Subject: ECOLOG-L Digest - 1 May 2001 to 2 May 2001
To: Recipients of ECOLOG-L digests <ECOLOG-L@UMDD.UMD.EDU>
Status: R
There are 7 messages totalling 587 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Job Ad: Project Director, TNC-Nevada
2. Post-Doctoral position in Soil and Microbial Ecology
3. Sustainable environment question; benefit of DCA
4. Working forests in the tropics - Conference Announcement
5. Research Assistant - Job announcement
6. summer field program in Michigan
7. postdoc in microbial ecology
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Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 12:05:36 -0700
From: Ted Floyd <tedfloyd57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Job Ad: Project Director, TNC-Nevada
Hello, all. Here is an add for an exciting new job
in Nevada. It's in beautiful country, and presents
many scientific and management challenges. -- TF
--------------------------------------------------
Carson Valley Project Director
The Nature Conservancy of Nevada
The Carson Valley Project Director is responsible
for implementation of a comprehensive program to
protect natural communities and species and address
critical threats to natural systems within the
Carson River watershed. The Carson Valley Project
Director will continue to establish the Conservancy
as a major conservation partner in a community.
S/he will engage the local, county or state partners
in a compatible and mutually beneficial conservation
plan and other efforts to promote conservation within
the project area. S/he will negotiate complex and
innovative solutions with landowners and state and
federal partners to conserve the Carson Valley
landscape and surrounding important watersheds.
With these goals in mind, collaboration with property
owners, state and federal officials and corporate
partners to apply a full range of conservation
tools toward the protection of the landscape is
essential.
Using "Conservation By Design" as a framework for
mission success, s/he will also work collaboratively
with other TNC conservation staff, chapter leadership,
landowners, corporations, donors and government
agencies and coordinate implementation of conservation
practices. Supervision of administrative and
project staff, scientists and volunteers related
to the River Fork Ranch preserve and other holdings
will also be required.
KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:
* Bachelor's degree in agriculture, biology, forestry,
natural resources management or related field and
five to seven years related work experience. Master's
degree preferred.
* Negotiation skills and the ability to simultaneously
manage multiple priorities and work under pressure
with flexibility is required.
* Successful experience in developing, directing and
managing multiple projects.
* Supervisory experience, including the ability to
motivate, lead, set objectives, and manage performance.
* Demonstrated experience in MS Office, Word, and Excel.
May require database management skills with ability to
produce reports. Ability to use advanced computer
functions including navigating the Internet. Ability
to manipulate, analyze and interpret data.
* Knowledge of current trends in conservation practices.
* Successful experience in partnership development;
political savvy.
* Demonstrated success in private fundraising and
membership development.
COMPLEXITY/PROBLEM SOLVING:
* Resolve complex issues independently within program area.
Experiment to find creative solutions.
* Interpret guidelines and analyze factual information
to adapt or modify processes in response to changing
circumstances. Work is diversified and may not always
fall under established practices and guidelines.
* Ability to prioritize tasks and develop timelines
for project completion. Strong organizational skills.
DISCRETION/LATITUDE/DECISION-MAKING:
* Make sound decisions based on analysis, experience
and judgement. Decisions may affect other staff in
program area.
* Work independently in an entrepreneurial environment;
comfortable with ambiguity.
RESPONSIBILITY/OVERSIGHT -FINANCIAL & SUPERVISORY:
* Supervise administrative and professional staff,
interns, and volunteers, with responsibility for
performance management, training, and development.
* May need to gain cooperation from individuals or
groups over whom there is no direct authority in
order to accomplish program goals.
* Financial responsibility includes budget development,
working within a budget to complete projects,
negotiating and contracting with vendors and
meeting fundraising targets.
COMMUNICATIONS/INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS:
* Communication and presentation skills; ability to
persuasively convey the mission of TNC to diverse
groups including landowners, donors, board members,
the public and others.
* Solicit program support through clear written
communications, including proposal writing and
other written materials.
* Work and communicate with a wide range of people
from various backgrounds, including community
members whose perspectives may vary widely.
* Work in partnership with other organizations in
a collaborative or advisory role.
