Subject: ECOLOG-L Digest - 14 Nov 2002 to 15 Nov 2002 (#2002-291)
There are 11 messages totalling 504 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. News: Court Curbs Logging of Charred Trees
2. Postdoctoral Fellow Plant Pathologist
3. graduate student position
4. Benthic Symposium Update - Wednesday November 13 - Thursday November 14
2002
5. field research supervisor position
6. The State of the Nation's Ecosystems
7. comprehensive map of the human footprint
8. Life at Hydrothermal Vents
9. three faculty positions in forestry
10. Kuchler's potential vegetation map
11. ENSO effects in Atlantic currents
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Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 19:50:25 -0800
From: Ashwani Vasishth <vasishth@USC.EDU>
Subject: News: Court Curbs Logging of Charred Trees
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-me-salvage14nov14,0,4807181.story?col
=la%2Dnews%2Dscience
Los Angeles Times:
November 14, 2002
THE STATE
Court Curbs Logging of Charred Trees
Ruling protects trees that appear to survive fires. It sets stage for
a fight over Bush policies.
By Geoffrey Mohan, Times Staff Writer
A federal court has dealt a blow to efforts to cut down trees still
standing after a massive forest fire near Lake Tahoe, setting the stage
for a showdown over the Bush administration's forest fire policy.
A temporary stay issued by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week
forbids Sierra Pacific Industries, one of the biggest timber companies in
California, from cutting any fire-damaged trees that still have green
needles on them in a 17,000-acre area of the Eldorado National Forest. The
company won a $1.7-million contract there this year to conduct a salvage
logging operation that targets commercially valuable timber in a
burned-over area of the forest.
Salvage logging after a forest fire has been put on a fast track by the
Bush administration, which touts it as a way to recoup money from areas
burned in forest fires, and then use some of the funds to replant a
thinner, more fire-resistant forest.
But the practice has come under attack by environmentalists, who argue
that timber companies remove the very trees that survive the flames and
help regenerate damaged forests.
Last week's decision is the latest incremental gain by the environmental
movement to tighten regulation over salvage logging in Sierra Nevada
national forests.
Opposition to a salvage contract on the neighboring Tahoe National Forest
led local U.S. Forest Service managers earlier this year to adopt a
"green-needle" policy forbidding the harvest of any tree showing outward
signs of surviving the flames within old-growth areas of the forest.
Old-growth areas are the most regulated parts of the national forest
because they provide important habitat for species such as the spotted owl
and Pacific fisher. Those stands also are prized by timber companies for
their lucrative stock of large trees.
In August, the forest service extended the green-needle rule to all 4.5
million acres of old-growth areas in the eight national forests in the
Sierra Nevada.
That acreage amounts to only 39% of national forestland in the Sierras,
but the green-needle rule represents a fundamental shift in the forest
service's approach to salvage logging.
For years, the forest service has used the percentage of scorch in the
tree crowns to predict mortality of a stand of trees. Declaring a stand
dead allows forest managers to sidestep tight rules on harvesting large
trees, and in some cases has permitted timber companies to cut down all
but a few trees per acre.
Last week's decision temporarily extends the green-needle policy to all
areas of the Eldorado forest -- old growth as well as younger and mixed
stands -- until the court can hold a more detailed hearing in February.
Environmentalists hope to persuade the court that the green-needle rule
should be applied to all 11.5 million acres of national forests in the
Sierra.
For Sierra Pacific Industries, the state's single largest purchaser of
national forest timber, the stay could mean that the company will not be
able to harvest as much as 20% of the trees it initially planned to fell
before winter -- and perhaps make it economically unrewarding to return
next spring, said David Dun, attorney for the Redding-based firm.
Original plans called for 35 million board-feet of timber to be harvested,
Dun said. That is about the amount of wood that goes into 2,333 California
houses, according to the California Forest Products Commission.
The Earth Island Institute's John Muir Project, based in Cedarville,
Calif., filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service over the Eldorado
project in August, arguing that large areas labeled dead as a result of
fire, in fact, harbored many live trees that would continue to provide
suitable wildlife habitat. One biologist working for the group found
evidence that owls had returned to areas the Forest Service had declared
no longer suitable for owl habitat, based on burn damage from the August
2001 blaze.
U.S. District Judge Morrison England, recently appointed by President
Bush, rebuffed the group's request for an injunction, and the group went
to the appeals court, which granted the temporary stay last week. Another
hearing is slated for February.
The suit, which may take months to resolve, adds fodder to an already
intense debate over forest management during the West's worst drought in
decades.
The Bush administration argues that appeals and litigation have prevented
logging that it believes could lessen the fire danger in forests where
more than 6 million acres burned this year. Legislation sent to Congress
in September would exempt many logging proposals, including salvage
contracts, from public review.
Activists contend that the administration is dressing up wholesale logging
as fire-prevention projects.
