Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #40 January 2011 1
BES Tropical Ecology Group BESTEG News Upcoming Events! TEG Early Career Researcher Meeting 26-28 April: • BES Annual Symposium, Forests & Global Change Abstract Submission and Registration, now OPEN! • Kew Tropical Plant ID Registration is now open for the 5th ECRM in Newcastle University, 26-28 Course 2011. April 2011. PhD students and post-docs can present their work in a relaxed, informal environment. Senior researchers are also encouraged to attend. • ATBC 2011: Tanzania Key-note speakers: Professor Georgina Mace, Professor Nick Polunin, and Dr • GTO: German Tropical Toby Gardner. Ecology meeting 2011 Please check the TEG website for abstract details and registration form.
Contact: BES Annual Symposium: Forests & Global Change 28-30 March • website
• email An international conference of temperate and tropical forest ecologists, pro- viding an opportunity to integrate perspectives on the changing nature of forests across biomes. The conference will address emerging themes in forest In this issue: ecology based on new data from spatially dispersed permanent plot networks, fully mapped stands and satellite imagery. As well as plenary sessions featur- • BESTEG News ing keynote speakers there will be opportunities for contributed talks and • New Book posters. Abstract submission is now OPEN. (See link to the left). • PostDoc: Global Ecology • NYT Blog BES Annual Symposium: TEG Mixer - Ed Yong! • PhD Studentships • Field tech: stream ecology Ed Yong will be speaking at the TEG/FEG Mixer event on Tuesday 29th • NIMBios proposals March. Ed is an award-winning British science writer. His work has ap- peared in New Scientist, the Times, WIRED, the Guardian, Nature, the Daily • J Torrey Bot Soc Telegraph, the Economist and more. His ‘Not Exactly Rocket Science’ blog • Spectral database is his attempt to talk about the awe-inspiring, beautiful and quirky world of • Field Assistant: Peru science to as many people as possible All TEG, FEG and conference delegates are welcome. 29 March, 18.00 @ Caius College. Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #40 January 2011 2
Tropical Rain Forests, 2nd Ed
The second edition of Richard’s Corlett and Primack rain- forest book is finally out! All new colour photographs and heavily revised text, with a whole new chapter on island rain forests. The paperback edition is cheapest, by far, from Amazon UK.
Post-doc: Carnegie Institution, Department of Global Ecology
The Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institu- tion for Science (http://dge.ciw.edu) seeks post- doc- toral research applicants with expertise in applied sa- vanna biogeochemistry, ecology, or biodiversity science. The applicant will work primarily with regional ecolog- ical data produced by the Carnegie Airborne Observa- tory (http://cao.ciw.edu) for the Kruger National Park in South Africa, along with field and satellite data. Addi- tional research opportunities in South Africa and Mada- gascar may be available as well. Applicants must demon- strate a working knowledge of savanna ecosystems, and preference wil be given to individuals with added expe- rience in the use of remote sensing data for applied eco- logical research. The successful applicant will be based in the Department of Global Ecology, located at 260 Panama 3 PhD studentships with Will Gosling Street on the campus of Stanford University. Applicants should send a letter of interest and curriculum vita to Dr. 1) CASE studentship supported by the Natural History Greg Asner at [email protected] no later than March 1, Museum (London) 2011. Applications will be reviewed until a candidate is Quantifying late-glacial and Holocene climate change in selected. the Peruvian Andes using chironomids
• Will produce first chironomid-based temperature inference model for Neotropics New York Times ‘Scientist at Work’ Blog • Chironomid-inferred temperatures for two sites will be compared with existing pollen-based inferences • Compare leads and lags in response to climate be- tween chironomids and vegetation This blog is the modern version of a field journal, a place for reports on the daily progress of scientific expeditions - Supervisors: William Gosling, Angela Coe and Steve adventures, misadventures, discoveries. As with the expedi- Brooks (Natural History Museum) tions themselves, you never know what you will find. Are there scientists you would like to see write about their 2) NERC departmental studentship field work? Are you a researcher interested in writing about your own field work? Send an e-mail to scientis- Past environmental change in the Amazon basin [email protected]. If you are nominating yourself, please include a description of your field work and sam- • Work on some of the oldest Quaternary sediments ples of your writing and photographs. recovered from Amazonia. Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #40 January 2011 3
• Gain experience of fossil and geochemical methods Research technicians will be required to spend a mini- of reconstructing past environmental change. mum of 3-months in Trinidad, with possibility of exten- sion for an entire year. Starting dates are flexible, starting • Apply Ar-Ar methods to obtain radiometric dates. as early as March 2011. Successful applicants will earn a stipend of $500/month and have their travel expenses, Supervisors: William Gosling, Sarah Sherlock and Vince accommodation, per diem and insurance covered. Gauci Applicants should send cover letter, CV and the names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of three or more 3) NERC departmental studentship professional references to Andrés López-Sepulcre (an- [email protected]), David Reznick ([email protected]) and The origins of subtropical forest biodiversity and its link Connor Fitzpatrick (crfi[email protected]). At least two to global palaeoclimate change during the Miocene of the references should be academics.
