Subject: ECOLOG-L Digest - 30 Jun 2003 to 1 Jul 2003 (#2003-167)
There are 5 messages totalling 474 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. News Feature: Debating A Hot-spot Approach To Conservation
2. Invasive Species Symposium, October 14-16, 2003, Sacramento, CA
3. Assistant Biologist Position
4. Fundraising volunteers needed for wildlife research in Peruvian Amazon
5. Fw: [NIEHS-NewsList] NTP UPDATE: Vacancy for Senior Tenured Investigato
in Toxicology
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Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 21:23:13 -0700
From: Ashwani Vasishth <vasishth@USC.EDU>
Subject: News Feature: Debating A Hot-spot Approach To Conservation
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/01/science/earth/01COLD.html
New York Times:
July 1, 2003
Few Habitats, Many Species and a Debate on Preservation
By JON CHRISTENSEN
Conservationists call them hot spots - habitats that cover just 1.4
percent of the earth's land surface but are so rich in biological
diversity that preserving them could keep an astonishing number of plant
and animal species off the endangered list.
Since 1988, when Dr. Norman Myers and his colleagues began describing
these hot spots in a series of scientific papers and arguing for their
protection, they have become a focus of worldwide conservation efforts.
Private organizations and government agencies, including the World Bank,
have made preserving 25 such ecological arks - from the Atlantic rain
forest of Brazil to the semiarid Karoo region of South Africa - a top
priority for financing and protective legislation.
But a growing chorus of scientists is warning that directing conservation
funds to hot spots may be a recipe for major losses in the future. Just as
an investor should maintain a balanced portfolio, the scientists argue,
conservationists should avoid putting all of their eggs in one basket.
Hot spots are top performers in one dimension, these scientists say: the
number of unique species that live in them. Of species that live on land,
nearly half of all plants and more than a third of all animals are found
only in the hot spots. But they do not include many rare species and major
animal groups that live in less biologically rich regions ("cold spots").
And the hot-spot concept does not factor in the importance of some
ecosystems to human beings, the scientists argue. Wetlands, for example,
contain just a few species of plants, but they perform valuable service by
filtering water, regulating floods and serving as nurseries for fish.
This debate has been simmering quietly among biologists for years. But it
is coming to a boil now with the publication of an article in the current
issue of American Scientist arguing that "calls to direct conservation
funding to the world's biodiversity hot spots may be bad investment
advice."
"The hot-spot concept has grown so popular in recent years within the
larger conservation community that it now risks eclipsing all other
approaches," write the authors of the paper, Dr. Michelle Marvier, a
professor of biology at Santa Clara University, and Dr. Peter Kareiva, an
associate at the university and a scientist with the Nature Conservancy, a
group that has increasingly focused on hot spots.
"The officers and directors of all too many foundations, nongovernmental
organizations and international agencies have been seduced by the
simplicity of the hot spot idea," they go on. "We worry that the initially
appealing idea of getting the most species per unit area is, in fact, a
thoroughly misleading strategy."
Other prominent ecologists have grown critical of hot spots. "Focusing all
of our attention on hot spots is just nuts," said Dr. Paul Ehrlich,
president of the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford University.
"The hot-spot approach was a good one when it was proposed by Myers way
back when," Dr. Ehrlich said. "It attracted important attention to the
distribution of species diversity. Now it's clear that saving a few
percent of the earth's surface to preserve species will not accomplish
what needs to be accomplished."
Even if people succeeded in preserving a single viable population of every
species on earth, he said, the human race would die out unless it managed
to protect the ecosystems that support broader populations of plants,
animals and people too.
"One has to balance the necessary attempts to preserve species diversity
with what may be much more important," he said of "the preserving of
population diversity and in the process the preserving of ecosystem
services."
But hot spots have their ardent defenders, notably Dr. Myers, a fellow at
Oxford University, and Dr. Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation
International, a nonprofit organization that has made hot spots the
centerpiece of its global strategy.
Dr. Mittermeier says hot spots have been successful at attracting
attention and financing for conservation in tropical countries. "And that
has been good," he said. "No one is suggesting that one invest solely in
hot spots, but if you want to avoid extinctions, you have to invest in
them."
By definition, hot spots contain many species that exist nowhere else on
earth and that are under threat because more than 70 percent of their
habitat has been destroyed. Conservation International is still working on
expanding the hot spots list, Dr. Mittermeier said, with 10 new ones to be
announced later this year.