* * *
Copyright 2002 Los Angeles Times
*** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material
is distributed, without profit, for research and educational purposes
only. ***
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 15:53:54 +0930
From: Rick Roush <rick.roush@ADELAIDE.EDU.AU>
Subject: Postdoctoral Fellow Plant Pathologist
Please circulate to anyone who may be interested.
Rick
Postdoctoral Fellow Plant Pathologist
The CSIRO and the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management
are seeking a highly motivated post doctoral scientist with skills in plant
pathology and molecular biology to conduct a range of studies to determine
biological control options for wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum), one of
southern Australia's worst weeds of annual crops.
You must have a PhD in plant pathology, or a related subject with a strong
emphasis on molecular biology or weed science.
For further information and to apply please consult
http://recruitment.csiro.au/job_details.asp?ref=0819
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 11:08:05 -0600
From: David Broussard <brousdr@AUBURN.EDU>
Subject: graduate student position
GRADUATE STUDY IN MAMMALIAN LIFE HISTORIES
I am seeking a Ph.D. graduate student for a study of the evolution of litter
size of Columbian ground squirrels in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada
A substantial field period is required each year. NSF funding is available
o
support the research, and the department also provides support via Graduate
Teaching Assistantships. The department has a large and active group of
faculty and students who specialize in field biology.
An individual with a strong interest in behavioral ecology and life-history
evolution is sought, and who is qualified for the departmental Ph.D. program
A Bachelor^Òs degree is required, and candidates with a Master^Òs degree wil
be
preferred. Field experience in behavioral observation, live-trapping, and
handling of small mammals in mountain environments is desirable. Field work
could begin as early as April 2003, with graduate course work as early as Fa
l
2003 (start dates are flexible). Please send a letter of interest, curricul
m
vitae, undergraduate transcripts, GRE scores, examples of writing skills, an
the names of three references (with addresses, e-mail addresses, and telepho
e
numbers) to:
Dr. F. Stephen Dobson
Department of Biological Sciences
331 Funchess Hall
Auburn University, AL 36849-5414
Phone: 334-844-1699. FAX: 334-844-9252
e-mail: fsdobson@msn.com
**********************************************************************
David Broussard
331 Funchess Hall
Department of Biological Sciences
Auburn University
Auburn, Al 36849
brousdr@auburn.edu
**********************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 13:01:31 -0500
From: David Inouye <di5@umail.umd.edu>
Subject: Benthic Symposium Update - Wednesday November 13 - Thursday Novembe
14, 2002
Benthic Symposium Update - Wednesday November 13 - Thursday November 14, 200
"Natural change is important to understanding how systems react when we're
not around," said Linda Deegan (Marine Biological Laboratory) at the second
day of the Symposium on Effects of Fishing on Benthic Habitats.
Throughout the day participants listened to presentations describing
natural changes of benthic habitats and the economic and ecological effects
of fishing on these undersea areas.
Mike Field of the USGS described some of the natural events that influence
sea floors in his presentation "Living with Change: Response of the sea
floor to natural events." Benthic habitats are subject to mild
disturbances on a regular basis, from temperature changes, to tides and
intensified currents. The greatest impact is the result of frequent
events, not the level of disturbance. According Filed, if a hurricane
comes through and wipes out an area every five years, the system has
adjusted for this. A hurricane every year for several years, or several
catastrophic events in a short time span, will cause more permanent damage.
Other morning talks emphasized the importance of scale in understanding
benthic ecosystems. Tara Anderson (USGS and National Marine Fisheries
Service) discussed scale in relation to a study conducted on Australian
seagrass beds. According to Anderson, a combination of large, intermediate
(100's of meters), and fine (meters) scale sizes could prove useful for
predicting the distribution and abundance of both habitat and fish. The
information from these types of studies can inform managers, policy makers,
and researchers on the formation of Marine Protected Areas and Essential
Fish Habitats.
Afternoon talks compared fishing and other human impacts with natural
events. Chris Frid (University of Newcastle upon Tyne) argued that too
little is understood about benthic ecosystems, and scale size studies add
little to the knowledge. He suggested the popular fixation for researchers
is on diversity, biomass, statistical analysis and indicator species, all
too academic for what managers want to know: the activities of the system
and not the ecosystem.
Thursday's presentations examined social and economic issues and
effects. Stephen Kellert (Yale University) described societal perceptions'
roles in management, science and policy. Value systems, international
agreements, profits and property rights all play a role in how fishers,
managers, and conservationists react to legislation. Alison Rieser
(University of Maine Law School) described the "battle of the dictionaries"
that occurs with treaty agreements and legislation.