• Fieldwork in California USA Support Available for Activities at • Study of a major change in biodiversity and its link the National Institute for to palaeoclimatic change Mathematical and Biological Synthesis • Training in palynology and in measuring palaeoen- vironmental proxies *March 1, 2011* is the deadline for requests for NIM- BioS support for Working Groups, Investigative Work- Supervisors: Angela L. Coe, William Gosling and Anthony shops, Postdoctoral Fellows, Sabbaticals, and Short-term S. Cohen Visitors for activities beginning summer/fall 2011. All ar- For further details please visit the labora- eas of research at the interface of biology and mathemat- tory (http://www.open.ac.uk/science/earthsciences/ ics will be considered, but we are especially interested palaeo/p7.shtml) or departmental (http://www.open.ac. in activities expanding beyond the areas of research sup- uk/science/earthsciences/opportunities/studentships/ ported to date. Potential organizers of activities in areas studentships.php) web pages. of molecular biology, cell biology, network biology, im- munology and systems biology are particularly encour- aged to submit requests for support of Working Groups Field technician position in tropical or Investigative Workshops. NIMBioS, located at the Uni- stream evolutionary ecology versity of Tennessee-Knoxville, is an NSF-sponsored ini- tiative to foster interdisciplinary research at the interface between mathematical and biological sciences. The insti- Research interns are needed to assist in a multi- tute’s mission is to cultivate cross-disciplinary approaches disciplinary, multi-investigator, experimental study ecol- in mathematical biology and to develop a cadre of re- ogy and evolution in Trinidad. The research is led by searchers who address fundamental and applied biologi- professor David Reznick at the University of California cal problems in creative ways. Other NIMBIoS sponsors and funded by the Frontiers for Integrative Biological Re- include DHS and USDA, with additional support from search program of the National Science Foundation. We the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. More details are seek to integrate multiple biological fields for the study posted at http://www.nimbios.org of the interactions between ecological and evolutionary processes in Trinidadian streams. Duties of the position *Related Links:* NIMBioS Working Groups include assisting in monthly censuses of fish populations http://www.nimbios.org/workinggroups/ NIMBioS In- (guppies) in montane streams. The monthly censuses in- vestigative Workshops http://www.nimbios.org/workshops/ clude long hours of laboratory time. Qualifications: Re- Postdoctoral Fellowships http://www.nimbios.org/postdocs/ search will take place in semi-remote areas of Trinidad Sabbaticals http://www.nimbios.org/visitors/sabbatical sometimes under bad weather conditions. Applicants Short-term Visits http://www.nimbios.org/visitors/ must be able to live and work well with others. Research will also involve carrying heavy packs over slippery and steep terrain. Applicants must be in good physical con- Call for papers: J Torrey Bot Soc dition and be able to meet the demands of field research under these conditions. Ability to drive a standard trans- The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society is now ac- mission vehicle is desirable but not required. Applicants cepting manuscripts for 2011. This is the oldest botan- with first-aid/first responder training, skills in automobile ical journal in the Americas and has been in continu- maintenance, and construction skills are highly desirable. ous publication since 1870. The primary goal of the Please address these skills when applying. journal is the dissemination of knowledge in all areas Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #40 January 2011 4 of organismic botany with a geographic emphasis on Project: we study the leaf dynamics (phenology) and the Western hemisphere. A broad range of manuscripts spectral and morphological characteristics in leaves of are permitted including empirical and theoretical stud- different ages of Amazonian canopy trees. This, in or- ies, as well as review papers, in most areas of plant bi- der to investigate the influence that age-related vari- ology, especially plant ecology (as it relates to ECOLOG). ation in the spectral reflectance properties of leaves There is NO charge for publication in the journal. Color may have on an apparent "greenness signal" (expressed plates are available at a reasonable cost. All papers through vegetation indices such as NDVI or EVI or are rigorously peer-reviewed. The journal is abstracted vegetation index based Leaf Area Index estimates) re- and indexed by most major services. Electronic is- cently reported by remote sensing studies in the Ama- sues are available worldwide through BioOne and JS- zon basin. This is a PhD research project supervised TOR. Authors can submit and track manuscripts using by Prof. Yadvinder Mahli (Environmental Change In- the online manuscript tracking and peer review system: stitute, University of Oxford) and Dr France Gerard http://www.edmgr.com/torrey/. (Earth Observation (EO) team, Centre for Ecology & Additional information can be found at: http://www.torr Hydrology in Wallingford). The volunteers will be work- eybotanical.org/. Please contact the Editor if you have ing with their doctoral student Cecilia Chavana-Bryant any questions: [email protected]. (www.eci.ox.ac.uk/teaching/doctoral/chavanabryantcecilia.php). Location: fieldwork will be conducted in Southeastern Peru at the Explorer’s Inn Amazon lodge & research sta- Spectral reflectance database for tion. The station is located at the confluence of the La flowers Torre and Tambopata rivers, 60 km upriver from Puerto Maldonado. It is nestled within the 240,690ha Tam- What is FReD? FReD stands for the Floral REflectance bopata National Reserve - one of the most bio-diverse Database. It is a database containing the spectral re- ecosystems in the world - with world records in bird, but- flectances of many species of flower. A spectrophotome- terfly and dragonfly biodiversity. Within walking distance ter is used to acquire these measurements. This works by of the station, encounters with various monkey species shining a light on to the sample, and the proportion of and other mammals such as giant river otters, peccaries, light reflected back at the different wavelengths is mea- agoutis, anteaters, coatis, etc. are common. sured. Volunteers’ work: assisting in the collection of branches Is there a charge for accessing FReD? No. FReD is open- for leaf harvesting and top-of-canopy reflectance mea- access and free for