* Ability to function productively as a member or
leader of a team.
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT:
* Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet
deadlines.
* Ability to work an irregular schedule including
weekends and unpredicted schedule change, travel
extensively and on short notice.
* Work requires occasional physical exertion and/or
muscular strain. Work involves several disagreeable
elements and/or exposure to job hazard's where there
is some possibility of injury.
How to apply:
Please submit cover letter and resume to:
Danine Sheets, Director of Administration
1771 E. Flamingo, #111B
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702)737-8744
(702)737-5787 (fax)
e-mail: dsheets@tnc.org
For more information:
Please visit our website at: http://www.nature.org.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 15:56:06 -0400
From: Margaret Carreiro <m.carreiro@LOUISVILLE.EDU>
Subject: Post-Doctoral position in Soil and Microbial Ecology
POST-DOCTORAL POSITION : EFFECTS OF URBAN-SUBURBAN LAND USE
ON SOIL BIOTA AND NUTRIENT CYCLING
A post-doctoral position is available in the Biology Department at the
University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky to study the effects of
urban and suburban land use on vegetation, soil biota, and nutrient cycling
in forests and woodlands in the Kentuckiana region. Duties would include
assisting in permanent plot establishment, and in initial studies to
characterize soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization at the landscape scale.
However, since the position is not associated with a particular grant, there
are also opportunities for the post-doc to pursue independent research
questions that address responses of soil biota (invertebrates or microbial
communities) and nutrient cycling processes to habitat fragmentation,
pollution inputs and/or exotic species introductions. Such approaches could
include use of stable isotopes, soil enzymes, or molecular tools. Those
with knowledge of basic soil ecology techniques used to quantify soil biota
or in measuring soil nitrogen transformations would be preferred.
Familiarity with GIS analyses would be a plus.
The Biology Departmentat UofL has a well-equipped Environmental
Instrumentation Lab which includes a nutrient autoanalyzer, HPLC, GC, CHN
analyzer, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, digital photomicroscopy
equipment, scintillation counter, gamma counter,and mass spectrometer for
stable isotope analyses. Equipment needed for molecular research is also
available within the Biology Department, and includes ultracentrifuges,
automated DNA sequencer, and thermal cycler for DNA amplification. The
Geography and Geosciences department houses and staffs the University of
Louisville Center for Geographic Information Systems (ULCGIS) and is ESRI
authorized. The University of Louisville has a strong urban mission and in
1992 established the Kentucky Institute for the Environment and Sustainable
Development (KIESD) to encourage interdisciplinary teams of scientists to
focus on economic, social and environmental issues in the
Louisville/Jefferson County area. For more information visit the following
websites:
http://athena.louisville.edu/~mmcarr01/Carreiro/urg.html
http://louisville.edu/a-s/biology/history.html
http://www.louisville.edu/a-s/geog/gis/index.html
The two-year appointment begins July 1, but start date is somewhat
flexible. For more information AND to apply for the position, contact Dr.
Margaret Carreiro, Biology Dept., University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
40292. E-mail: m.carreiro@louisville.edu; Telephone: 502-852-2093;
FAX: 502-852-0725. When applying please include a resume with names and
contact information of three referees.
--
Margaret M. Carreiro
Associate Professor
Biology Department
139 Life Sciences Building
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
Tel: 502-852-2093
Dept. Tel (to leave messages): 502-852-6771
Dept. FAX: 502-852-0725
http://athena.louisville.edu/~mmcarr01/Carreiro/urg.html
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 14:18:02 -0700
From: Ken Cole <Kenneth.Cole@NAU.EDU>
Subject: Sustainable environment question; benefit of DCA
Wayne and Ecolog-L:
After some contemplation of your question which at first I considered too
grand a philosophical question to be addressed scientifically, I came to
the following very technical answer. If "sustainable environments" (or
sustainable ecosystems) can be thought of simply as constant collections of
species at an ecological scale of your choosing, then sustainability can
actually be measured. In this context, Detrended Correspondance Analysis
(DCA) provides a superior tool for quantifying sustainability.