The rest of the afternoon covered alternative ways to minimize adverse
effects of fishing on benthic habitats, with the meeting culminating in a
panel discussion on the future directions for managers, fisheries, and
scientists.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 13:36:33 -0500
From: "Schwalm, Donelle \"Doni\"" <dschwalm@ARCHBOLD-STATION.ORG>
Subject: field research supervisor position
FIELD RESEARCH SUPERVISOR needed for a continuing project studying the
population dynamics of red-cockaded woodpeckers at Avon Park Air Force
Range, in south-central Florida. Duties include searching for nests and
monitoring reproductive success, trapping and banding adults and nestlings,
collecting morphological data on adults and nestlings, accurately reading
color bands, climbing trees using sectional ladders, locating, GPSing and
collecting data on new cavity trees, maintaining project databases, data
analysis, report preparation, providing habitat management recommendations,
and supervision of seasonal field assistants. The position requires
independent work in remote areas of a 100,000 acre military reserve as well
as adjoining private lands. Familiarity with computers, especially word
processing, database, and statistical programs is necessary. Previous
experience with many of the required duties, but especially handling and
banding birds, especially red-cockaded woodpeckers is desirable. Candidates
are expected to work independently under hot-humid field conditions in
remote areas. MS degree in biology, ecology, or wildlife preferred, but not
essential. Position start date is flexible, but must be able to begin no
later than 15 May 2002. Funding available through January 2005, with
extensions likely. Salary dependent upon experience. Benefits include health
and dental insurance, pension plans, and paid holidays/vacation and the
opportunity to be part of an active scientific community at Archbold
Biological Station. Send a letter of interest, CV, and the names, phone
numbers and email addresses of three references by 1 January 2003 to:
Dr. Reed Bowman
Archbold Biological Station
P.O. Box 2057
Lake Placid, FL 33862
(863) 465-2571 ext. 229 (phone)
(863) 699-1927 (fax)
rbowman@archbold-station.org (e-mail)
E-mail applications are encouraged.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 15:51:03 -0500
From: David Inouye <di5@umail.umd.edu>
Subject: The State of the Nation's Ecosystems
1. The State of the Nation's Ecosystems [.pdf]
http://www.heinzctr.org/ecosystems/
This Web site is provided by the H. John Heinz III Center for Science,
Economics and the Environment -- "a nonprofit institution dedicated to
improving the scientific and economic foundation for environmental policy."
The State of the Nation's Ecosystems is a comprehensive report prepared by
"experts from businesses, environmental organizations, universities, and
federal, state, and local government agencies," intended for "decision
makers, opinion leaders, and informed citizens who seek an authoritative,
comprehensive, and succinct overview of what the nation most needs to know
about the changing state of its ecosystems." This well-presented report
offers information from research in many fields, and is organized into
chapters covering coasts and oceans, farmlands, forests, fresh waters,
grasslands and shrublands, and urban and suburban areas in the US. The
entire report may be searched by keyword, and each chapter may be
downloaded. This Web site offers a fantastically comprehensive source for a
"scientifically sound and nonpartisan" characterization of US ecosystems,
and is careful to highlight existing gaps in the data. [RS]
>From The NSDL Scout Report for the Life Sciences, Copyright Internet Sc
ut
Project 1994-2002. http://scout.wisc.edu/
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 15:50:55 -0500
From: David Inouye <di5@umail.umd.edu>
Subject: comprehensive map of the human footprint
22. Wildlife Conservation Society: In the Wild
http://wcs.org/humanfootprint
In the Wild is a Web feature of the Wildlife Conservation Society, a
nonprofit organization working to conserve "wildlife and wild places by
working on all fronts through its international conservation programs,
living institutions, and pioneering environmental education programs." This
Web site presents a new, comprehensive map of the human footprint, or
"patterns of human influence across the land's surface." Recently published
in Bioscience, the study reveals that human beings "directly influence more
than three quarters of the earth's landmass," a finding that should serve as
a "wake-up call" for making a concerted effort to find sustainable ways to
use our natural resources. While this Web site may appeal more to those who
take an academic interest in conservation issues, it also provide the casual
visitor with a sound introduction to these global problems. [RS]
>From The NSDL Scout Report for the Life Sciences, Copyright Internet Sc
ut
Project 1994-2002. http://scout.wisc.edu/
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 15:50:49 -0500
From: David Inouye <di5@umail.umd.edu>
Subject: Life at Hydrothermal Vents
25. Life at Hydrothermal Vents
1. Into the Abyss [.avi, QuickTime, RealPlayer, Vivo]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/abyss/
2. Explore Life at a Hydrothermal Vent [QuickTime]
http://earthsci.terc.edu/content/visualizations/es2302/es2302page01.cfm?chap
er_no=visualization
3. Ocean AdVENTure
http://www.thinkquest.org/library/lib/site_sum_outside.html?tname=18828&url=
8828/
4. Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents
http://www.ocean.washington.edu/people/grads/scottv/exploraquarium/vent/intr
.htm
5. Dive and Discover
http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/
6. Introduction to the Pogonophora
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/annelida/pogonophora.html
7. Creature Features [QuickTime]
http://www.ocean.udel.edu/deepsea/level-1/creature/creature.html
8. Gardens of Eden [RealPlayer]
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/gergen/june97/broad_6-10.html
The first Web site is a NOVA Online Adventure from PBS (1). Into the Abyss
decribes the "pitch darkness, poison gas, heavy metals, extreme acidity, and
enormous pressure" found at hydrothermal vents, and offers a look at bizarre
and fascinating creatures found in this environment. The next Web site from
Exploring Earth, an online earth sciences text book, contains video clips
taken during research expeditions along the Juan de Fuca Ridge (2). Ocean
AdVENTure, a ThinkQuest Web site, offers a comprehensive and well-designed
introduction to hydothermal vents from research tools to fauna to unsolved
mysteries and more (3). Visitors can choose their own scientific adVENTure
to explore hydrothermal vents in this interactive feature from the
University of Washington School of Oceonagraphy Exploraquarium (4). Dive and
Discover is "an interactive distance learning Web site designed to immerse
you in the excitement of discovery and exploration of the deep seafloor."