anyone to use. surements. This will involve climbing and moving around the canopy of trees up to 60m tall, alongside Cecilia, and How is FReD put together? The FReD database is a carrying equipment to the top canopy of sampling trees MySQL database. The website brings you an interface using a pulley system. There will also be work on a 55m to access the database which was developed on PHP 5 tall flux tower. Lab work will involve careful harvesting with its GDLib. some JavaScript, bringing you the imple- of leaves to measure their reflectance and morphological mentation of AJAX for easier access to searches. properties (fresh and dry weight, thickness and area) and What are the hardware/software requirements to run data entry and processing. FReD? FReD has been extensively tested on Mozilla Fire- What kind of people are needed? These are great op- fox, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape through- portunities for motivated, hardworking and enthusiastic out its development and is fully compatible with these. botany/ecology/environmental/geography students be- Opera and Safari users will experience problems with the fore starting an MSc or PhD project. Applicants must be hexSearch facility. in good physical condition (i.e., capable of walking over uneven ground while carrying climbing equipment, capa- Volunteer Field Assistants: Peru ble of climbing 60m tall trees, and capable of lifting the necessary equipment to top of trees); not to be afraid of Volunteers needed as field assistants for the project: heights (!); have an excellent eye for detail, be organised and able to carry out repetitive work in the lab with qual- Relationships between leaf life-cycle and canopy shadow ity and consistency; be able to work independently and patterns on Earth Observation-derived vegetation indices in in a small team; be able to maintain a positive and hu- Amazonian rainforests morous attitude towards challenging work; an ability to Opportunity: we have 2 positions from mid April to Oc- speak Spanish and a full driving license would be an ad- tober 2011. We prefer applicants that stay for the entire vantage. Although the work can be physically demand- 6.5 months period. However, in the case of more than ing, working in the rainforest canopy offers a beautiful two very good applicants (and only in this case!), a split and unique perspective of the most biodiverse environ- into two times three months is possible. In your applica- ment found on Earth. tion please state the maximum time period you can stay. Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #40 January 2011 5
Applications from experienced tree climbers and tropical To apply: candidates should email a brief cover letter out- field workers are particularly welcome. Applicants with lining their interests, experience, and why they wish to no climbing experience must have a keen interest and undertake work on this project. They should attach a willingness to learn to climb, in which case full training CV that includes email contact details of two academic will be provided. We provide housing & food, field equip- references. Applications must be received by the 20th ment, insurance, work permits and local transport. February 2011 at the following email: cecilia.chavana- [email protected]. Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #42 February 2011 1
BES Tropical Ecology Group BESTEG News Upcoming Events! TEG Early Career Researcher Meeting 26-28 April: • BESTEG ECRM Newcastle 2011 Abstract Submission and Registration, now OPEN! • BES Annual Symposium, Registration is now open for the 5th ECRM in Newcastle University, 26-28 Forests & Global Change April 2011. PhD students and post-docs can present their work in a relaxed, informal environment. Senior researchers are also encouraged to attend. • Kew Tropical Plant ID Course 2011. Key-note speakers: Professor Georgina Mace, Professor Nick Polunin, and Dr Toby Gardner. • ATBC 2011: Tanzania Please check here for abstract details and registration form.
Contact: BES Annual Symposium: Forests & Global Change 28-30 March • website
• email An international conference of temperate and tropical forest ecologists, pro- viding an opportunity to integrate perspectives on the changing nature of forests across biomes. The conference will address emerging themes in forest In this issue: ecology based on new data from spatially dispersed permanent plot networks, fully mapped stands and satellite imagery. As well as plenary sessions featur- • BESTEG News ing keynote speakers there will be opportunities for contributed talks and • PhD: African carbon posters. Abstract submission is now closed. (See link to the left). • Peat forests, Brunei • OTS Professor BES Annual Symposium: TEG Mixer - Ed Yong! • Free book • Madagascar study abroad Ed Yong will be speaking at the TEG/FEG Mixer event on Tuesday 29th • ICAN March. Ed is an award-winning British science writer. His work has ap- peared in New Scientist, the Times, WIRED, the Guardian, Nature, the Daily • Neotropical herpetology Telegraph, the Economist and more. His ‘Not Exactly Rocket Science’ blog course, Panama is his attempt to talk about the awe-inspiring, beautiful and quirky world of • GRANT: Fr, Guyana science to as many people as possible All TEG, FEG and conference delegates • Conservation Scientist, The are welcome. 29 March, 18.00 @ Caius College. Field Museum • PhD: U. Florida • Bird banding Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #42 February 2011 2
PhD: Quantifying and understanding Congo. tropical peatland spatial distribution The successful candidate will have some combination of and carbon storage in Central Africa a background in soil science, ecology, or earth observa- tion, speak some French and will be motivated to pur- Supervisors: Dr Simon Lewis, Dr Ian Lawson, Prof Andy sue a career in research or conservation. They we also Baird (University of Leeds), Dr Susan Page (University of be enthusiastic about extensive fieldwork in remote and Leicester) challenging locations. Start date: 1 October 2011 WCS-Congo will provide support including office space and other facilities in Congo-Brazzaville. Additionally Deadline for applications: 31 March 2011 they will provide access to field sites, assistance in the Largely anecdotal evidence suggests that sub-Saharan assessment of remote sensing data, training in expedi- Africa may contain large areas of peatlands, several times tion management and execution, and will expose the stu- the extent of those in the UK, with peat thickness reports dent to practical science-based conservation management of 30-60 m in the Congo Basin. If correct, this indicates in Central Africa. The UK-based supervisors and