And the organization puts a high priority on protecting five vast
wilderness areas that have many unique species and are still relatively
intact. They include the world's largest tropical rain forests, the
Amazon, the Congo forests of central Africa and the island of New Guinea,
as well as the Miombo-Mopane grasslands and woodlands of southern Africa,
and the deserts of northern Mexico and the American Southwest. These areas
still have more than 75 percent of their natural habitat and fewer than 13
people per square mile, said Dr. Mittermeier, but they will become hot
spots if they are not protected,
Dr. Myers said that since he wrote his first paper on hot spots, $750
million had been committed to protecting them, including a $261 million
donation to Conservation International from the Gordon and Betty Moore
Foundation, the largest single gift ever to an environmental organization.
Still, he said, the hot spots need more attention and more money - "a lot
more," he said.
Dr. Agnes Kiss, an environment specialist with the World Bank,
acknowledges that when it comes to spending money on conservation, hot
spots loom large. "Put it this way," she said. "When we're trying to
justify a project, if it's a hot spot, basically it's a shoo-in."
The World Bank and its Global Environment Facility, which makes grants in
addition to the bank's traditional loans, is halfway through a five-year
$125 million Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund to invest in protecting
hot spots, along with the MacArthur Foundation, the Japanese government
and Conservation International.
Still, Dr. Kiss said, the bank also takes other factors into account,
including the commitment of governments and local communities to preserve
biodiversity and their track records with previous projects.
In a world where funds are limited, that is just the kind of approach that
is needed, Dr. Marvier and Dr. Kareiva assert in their American Scientist
article. In a coming paper in Ecology Letters, written with their student
at Santa Clara University, Casey O'Connor, they propose a "return on
investment" model to determine which countries provide the best
opportunities for preserving biodiversity. Their analysis compares the
feasibility and cost-effectiveness of conservation efforts in different
countries, alongside biological diversity and the threat of habitat
destruction.
When factors like the costs of doing business, the reliability of
governments and pressure from population growth are taken into account,
they write, some countries on Conservation International's list of the 17
most "megadiverse" countries - Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, and
Venezuela, for example - drop off the priority list. And some other
countries not found on the list emerge as priorities, including Argentina,
Bangladesh, Mozambique and Vietnam.
Still others appear on every list, no matter which priority-setting model
is used: China, India, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea and South Africa.
Dr. Marvier and Dr. Kareiva say the largest conservation organizations -
the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation
International - have many offices concentrated in countries with hot
spots, but are understaffed in countries with vast biological resources,
like Argentina and Russia.
Since no one strategy is enough, they argue, conservationists need a way
to make explicit trade-offs. Preserving 1,000 species in a "cold spot"
like Montana, they argue, would be more important than preserving 1,000
species in a hot spot like Ecuador because in Montana 1,000 species
represents a third of the total, while in Ecuador it represents just 5
percent.
"Conservationists widely accept the need for some sort of triage," they
argue, "whereby limited funds go to places where the greatest good can be
done."
Dr. Kareiva acknowledged that there would never be one magic equation
everyone would accept. "But we can all get more sophisticated by focusing
on different variables," he said. Biological diversity, he said, "should
be one variable in the equation; it shouldn't be the end-all or be-all."
Dr. Kiss, the World Bank environmental specialist, agreed. "The basic
principle that biology isn't everything is quite sound," she said. But Dr.
Mittermeier of Conservation International worries that focusing on "return
on investment" could lead to bad decisions in the long run. Colombia, for
example, demands conservationists' attention despite the uncertainties
raised by its guerrilla war, he said, adding, "If a country is rich in
diversity it's very dangerous to write it off because of temporary
difficulties."
Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, president of the H. John Heinz Center for Science,
Economics and the Environment in Washington, called the debate "useful,
but somewhat academic."
"The real issue here is not the sort of fine-tuning of what is the best
way to set priorities from organization to organization. It's about
changing the scale of the funding," he said. "In the real world, there is
a real need for a diversity of approaches in the field of conservation."
Hot-spots research "highlighted that there are certain places where the
fire engines ought to go right away," Dr. Lovejoy said, "whereas other
places under less pressure can wait a few years, if you have to do them in
sequence."
"But you'd better not wait too long," he added.