This Web site (5) extends a virtual invitation to join scientists aboard
research cruises to the depth of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, providing
daily logs, video, and other features for each expedition. The next Web site
from the University of California-Berkeley offer a closer look at the
"strange tube-dwelling worm" phylum found only near hydrothermal vents (6).
Creature Features, provided by the University of Delaware Graduate College
of Marine Science, contains descriptions and video clips of tubeworms, vent
crabs, Pompeii crabs, and ancient bacteria found at deep sea vents (7). The
last Web site (8) is a transcript of a June 1997 PBS NewsHour interview with
science writer William Broad. Broad discusses his book The Universe Below:
Discovering the Secrets of the Deep Sea, and relates the exciting
opportunities for scientific exploration of the sea floor made possible by
the end of the Cold War. [RS]
>From The NSDL Scout Report for the Life Sciences, Copyright Internet Sc
ut
Project 1994-2002. http://scout.wisc.edu/
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 13:36:13 -0500
From: Qing-Lai Dang <Qinglaidang@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: three faculty positions in forestry
LAKEHEAD U N I V E R S I T Y
Faculty of Forestry and the Forest Environment
Lakehead University invites applications for up to 3 tenure track=20
positions in 1) Sustainable Forest Management, 2) Growth and=20
Yield/Forest Economics and 3) Wood Science and Technology. Successful=20
candidates will be expected to teach, to initiate vigorous, externally-
funded research programs, and to work with graduate students. For more=20
information visit our website at
www.lakeheadforestry.ca
Preferred starting date is 1 August 2003 and is subject to budgetary=20
approval. Applicants should submit in writing a curriculum vitae, a=20
research plan and the names and addresses of three referees to: Dr. R.=20
Pulkki, Dean of Forestry and the Forest Environment, Lakehead=20
University, 955 Oliver Road, THUNDER BAY, ON P7E 5E1, CANADA. Review=20
of applications will begin on December 15, 2002. All qualified=20
candidates are encouraged to apply, however Canadians and permanent=20
residents will be given priority.
Kenneth M. Brown, Professor
Faculty of Forestry and the Forest Environment
Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON Canada
807/343-8114 (voice)
807/343-8116 (fax)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 16:53:22 -0500
From: "Russell L. Burke" <Russell.L.Burke@HOFSTRA.EDU>
Subject: Kuchler's potential vegetation map
does anyone know where I can find an online version (or at least down-loadab
e) version of Online version of Küchler's potential vegetation map?
Dr. Russell Burke
Department of Biology
114 Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY 11549
voice: (516) 463-5521
fax: 516-463-5112
http://www.people.hofstra.edu/faculty/russell_l_burke/
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 20:32:39 -0200
From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Osmar_Luiz_J=FAnior?= <osmarluizjr@IG.COM.BR>
Subject: ENSO effects in Atlantic currents
Dear All,
The effects of ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) are very well defined and
documented in the Ocean Pacific currents, with changes of temperature,
velocity and even directions. This have a strong influence in the dispersion
and distribution of Pacific marine organisms.
In a analysis of the distribution of the Tropical Atlantic reef fishes, I
found myself completely puzzled by "non-logical" occurences. So I need to
check if the Atlantic currents are subject of similar changes in ENSO
events.
Every comments or information regarding this are welcome.
All the best,
Osmar Luiz Júnior
Projeto Peixes Recifais
(Brazilian Reef Fish Project)
Brazil
www.peixesrecifais.cjb.net
osmarluizjr@ig.com.br
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End of ECOLOG-L Digest - 14 Nov 2002 to 15 Nov 2002 (#2002-291)
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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