WCS- that these areas, on a per area basis, are some of the Congo will ensure that the project outputs include not world’s densest carbon stores. Discovering and quanti- only world-class science but also have specific manage- fying the carbon stored in such peatlands, and the en- ment relevance. vironmental controls on their extent and distribution, is The student will benefit from five supervisors, three at therefore critical to (1) improving our understanding of Leeds, specialising in African carbon dynamics (Lewis), carbon cycling in Africa, the least well-understood conti- peat ecology (Lawson, Baird), African landscape manage- nent from this perspective, (2) modelling future climate ment (CASE Partner Telfer), and tropical peatlands (Page, change impacts and (3) managing this resource. In ad- University of Leicester), who collectively are the authors dition, the description of previously unknown and/or un- of over 150 papers, including seven in Science/Nature. quantified peat deposits may provide direct benefits for The project provides an excellent package of student Central African governments and local people in the form training, incorporating elements of field, laboratory and of access to payments to reduce carbon emissions from modelling work, enabling the development of a broad land-use change. This has the potential to have a clear suite of technical skills in addition to practical conserva- societal impact in terms of alleviating poverty in one of tion management experience in Central Africa. The inter- the world’s most income-poor regions. disciplinary nature of this project will provide the student Therefore the project will describe, map and quantify with skills that will be of great value to their future scien- the peatlands and their carbon storage across the Repub- tific career. lic of Congo. The project has been developed with the Eligibility and How to Apply These awards are open to CASE partner Wildlife Conservation Society-Congo, the UK citizens or students having a "relevant connection largest conservation NGO in Congo, who monitor and co- with the UK" as outlined in the NERC student handbook manage, with the Congolese government, 2.8 million ha http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/studentships/. of forest and wetland habitat in Congo, which is likely It covers UK/EU fees for 3/3.5 years and an an- to include major peat deposits (storing 2.4 Pg C by one nual tax free maintenance stipend of approx ˇc14,590 recent estimate). The project enables possibly policy- pa. The project will start on 1st October 2011 framing research - as belowground carbon stores are cur- and applications should be submitted to the School rently not considered in most discussions of payments for by 31st March 2011. Shortlisted applicants will ecosystem services - that ordinarily WCS-Congo would be invited to interview mid April. Please sub- not have the expertise to undertake alone. mit a PhD application as outlined on our website The student will http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/study/phd/apply.html . When completing the online application form, ap- 1. utilise remote sensing products and local on-the- plicants should note that they do not need to com- ground knowledge to identify the most likely areas of plete a research proposal but should instead sub- peat accumulation mit a supporting statement either on the applica- 2. visit some of these in the field to discover how much tion form under section L or as a separate document peat exists and characterise the overlying vegetation http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/study/phd/topics.html 3. combine remotely sensed and field data to calculate " For application enquiries, please contact Jacqui Manton the carbon stored in the visited sites (Research Postgraduate Administrator, School of Geog- 4. utilise this data to prediction the local geographic con- raphy, University of Leeds) [email protected] " For ditions and environmental relationships that favour peat project related enquiries, please contact Dr Simon Lewis genesis and accumulation to then estimate the locations ([email protected]) and total carbon stored in WCS-managed areas across Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #42 February 2011 3
Position: Team leader for biometrics - Bilingual (Spanish/English). study in the peat forest of Brunei - Highly organized with ability to multi-task. Darussalam - Ability to work a flexible schedule. We invite applicants for a position supervising forest cen- - Exemplifies OTS’s core values. sus work in Southeast Asian peat forest. The goal is to set Anticipated Start Date: August 1, 2011 up a long-term forest plot to study the population dynam- ics of Shorea albida and the carbon balance of tropical a Application deadline: June 1, 2011 peat forest. The position will require intensive field work. Additional information available at
(ICTE)
Qualifications: Phd. in conservation-related field, trop- and a letter stating your interests, background, qualifi- ical scientist (biologist, ecologist, anthropologist) with cations and long-term goals to Dr. Stephanie Bohlman more than 5 years direct work experience with conser- (sbohlman@ufl.edu). vation issues in Latin America; superb written and spo- The assistantship will include an annual stipend, tuition ken Spanish and English skills; excellent leadership and and fees. coordination abilities; exceptional communication skills. Critical Skills: The successful candidate will be a strate- gic thinker and expert team builder with strong leader- Bird banding training courses in the ship skills; ease and agility in diverse social situations; Amazon facility working with local scientists and heads of institu- tions; superb listening and consensus-building skills; and Learn or further develop your mist-netting, bird banding, deep commitment to conservation. bird handling, bird ageing and Neotropical bird identifi- Apply for job here: http://www.bfound.net/detail.aspx? cation skills in one of the most exuberantly natural sur- jobId=94534&CoId=45&rq=2 roundings on Earth. The Asociacion Fauna Forever (AFF, http://faunaforever.org) PhD: graduate assistantship in and Center for Ornithology and Biodiversity (COR- BIDI, http://corbidi.org), two Peruvian not-for-profit tropical forest ecology conservation organisations, are proud to announce Graduate Research Assistantship in Tropical Forest Ecol- the next set of Bird Ringing Forever courses (BRF, ogy in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation http://birdringingforever.org) to be held in June and at the University of Florida. The M.S. or Ph.D. research November in the rainforests of Tambopata, Amazonian assistantship