protected marine reserves
linked ecologically (through larval dispersal) and physically (through
currents) are much more likely to achieve the full array of benefits
that marine resource managers are being called upon to deliver-rather
than the current tendency to establish single isolated reserves.
The scientists will also present a new computer-based tool that can map
and design reserve systems for fishery managers across the U.S. and the
world. Fisheries managers will be able to map out reserves based on
specific conservation goals - such as how representation of 20% of all
habitats might translate in the water in ways that make stakeholders
happy. This new technology has the potential to revolutionize the design
of future protected areas such as in the Channel Islands where it is
being currently applied in their efforts to establish fully protected
marine zones.
Yet even with the new scientific consensus emerging, the future of
reserves in the U.S. is uncertain. Questions about the efficacy of
marine reserves are being raised again by the new administration in
response to Clinton's recent Executive Order directing federal and state
agencies to work together to develop a national system of marine
protected areas. The new science should allay concerns voiced in a
letter to President Bush by the new Chair of the Resources Committee
James Hansen that "no goals or purposes of the MPA for a system of MPA's
have been identified; and no research has been identified to determine
whether the goals of MPAs are being achieved. MPAs must be done in a
scientifically defensible manner."
"Conservationists can be reassured that marine reserves are protecting
biodiversity, and while fishermen may lose access to some areas, they
will reap the benefits outside the reserves. The overall lesson is that
all stakeholders can be served by well designed networks of marine
reserves," states Dr. Jane Lubchen
###
http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/sw-lms021601.html
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 19:55:58 -0500
From: Karen Claxon <kclaxon@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: AAAS atlas shows human impact on environment
16 FEBRUARY 2001
Contact: Cate Alexander
calexand@aaas.org
202-326-6431
American Association for the Advancement of Science
AAAS atlas shows human impact on environment
San Francisco, CA -16 February 2001- The AAAS announced today the
publication of an atlas that graphically illustrates the link between
population and the environment. It shows, says Paul Harrison, who wrote
The AAAS Atlas of Population and Environment, that humanity is
"overreaching itself . threatening the key resources on which we
depend."
The atlas demonstrates, "the cross connections between human and natural
environmental factors in determining a particular outcome," says Peter
H. Raven, Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden and President-elect
of AAAS, in the book's forward.
The new atlas opens with an overview of the history of humanity's impact
on the environment, the current status of the world's major ecosystems,
consumption trends, and policy responses to the impact of the human
presence on the environment.
The second part of the book comprises primarily graphics and maps that
quantify the impact of humanity on natural resources, land use, the
atmosphere, waste and chemicals, ecosystems, and biodiversity. Graphics
illustrate, for example, the Earth's fresh water resources, as well as
the world's top per-capita water consumers and how each nation allocates
its water use. The last section of the atlas, produced by the World
Wildlife Fund and The Nature Conservancy, consists of six case studies
that examine the relationship between population and environment in
areas of North and South America, Asia and Africa.
"We have found that people have a difficult time understanding how
population dynamics affect the environment," says Richard W. Getzinger,
director of the AAAS International Directorate, which produced the
atlas. "So we began thinking about how we could use the latest
technological tools in a way that can promote human welfare while
providing a better understanding of the human impact on the
environment."
The atlas, which is being published by the University of California
Press, was produced with funding from the Summit Foundation, the Hewlett
Foundation, and the Turner Foundation. Founded in 1848, AAAS is the
world's largest federation of scientists with more than 138,000
individual members and 273 affiliated societies. The Association
publishes the weekly, peer-reviewed journal Science and administers
EurekAlert! (www.eurekalert.org) the online news service featuring the
latest discoveries in science and technology.
###
http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/aaas-aas021201.html
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 13:26:19 -0700
From: Kaberi Kar Gupta <kaberi@ASU.EDU>
Subject: Radio collar for slender loris
Hi,
I am studying the behavioral ecology of slender loris in Southern India.
Slender loris is a small, nocturnal cryptic prosimian primate. They weigh
about 200 gm, and their length is about 18 cm. Their habitat is mostly
dense secondary undergrowth of the moist or dry deciduous forest. These
condition makes it hard for radio telemetry. I used radio transmitters
earlier which last only 2 months instead of 6 months.
I am looking for radio collar unit which would weigh about 10 gm and can
last at least 6 months with a range of 250-500m distance. Can any one
suggests sources of reliable radio transmitters for small mammals? And what
is the average price these days?
Thanks in anticipation,
Kaberi
--
Kaberi Kar Gupta
Department of Anthropology
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
Email: kaberi@asu.edu
------------------------------
End of ECOLOG-L Digest - 16 Feb 2001 to 17 Feb 2001
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ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ
Thanks to discussion with TVR, I have decided to put a link to back files of the discussion group. This months back files.
The link to complete archives is available elsewhere.
This text was originally an e-mail. It was converted using a program
RUPANTAR- a simple e-mail-to-html converter.
(c)Kolatkar Milind. kmilind@ces.iisc.ernet.in