* * *
Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 21:09:29 -1000
From: Bill Standley <standleyb@WILDLIFER.COM>
Subject: Invasive Species Symposium, October 14-16, 2003, Sacramento, CA
Accidental and Purposeful Introductions of Animals:
Investigating Species Interactions at Different Trophic Levels
Sponsored by the Western Section of The Wildlife Society
October 14-16, 2003
Radisson Hotel
Sacramento, California
This symposium will examine both intended (purposeful) and unintended
(accidental) animal invasions in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Introduced vertebrate species and their interactions with native animal and
plant species will be the central theme of the symposium. Animal invaders
can have roles as competitors, predators, herbivores, and granivores. In
turn, the distribution, abundance, and population dynamics of the invader
can be affected by these same relationships, as well as by changes in
habitat structure from invasive plants. Outcomes of these interactions are
often considered harmful; others are considered acceptable or, in some
cases, even beneficial.
Not only do introductions have ecological implications, they are further
complicated by sociological, political, economic, and cultural influences.
Although many animal introductions are accidental, some introductions are
deliberate. Purposeful introductions that are done as part of commonly
accepted land- and resource-management programs are ongoing in most parts of
the world. This symposium will examine both types of introductions from
ecological, conservation, and policy perspectives, with views encouraged
from areas throughout the world.
Presentations will address invasive-species characteristics, invaded
communities, invader impacts, and positive and negative outcomes of control
programs in sequential, rather than breakout, sessions. Because of the
nature of the sequential sessions, only a limited number of oral
presentations will be accommodated.
Contributed posters will be an essential part of the program. A special
evening poster session and reception with authors present will allow plenty
of extended discussion among conference participants. Symposium proceedings
will be published and distributed to all registrants.
More information, including an online registration form is on the
Meetings/Workshops page of the web site for the Western Section of The
Wildlife Society at http://www.tws-west.org.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2003 12:55:17 EDT
From: BighrnInst@AOL.COM
Subject: Assistant Biologist Position
Assistant Biologist Position
Bighorn Institute, Palm Desert, CA
Bighorn Institute (www.BighornInstitute.org) is a non-profit research and
conservation organization established in 1982, and located in Palm Desert, C
.
Our research is focused on the recovery of Peninsular bighorn sheep, which w
re
federally listed as endangered in 1998. We maintain a captive breeding herd
of Peninsular bighorn for population augmentation and conduct ongoing field
studies of free-ranging bighorn.
JOB DESCRIPTION: A hardworking, dedicated individual with excellent writing
and computer skills and an interest in field work is needed immediately to
fill the position of assistant biologist. The position is full time permane
t
and will be approximately 50% office work and 50% field work. Responsibiliti
s
would include, but not be limited to frequent letter writing, data entry,
writing grant proposals and reports, writing newsletter articles, correspond
nce
with members, general public, and resource agencies, tracking radiocollared
bighorn via foot and fixed wing aircraft, and caring for the captive herd.
Cleaning and some maintenance work are expected.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: B.S. or B.A. in biological sciences or related field.
Excellent writing skills and proficiency with Word, Excel, and Access are
required. The successful applicant must be in good physical condition and be
able
to hike in a harsh desert environment where summer temperatures frequently
exceed 110 F. Previous telemetry experience is a plus. Applicant must be
willing to work long hours and perform a wide variety of tasks. A positive
ttitude
and the ability to work independently as well as in team situations are
essential.
SALARY: Starting salary $ 2,000 per month or commensurate with experience.
Minimum hours 6 am - 5:00 pm 5 days/week. Weekend work is expected. Benefi
s
include single individual housing, health insurance after 6 months, 1 week
paid vacation after 1 year, and a retirement plan at 2 years.
CLOSING DATE: July 31, 2003
APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Mail or fax a cover letter, resume, list of 3
references (address and phone number), transcripts and a scientific writing
ample
(i.e., an excerpt from a college term paper, no longer than 10 pages) to: J
m
DeForge, Executive Director, Bighorn Institute P.O. Box 262, Palm Desert, CA
92261. Fax: (760) 340-3987. No phone calls or emails please. Applicants
available to begin work in August will be considered. Selected applicants w
ll
be contacted for a phone interview followed by a personal interview for fina
candidates.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2003 13:57:52 -0400
From: Alan Lee <faunaforever@YAHOO.CO.UK>
Subject: Fundraising volunteers needed for wildlife research in Peruvian Ama
on
Dear All
Project Fauna Forever is looking for applicants to help us out with the
first phase of our research into the impacts of tourism on wildlife at 5 of
the lodges in the Peruvian Amazon. The first 3 month phase commences on
November 4, 2003. Applicants will have a chance to visit some of the most
exclusive lodges along the Tambopata and see the world famous Macaw Clay
Lick at the Tambopata Research Center.