begins in August 2011. Peru. I am seeking a highly motivated, quantitatively skilled Course 1: 3rd - 11th Jun 2011 Course 2: 16th - 24th Nov graduate student to work on tropical forest ecology. I 2011 Course fee: US$1,000 per person study landscape patterns of species distribution, car- A limited number of scholarships, offering reductions of bon cycling and forest structure/dynamics using a com- 20-75course fee, are available to promising candidates bination of modeling, remote sensing and field data. from around the world. To apply, please send us (along I am looking for a graduate student who is inter- with your application form) a cover letter explaining your ested in one or more of these areas. My website interest in the scholarships, a copy of your Curriculum http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/faculty/Bohlman/index.html Vitae, and the name of two people we can contact for a provides more details on the types of projects in which I professional reference, to: [email protected] am involved. Volunteer opportunities on the Bird Team of the Qualifications: A bachelors or masters degree in biol- Fauna Forever Tambopata project are also avail- ogy, ecology, environmental science and demonstrated able around the above dates, allowing time to interest and competence/experience in ecology, mod- put into practise the banding skills learnt (see eling or GIS/remote sensing. Please email a resume http://www.faunaforever.org/fft/volunteer.html). Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #43 April 2011 1
BES Tropical Ecology Group BESTEG News Upcoming Events! TEG Early Career Researcher Meeting 26-28 April: • BESTEG ECRM Newcastle 2011 Abstract Submission and Registration, deadlines extended!!! • BES Annual Symposium, Forests & Global Change Registration is now open for the 5th ECRM in Newcastle University, 26-28 April 2011. PhD students and post-docs can present their work in a relaxed, • Kew Tropical Plant ID informal environment. Senior researchers are also encouraged to attend. Course 2011. • ATBC 2011: Tanzania Key-note speakers: Professor Georgina Mace, Professor Nick Polunin, and Dr Toby Gardner. Please check here for abstract details and registration form. Contact: • website BES Annual Symposium: Forests & Global Change 28-30 March • email The BES Annual Symposium was an excellent three days in Cambridge. A In this issue: stellar line-up of plenary speakers all gave inspiring talks on a wide range of forest ecological subjects ranging from the effects of drought to mapping • BESTEG News all the leaves of large tracts of the Amazon. Highlights included Greg Asner’s description of his transition from grad student to aeroplane owner and Adrian • Head of Publishing, BES Newton’s constructive criticism of conceptual models. We eagerly await the • Post-doc: STRI Symposium volume! • Post-doc: PNG • Field Assistant: Panama BES Annual Symposium: TEG Mixer - Ed Yong! • Field Assistant: Panama • Student Conference, New Following day two of the sympsium, over 100 delegates bundled into a hall in York Caius College to listen to Ed Yong give an hilarious account of his adventures in blogging and twitter. Rated as one of the best talks of the conference, Ed spoke without slides, handouts or even a trusty gynandromorphic chicken. He related the benefits (interaction, direct communication and development of new scientific projects) and downsides (a chronic lack of sleep) of blog- ging, and I am sure there are now several new ecological blogs as a result. Thank you, Ed! Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #43 April 2011 2
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the Uni- versity of Minnesota seek a post-doctoral fellow to ex- plore relationships among phylogeny, functional traits, and performance of forest trees. The successful appli- cant will have extensive quantitative skills, with experi- ence in phylogenetic and/or Bayesian analyses. Scien- tists working with the Center for Tropical Forest Science (http://www.sigeo.si.edu/) have compiled data, which includes bar code phylogenies, functional traits, and rates of recruitment, growth and mortality for several thou- sand tree species. The position is for two years, which will be divided approximately equally between the Smith- sonian Tropical Research Institute and the University of Minnesota. The successful applicant will work closely with Drs. S. Joseph Wright and Peter B. Reich. The Smithsonian Institution and the University of Minnesota are equal opportunity employers. The position is open to all nationalities. For further information, please contact [email protected] or preic [email protected]. Deadline 20 May 2011.
Post-doc: Czech Republic/PNG
The Novotny-Basset Lab is seeking a highly motivated and productive postdoctoral researcher to join our inter- national team studying plant-insect food webs in Papua Ed Yong spoke at the TEG and FEG sponsored mixer at New Guinea. the BES Annual Symposium. Mostly about chickens. RESPONSIBILITIES The successful applicant will develop Head of Publishing, BES ecological, statistical and phylogenetic analyses of large data sets on plant-insect food webs from Papua New The British Ecological Society is a major global publisher Guinea (www.entu.cas.cz/png). In addition, s/he will be of ecological research with five high impact journals and able to develop an independent project, use our excel- a book series. A great opportunity for a Head of Pub- lent field research facilities in Papua New Guinea, attend lishing has arisen at an exciting and challenging time for scientific meetings and collaborate closely with our part- STM publishing as the BES approaches its centenary in ners at the University of Minnesota, Smithsonian Institu- 2013. The post is at our new office in Charles Darwin tion, and Guelph University. S/he will also contribute to House, central London, a hub for the biological sciences. the design of further studies of food webs, help apply for grant support and mentor graduate and undergraduate We are looking for an individual who has the vision and students and research technicians. experience to lead our publishing enterprise, improve the current portfolio to maximise quality, manage our REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND DESIRABLE SKILLS publishing processes, enhance income and develop new - Ph.D. in ecology, evolutionary biology, entomology or products. First priorities for the post include reviewing related field - Proven ability to develop, implement and the existing staff structure, investigating Open Access op- publish interesting research projects - Fluency in written portunities and preparing for the tender of our main pub- and spoken English - Proficiency in statistical and other lishing contract. All profits from publishing are used to analysis of data - Knowledge of phylogenetic methods, further the strategic vision of the Society which is a reg- particularly those relevant to community ecology - Labo- istered charity. ratory experience with DNA sequencing - Ability to man- age small teams and work in challenging conditions Further hrefhttp://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/about _bes/opportunities_bes/index.phpdetails. SALARY The salary will be commensurate with experi- ence, in the range of Euro 27 - 31,000 per annum plus Deadline 27 April 2011. benefits. The appointment is initially for one year, with additional two years possible given satisfactory progress. Post-doc: SI-GEO/University of APPLICATION PROCEDURE To apply, please email your Minnesota CV, names of three references, and a cover letter to Prof. Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #43 April 2011 3