As a paleoecologist, I study ecosystem change, and ecosystem change can be
quantified in numerous ways. Truly static ecosystems are an impossibility
and probably wouldn't be desirable anyway. But, most ecologists adhere to
the principle that very rapidly changing ecosystems are bad. Species
turnover (loss or addition of species at some ecosystem scale) varies with
time, but long-term averages have remained relatively low. That is, until
the last few centuries. Species turnover is now proceeding in most
ecosystems at least an order of magnitude above long-term, preindustrial
averages. Data are difficult to obtain recording the effects of past
sudden climate changes due to the extreme precision required. But I
seriously doubt that there has been any world-wide episode of species
turnover so rapid since the asteroid crashed into Yucatan 65 million years
ago.
DCA, designed around a hypothetical normal distribution of species along a
gradient, generates values in terms of the "half-change", or turnover of
half the species in an assemblage. And, since DCA can be applied to a
multitude of types of modern and paleoecological data (pollen, plant
macrofossils, vertebrate assemblages, foraminifera) it can form the basis
for quantifying the level of sustainability that has existed in
pre-industrial environments and these values can be used as guides to set
desired levels of future ecosystem sustainability. While the relationship
between DCA and real organisms remains theoretical, at least its values are
based upon ecological concepts. And, DCA can be used to quantify change
along any gradient, especially time.
Ken Cole
At 06:24 PM 4/26/01 -0700, you wrote:
>What is the definition of a "sustainable environment?" What is the
>definition of an unsustainable environment?
>
>Thanks,
>WT
>
>At 03:36 PM 04/26/2001 -0700, Ken Cole wrote:
>
>[clip]
>the Center for Sustainable Environments
>[clip]
******************************************
Dr. Kenneth L. Cole
U.S. Geological Survey
Colorado Plateau Field Station
P.O. Box 5614, Bldg. 24
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5614
Phone:(520)556-7466 ext. 230 FAX:(520)556-7500
E-mail: Kenneth.Cole@nau.edu
Personal Web Pages: http://www.usgs.nau.edu/staff/kcole.html
Office Web Pages: http://www.usgs.nau.edu/
******************************************
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 09:59:35 -0400
From: Daniel Zarin <zarin@UFL.EDU>
Subject: Working forests in the tropics - Conference Announcement
Mark your calendars to attend and participate in:
=93Working Forests in the Tropics: Conservation through Sustainable=
Management=94
An International Conference to be held at the University of Florida campus=
=20
in Gainesville, Florida, 24-26 February 2002.
Visit our website http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/tropics for more=20
information, on-line registration and abstract submission instructions.
Tropical forests sustain a wealth of biodiversity, provide a wide range of=
=20
ecosystem services and products, and support livelihoods for millions of=20
people. Tropical forest conservation is highly complex, not only because=20
these forests perform so many different functions, but also because of the=
=20
variety of stakeholders involved. Since less than ten percent of the=20
world=92s tropical forests are likely to be preserved as legally protected=
=20
areas, conservation of the remaining ninety percent will depend on the=20
ability of stakeholders to make the products and services these =93working=
=20
forests=94 provide appear competitive with alternative land use=20
options. This conference was conceived as a vehicle for identifying=20
opportunities to make that happen, and obstacles that successful efforts=20
will need to avoid or overcome.
Confirmed Speakers include:
David B. Bray, Florida International University
Mike Conroy, Ford Foundation
Peter Cronkleton, Center for International Forestry Research
Peter Frumhoff , Union of Concerned Scientists
William Laurance, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Ariel Lugo, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest=
Service
Maharaj Muthoo, Forest Stewardship Council
Patricia Negreiros-Castillo, Iowa State University
Ken Newcombe, World Bank
Kent Redford, World Conservation Society
Joyotee Smith, Center for International Forestry Research
Carlos Vicente, State of Acre, Brazil
Tom Wilson, International Specialties, Inc.
and others=85.