For more information please visit our website www.faunaforever.com
Regards,
Alan Lee
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2003 19:40:53 -0400
From: Karen Claxon <kclaxon@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Fw: [NIEHS-NewsList] NTP UPDATE: Vacancy for Senior Tenured
Investigator in Toxicology
----- Original Message -----
From: "NIEHS OCPL Announcements" <ocpl-announce@niehs.nih.gov>
To: "NIEHS % NIEHS - All (Restricted)" <all-niehs@niehs.nih.gov>; "NIE
S
News List (E-mail)" <niehs-newslist@list.niehs.nih.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2003 2:38 PM
Subject: [NIEHS-NewsList] NTP UPDATE: Vacancy for Senior Tenured
Investigator in Toxicology
*********************************************************************
NIEHS News List email is a service of
the Office of Communications and Public Liaison at the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
*********************************************************************
Dear Colleague,
The Environmental Toxicology Program (ETP) of the NIEHS is expanding its
research efforts in toxicology over the next few years. These research
activities are critical to the continuing development and scientific
integrity of the National Toxicology Program (NTP). I would like to
bring to your attention a new position being recruited within the ETP
for a senior research toxicologist. Please circulate this announcement
as widely as possible; the future of the ETP and the NTP depend upon the
recruitment of the best possible candidates for every senior level
position and the more individuals that view this announcement, the
greater our chances of attracting the best possible candidate to this
job. Thank you for your help with this issue.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christopher J. Portier
Director, ETP
Associate Director, NTP
Senior Tenured Investigator Opportunities
(HNV03-26) Tenured Research Toxicologist
Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina. The National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences (NIEHS) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov) seeks a senior tenured
investigator to direct research in Toxicology within the Environmental
Toxicology
Program, Division of Intramural Research. The supervisor will be Dr.
Christopher Portier, Director of the Environmental Toxicology Program.
The Challenge:
* Develop and maintain a strong intramural research effort in
toxicology, particularly as it relates to defining critical target
pathways, genes and cellular/molecular mechanisms of target organ
responses to environmental factors. Applications in the area of
developmental toxicology are particularly sought, although qualified
individuals in any area of toxicological research are encouraged to
apply.
* Provide programmatic leadership and council to the initiatives of the
Environmental Toxicology and the National Toxicology Program in the
candidate's area of expertise.
The Candidate should be a senior investigator with an international
reputation for cutting edge research within the broad context of
toxicology. The successful candidate will have an outstanding
publications record, a proven history of research leadership and
demonstration of knowledge of toxicology and human health issues.
Candidates must have an M.D., Ph.D. or equivalent degree in an
environmental health science discipline. Excellent research support will
be available. Salary is commensurate with experience and level of
accomplishments. A relocation bonus of up to 25% of base pay may also be
available. For additional information, contact Dr. John Pritchard at
(919) 541-4054. Applications from women and minorities are particularly
welcome. Applicants should submit curriculum vitae, a plan for a future
research program, and arrange for three letters of recommendation to be
sent and postmarked by July 31, 2003, to:
Ms. Tammy Locklear (HNV03-26)
Human Resources Operations Branch E (NIEHS)
Office of Human Resources, OD, NIH, DHHS
P.O. Box 12233, Maildrop NH-01
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
919-541-3317 e-mail: locklea1@niehs.nih.gov
HHS and NIH are Equal Opportunity Employers
*********************************************
The NTP list-serve is a service of the NTP Offices of Liaison &
Scientific
Review and NTP's Central Data Management.
For general information or unsubscribing from the NTP News List, please
see:
http://list.niehs.nih.gov/mailman/listinfo/ntpmail
For new subscribers and to see other NTP information, visit the NTP Home
Page
http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov
*********************************************************************
For general information or subscribing/unsubscribing from
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http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/newseven.htm
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------------------------------
End of ECOLOG-L Digest - 30 Jun 2003 to 1 Jul 2003 (#2003-167)
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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