Vojtech Novotny at [email protected]. The cover let- - Measuring frogs in the field and monitoring of frogt’s ter should describe your previous work, your qualifica- behavior. - Feeding and looking after tadpoles until com- tions for the position, your motivation and long-term ca- pleting metamorphosis. - Daily observation of tadpoles reer aspirations. Any questions should be addressed to V. and frogs in the field for several weeks. Novotny. Work load may include weekends, with a normal time- APPLICATION DEADLINE AND STARTING DATE Review frame from 7:00am-11:00am, and from 2:00pm un- of applications will begin on April 15th and will continue til 5:00-6:00pm (changes can take place depending on until the position has been filled. The successful applicant needs). will start on 1st October 2011. Location: Ceske Bude- Dates: April 2011 until August 2011. jovice, Czech Republic. Stipend: 12-15 USD$ per day, depending on duties and responsibilities. Other costs like: food, accommodation Field Assistant, Panama - Lianas and local transportation will be covered by the project. The applicant must cover his/her international travel Project Description: Tropical forest ecosystems have been costs to and from Panama. found to be undergoing widespread changes. Of par- ticular concern is the increasing dominance of lianas It is expected that the applicant has had previous research (woody climbing vines). I am investigating whether in- experience or had collaborated with research projects. creasing CO2 is a viable explanation for increasing liana If you are interested please contact: [email protected]. dominance and, if so, through what mechanism CO2 fa- vors lianas over trees. The study is being conducted Eric Flores De Gracia School of Biosciences, University of at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Exeter, Cornwall Campus UK Panama. Liana and tree species are growing in open-top plant growth chambers and exposed to elevated levels of Student Conference on Conservation CO2. Science, New York Position Description: Research assistants will have the opportunity to work closely with a PhD student to carry 2011 STUDENT CONFERENCE ON CONSERVATION out a major research project. You will learn the de- SCIENCE-New York (SCCS-NY) American Museum of sign and operation of an elevated CO2 growth chamber Natural History New York City 12-14 October 2011 array, including instrumentation to measure CO2 levels http://symposia.cbc.amnh.org/sccsny/ and the photosynthetic activity of plants. Other duties may include plant identification and collection, caring for The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the seedlings, and measurement of plant traits. This is a vol- American Museum of Natural History is accepting appli- unteer position intended for persons looking to gain field cations to attend the second annual Student Conference and research experience. There is no funding available on Conservation Science- New York (SCCS-NY). for travel or housing. SCCS is the only international conference designed Qualifications: Ability to work long days in the field for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and early- under tropical conditions (intense heat, rain, sun, bit- career professionals pursuing or considering the field of ing/stinging insects), and a basic understanding of biol- conservation science. The conference provides a unique ogy and/or ecology. Spanish language proficiency is pre- opportunity for those beginning their careers to present ferred but not required. The two positions will run from their work before leaders in science, policy, and man- early April to mid-June. agement. In addition to formal presentations, SCCS-NY offers numerous opportunities to interact with senior- Please send cover letter (including earliest start level conservation professionals at workshops, mentored date) and resume (with references) to Dave lunches, informal gatherings, and networking events. Marvin ([email protected]). Visit http://www- Such interactions with established conservationists en- personal.umich.edu/ marvs/ for more information. courage collaboration, inspire new avenues of research, and launch lasting associations. Field Assistant: Panama - frogs Applicants wishing to present their work should have completed, or be conducting, a research project and will OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AS FIELD ASSISTANT IN be selected based on the quality of their abstract as well PANAMA WITH THE POISON FROG Dendrobates aura- as its relevance to conservation. Projects will be consid- tus. ered from any conservation-related course of study, in- Place: Santa Fe, Veraguas, Republic of Panama, 8ˇr31’ N cluding programs in the natural and social sciences and 81ˇr03’W the humanities. Duties: APPLICATION DEADLINE: 25 April 2011 Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #44 April/May 2011 1
BES Tropical Ecology Group BESTEG exists to promote and fa- BESTEG News cilitate communication and inter- action between tropical ecology TEG Early Career Researcher Meeting 26-28 April: researchers Report Given the broad nature of Trop- Thirty delegates attended the 5th ECRM in Newcastle University, 26-28 April ical Ecology, the activities of the 2011. Excellent talks and posters were presented. Fantastic talks by key- TEG must be driven by the in- note speakers Professor Selina Stead (who replaced Georgina Mace at the terest of members. Therefore, if last minute), Professor Nick Polunin, and Dr Toby Gardner. In depth report YOU have any ideas for events to come next month! or activities please contact us and we will see what can be done to make things happen. TEG Early Career Researcher Meeting 2012 will Please send tropical news to us to be... where?! publicise!