Oral sessions include:
Chainsaw Conservation: Sacrificing Trees for the Sake of the Forest
(moderator, Francis =93Jack=94 Putz)
Linking Communities and Markets: Critical Issues
(moderator, Marianne Schmink)
Paying for Carbon: Internalizing an Ecosystem Service in Tropical Forestry
(moderator, Janaki Alivalapati)
Certification of Tropical Forest Products and Management Systems
(moderator, Joshua Dickinson)
Visit our website http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/tropics for more=20
information, on-line registration and abstract submission instructions.
Daniel J. Zarin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Tropical Forestry
& Executive Director, Forest Management Trust
School of Forest Resources and Conservation
University of Florida
P.O. Box 110760
Gainesville FL 32611-0760
TEL: +1-352-846-1247
FAX: +1-352-846-1332
EMAIL: zarin@ufl.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 09:44:30 -0600
From: John Anderson <janderso@JORNADA.NMSU.EDU>
Subject: Research Assistant - Job announcement
Announcement of Position Availability
TITLE: Research Assistant, Grade-15
Effective: July 1, 2001
SALARY: $22,675.56 (starting July 1, 2001 salary will be
$23,469.24)
Continued employment contingent upon federal funding
NOTE: Extra hours may be required during the week or the weekend.
Must be able to work in the field under high heat and sun
exposure. This is primarily a field position.
PREFER: Extensive field experience in plant identification. Field
experience with small mammals and reptiles. Skill in the use of
hand and power tools.
QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor's degree in field of research applicable
to the position required.
REQUIREMENT: Driver's license.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Individual will participate in on-going multi-study, Long
Term Ecological Research program on desertification in the
northern Chihuahuan Desert. Will work with a wide variety of taxa
and will be required to learn the flora and selected fauna of the
research area. The position will include manual labor including,
but not limited to, soil augering, soil coring, shrub removal,
and trenching. Routine carrying of heavy instruments in the
field for extended periods will be required. Responsibilities
will include extensive plant measurements and identification as
well as hydrology and soil measurements; routine handling of
small mammals and reptiles; maintenance of field instruments,
equipment, and infrastructure. Must have the ability to work both
as a team member and independently; to establish and maintain
effective working relationships with associates; to make sound
judgments relative to analytical processes; to recognize and
appreciate the extreme accuracy essential to research; to follow
oral and detailed written instructions; to assemble and record
accurate data; to communicate verbally and in writing; some
supervisory abilities.
Collects and records moderately complex technical and non-
technical data in a laboratory and/or field environment in
accordance with established guidelines, rules, regulations,
and/or protocols; maintains statistical records and
organizational data collected in a particular experiment or unit
of research; assists other researchers in the conduct of
experimental projects; sets up or assists in the setting up of
apparatus, instruments and other equipment; records results of
experiments in prescribed form necessary to show results; may be
required to assist in the design or modification of test
equipment; may compile reports and other data for review; may
work independently or on a team; may be required to do a moderate
literature study on a particular project and report results in
writing or verbally; may be required to travel; performs related
work as required.
BENEFITS: Group medical and hospital insurance, group life
insurance, state education retirement, worker's compensation,
sick leave, and unemployment compensation.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: Submit letter of application, resume,
3 letters of reference and supportive materials: May 18, 2001.
Electronic submissions must be in MS WORD or Rich Test Format
(RTF). Other formats will not be accepted.
REPLY TO:
John P. Anderson,
Jornada LTER Site Manager
New Mexico State University
Biology Dept., Dept. 3AF
Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003-0001
voice: 505-646-5818 fax: 505-646-5665
email: janderso@jornada.nmsu.edu
OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT CONTINGENT UPON VERIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL'S
ELIGIBILITY FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.
NMSU IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
EMPLOYER.