Upcoming Events! TEG needs YOU! Do you have what it takes to organise next year’s ECRM? I think you do! It may sound daunting, but it’s easy, and the TEG Committee • ATBC 2011: Tanzania are here to help. If anyone fancies taking the lead for the next meeting, please get in touch. • BES Annual Meeting 2011
Contact: TEG Committee Round-Up • website There have been a number of changes in the TEG committee recently. Sarah • email Dale (post-grad rep) stood down to devote more time to her PhD studies in Panama. She has contributed greatly over the last two years, and was especially key during last year’s BES Annual Meeting in Leeds. Thank you, In this issue: Sarah!. TEG welcomes Emma Sayer, Lindsay Banin and Sophie Fauset (post- grad rep). • BESTEG News • BES Annual Meeting 2011 Emma Sayer I’m an ecosystem ecologist who makes frequent forays into bio- • Science Writing Prize geochemistry and molecular ecology. I saw my first tropical forest in 2000 • WCS Papua when I went to Belize to do a research project for my MSc and it was love at first sight. Consequently, I spent the next 7 years doing my PhD and 2 • WCS Congo postdocs in tropical forest carbon and nutrient cycling with the University of • New book Cambridge and STRI in Panama. Although my current work is based in the • New iPhone app UK, I’m keen to stay involved in tropical ecology. I started getting involved in TEG when I returned to the UK last year and I’m really pleased to be part of such an active, sociable and dynamic special interest group. Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #44 April/May 2011 2
Emma
Sophie
Sophie Fauset I am currently in the third year of study- ing for my PhD at the School of Geography, University of Leeds. My research interests in the field of tropical ecol- ogy are centred on forest structure, biomass and compo- sition, and potential threats to the diversity and function- ing of this globally important ecosystem. My PhD project makes use of an extensive permanent sample plot net- work across the forest reserves of Ghana, West Africa, to investigate temporal shifts in structure and composition. Specific questions are focused on i) the impacts of long Lindsay term precipitation changes on species composition, ii) the effects of fire on forest structure, dynamics and biomass and iii) whether lianas are increasing in abundance in Lindsay Banin I am a plant ecologist with broad-ranging Ghanaian forests (as has been shown in the Neotropics), interests including spatial patterns in forest structure, the drivers of liana distribution and their impacts on host plant-soil interactions, distribution of floristic and func- trees. tional plant assemblages and their effects on ecosystem processes. In 2010 I completed my PhD at the Univer- sity of Leeds, studying continental differences in tropical forest structure and function, and am now working at BES Annual Meeting 2011, Abstract the University of Ulster examining the effects of invasive submission OPEN! plants species on ecosystem processes. Having been in- volved in organising the first BES-TEG meeting in 2006, I Abstract Submission for the BES Annual Meeting 2011 in am looking forward to getting more involved in the Spe- Sheffield, 12-14 September, is now open! cialist Group and seeing it evolve. Be part of the largest scientific ecological meeting in Eu- rope - submit your talk or poster now. The BES Annual Meeting is an excellent way to promote your science to a large representation of the ecological Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #44 April/May 2011 3 community; it also provides an unparalleled opportunity to network with hundreds of people in a friendly, infor- mal environment. Booking will soon be open, so make sure you take advan- tage of the generous Earlybird discounts we offer to our members.
The Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2011
This exciting new competition aims to find the next gen- eration of undiscovered science writing talent. We are looking for short articles that address any area of science and would be suitable for publication in the ’Guardian’ or the ’Observer’ in print and online. You must demonstrate that you have thought about and un- derstood your audience and can bring a scientific idea to life. The deadline for entries is 20 May 2011. The judges are looking for originality, bright ideas and a distinctive writing style. Your 800-word article should show a passion for science and encourage the general public to consider, question and debate the key issues in science and society. Possible areas of science include: medicine, neurology, science education, biomedical science, ageing, nutrition, physics, engineering, chemistry, biology, the body, sports sciences, space, genetics, climate change, evolution, en- ergy, infectious diseases, medical humanities, medical BOOK: Monitoring Forest history and ethics Biodiversity More details here and here.
Monitoring Forest Biodiversity: improving conservation through ecologically responsible management, by Toby Gardner. JOB: WCS Marine Director, Papua The fate of much of the world£s terrestrial biodiversity New Guinea depends upon our ability to improve the management of forest ecosystems that have already been substantially modified by humans. Monitoring is an essential ingre- dient in meeting this challenge, allowing us to measure The Wildlife Conservation Society is looking for a Marine the impact of different human activities on biodiversity Director for PNG. Details here. and identify more responsible ways of managing the en- vironment. Nevertheless many biodiversity monitoring programs are criticised as being little more than £tick the box£ compliance exercises that waste precious resources JOB: WCS Congo Basin Coast and erode the credibility of science in the eyes of deci- Program Manager sion makers and conservation investors. The purpose of this book is to examine the factors that make biodiversity monitoring programs fail or succeed. The first two sections lay out the context and importance Details here. of biodiversity monitoring, and shed light on some of Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #44 April/May 2011 4 the key challenges that have confounded many efforts to date. The third and main section presents an oper- ational framework for developing monitoring programs that have the potential to make a meaningful contribu- tion to forest management. Discussion covers the scop- ing, design and implementation stages of a forest biodi- versity monitoring program, including defining the pur- pose, goals and objectives of monitoring, indicator se- lection, and the process of data collection, analysis and interpretation. Underpinning the book is the belief that biodiversity monitoring should be viewed not as a stand-alone exer- cise in surveillance but rather as an explicit mechanism for learning about how to improve opportunities for con- servation. To be successful in this task, monitoring needs to be grounded in clear goals and objectives, effective in generating reliable assessments of changes in biodiversity and realistic in light of real-world financial, logistical and social constraints. More details here.