---------------------------
John P. Anderson
New Mexico State University
Department of Biology
MSC 3AF, Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
Voice: 505-646-5818
fax: 505-646-5665
e-mail: janderso@jornada.nmsu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 15:52:05 -0400
From: Leslie Mertz <LMERTZ@NASW.ORG>
Subject: summer field program in Michigan
The Fish Lake Biological Program, a joint program of Eastern Michigan
and Wayne State Universities, is held each summer at a field station in
Lapeer, Mich.. The program is offering a wide range of three-week
courses for 2001, including:
SESSION 1: June 4 - 23
Introduction to Field Biology (WSU, BIO 5180/8000), 3 cr, Th/Fr/S, Mertz
Conservation Biology (EMU BIOL 525/591),(WSU, BIO 5180/8000), 3 cr,
M/T/W, Freeman
Biota Survey Research: Amphibians and Reptiles (WSU, BIO 5180/8000), 2
cr, T/WMertz
Biota Survey Research: Birds (WSU,BIO 5180/8000), 2 cr, T/W Moore
Ichthyology (EMU, ZOOL 422/572),(WSU, BIO 5180/8000), 3 hcr, Th/F/S,
Schaeffer
Conservation Biology (EMU BIOL 525/591),(WSU, BIO 5180/8000), 3 cr,
M/T/W, Freeman
SESSION 2: June 25 - July 14
Evolutionary Ecology for Teachers (WSU Bio 5180/8000) 3 cr, Th/F/S,
Mertz
Animal Behavior (EMU ZOOL 502/591),(WSU BIO 5690), 3 cr, M/T/W,
Bednekoff
Entomology (EMU ZOOL 421/585),(WSU BIO 5740), 4cr, Th/F/S, Kielb
SESSION 3: July 16 - August 4
Aquatic Botany (EMU BOTN 450/552),(WSU BIO 6450) 3 cr, M/T/W, Hannan
Mammalogy (EMU ZOOL 485/586),(WSU BIO 5730), 4 cr, Th/F/S, Shoshani
Field and Museum Techniques (WSU BIO 5180/800), 3 cr, M/T/W, Shoshani
Anyone who is interested in enrolling for these classes may contact
William Moore, WSU Fish Lake director, 2123 Biological Bldg., 5047
Gullen Mall, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202;
wmoore@biology.biosci.wayne.edu.
Information is also available at
http://www.emich.edu/public/fishlake/summer.htm.
================
Leslie Mertz, Ph.D.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 18:01:54 -0800
From: Chris Potter <cpotter@MAIL.ARC.NASA.GOV>
Subject: postdoc in microbial ecology
Please Post:
Postdoctoral Research Opportunity
MICROBIAL ECOLOGY, BIOGEOCHEMISTRY, AND MODELING
NASA Ames Research Center near Mountain View, California, seeks
applicants for a postdoctoral research position in the ecology and
biogeochemistry of microbial communities. The candidate would join an
interdisciplinary team of experimentalists and
model<fontfamily><param>Geneva</param>ers who are focused
n developing
new simulation models of microbial mat dynamics, for example in
hypersaline, low sulfate, and marine benthic environments. Areas of
research will include simulation modeling of microbial community
structure, emission of trace gases from mats under a range of
environmental conditions (relevant to evolution of early Earth
atmosphere), with linkages to the genetic composition of various
populations of photosynthetic Bacteria and Archea. The
</fontfamily>postdoctoral position will be supported by grant funding
to NASA Ames Research Center from the NASA Astrobiology Institute
(NAI). The postdoc will be expected to present results at conferences
and to publish results as part of the NASA Ames NAI team. See the web
site at http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov/ for more information on the
NASA Astrobiology programs.
Applicants should have a recent Ph.D. in microbial
ecology/geochemistry. Field or laboratory experience working with
marine microbial communities is preferred, but not essential.
Experience in simulation modeling is desirable.
The postdoctoral position is for 2 years and would start around October
1, 2001. Please submit applications before June 30, 2001. Candidates
should send a curriculum vitae, Ph.D. thesis abstract, list of
publications, names of three references, and dates of availability to
cpotter@mail.arc.nasa.gov
Christopher Potter
Ecosystem Science and Technology Branch
NASA-Ames Research Center * Mail Stop 242-4
Moffett Field, CA 94035 USA
Tel. (650) 604-6164 Fax (650) 604-4680
email cpotter@mail.arc.nasa.gov
http://geo.arc.nasa.gov/sge/casa
------------------------------
End of ECOLOG-L Digest - 1 May 2001 to 2 May 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