‘LEAFsnap’ Plant ID app
The Smithsonian Institution, Columbia University and the University of Maryland have pooled their expertise to create the world’s first plant identification mobile app using visual search£Leafsnap. This electronic field guide allows users to identify tree species simply by taking a photograph of the tree’s leaves. In addition to the species name, Leafsnap provides high-resolution pho- tographs and information about the tree’s flowers, fruit, seeds and bark£giving the user a comprehensive under- standing of the species. More. Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #43 October 2011 1
BES Tropical Ecology Group BESTEG News Upcoming Events! TEG update • GTÖ 2012 Apologies for the lack of bulletins over the summer. I was moving to a new • ATBC 2012: Brasil job, wife and life, and am now based in the Dept of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio in the Contact: USA. This may seem an odd place for the Secretary of BESTEG to be! Indeed it is. However, I anticipate that things will still run as smoothly as ever... • website If you would like to be more involved with TEG, I am looking for ways to • email devolve responsibility. A key item is this e-bulletin. I would be interested in member’s opinions on keeping it as a ’monthly’ pdf, or moving to an email • twitter listserve, similar to the Ecological Society of America’s Ecolog.
In this issue: Notice of TEG Early Career Researcher Meeting • BESTEG News 28-30 March 2012 • BES Annual Meeting TEG are very pleased to announce that the 6th Early Career Researcher Meet- • INTECOL 2013 ing will take place at Imperial College, Silwood Park, from the 28 to 30th • GTÖ 2012 March 2012. • OTS Mentors • Earth Institute Fellows Key-note speakers: Professor Georgina Mace, Professor Andrew Balmford. • Canopy access Following the meeting, we will run a workshop on the Analysis of Ecological Data in R, in collaboration with the Computational Ecology SIG. If you have any topics you would like covered, please let us know.
More details soon! Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #43 October 2011 2
TEG @ BES Annual Meeting ecosystems in terms of biogeographic patterns and pro- cesses in population dynamics and ecosystem function- ing. Future climate change, land use changes and in- Yadvinder Malhi gave a great talk at the TEG event at the creasing pressure by growing local populations land im- BES Annual Meeting in Sheffield last month. Thank you pose additional challenges for the development of suc- Yadvinder, and Tom Swinfield to helping organise! cessful mitigation and adaptation strategies. The annual Seven new members signed up to join TEG, welcome to conference of the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) will you all. provide an interdisciplinary platform for discussion, par- ticularly on the following topics: MEETINGS Biogeographic patterns and ecological processes in nat- urally isolated tropical ecosystems (islands, high moun- INTECOL 2013 Call for symposia tains) Processes and consequences of ecosystem fragmentation INTECOL: 18-23 August 2013, International Conference for biodiversity and ecosystem services Centre, ExCel, London Human ecology and management of fragmented tropical We invite proposals for symposia for the Congress. Sym- ecosystems posia will be a cornerstone of the scientific programme Further topics may follow. and will have a high profile at the meeting. We are espe- cially keen to receive proposals which focus on the future direction of ecology and present cutting edge, world class OPPORTUNITIES science which has broad relevance. OTS Mentors Symposia comprise a keynote speaker (30 minutes), up to 5 other invited speakers (15 minutes each) and facilitated Organization for Tropical Studies organizes a summer debate/question and answer session. Each Symposium research experience for Native American and Pacific Is- will be allocated 2 hours. The keynote speaker should lander undergraduate students at its Las Cruces Biologi- have a high profile in their field and their talk should fo- cal Station, Costa Rica. The experience (NAPIRE) is fo- cus on future developments in ecological science in their cused on giving these minorities an opportunity to com- area. This will provide a framework for the rest of the plete an original research project in field ecology while talks in the Symposium. guided by an experienced tropical ecologist. To offer this experience, we need committed research professionals to DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS 30 November 2011. serve as mentors during June and July of 2012. Research More details here. mentors will work with 1-3 undergraduate students for Please return completed application forms to in- the summer to guide all stages of the Intern’s original re- [email protected] or to INTECOL British search, from hypothesis generation to completion of sci- Ecological Society, Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger entific paper, powerpoint presentation and poster. Re- Street, London WC1N 2JU. Please use these contact de- search Mentors will receive round-trip transportation to tails for all queries. Costa Rica plus room, board and station fees while at the Las Cruces Biological Station, as well as help facilitating the Costa Rican Research Permits necessary. NSF does GTÖ 2012 not allow us to pay compensation for a Research Men- tor’s time. Some funds may be available for a pre-course site visit and to purchase limited supplies and equipment. 22-25 Feb 2012, Erlangen, Germany. The program will be based at OTS’ Las Cruces Biolog- In 2012, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen- ical Station in Costa Rica, a mid-elevation site located Nürnberg will host the Annual Conference of the Soci- near the border between Panama and Costa Rica. Las ety for Tropical Ecology (Gesellschaft für Tropenökolo- Cruces provides excellent opportunities for research in gie, gtö), focusing on the Islands in land- and seascape. fragmentation biology and restoration ecology. Extend- The conference (www.gtoe-conference.de) will run from ing through an elevational range of 1,120 to 1,385 me- February 22 to 25, 2011 in Erlangen, Germany. The ters, Las Cruces encompasses 235 hectares of premon- conference aims at maximizing maximize interactions tane rain forest. The grounds surrounding the buildings among scientists of all disciplines and backgrounds who have 8 hectares of cultivated collections and 4 hectares are interested in tropical biogeography and biodiversity. of fallow and experimental plots. Las Cruces provides ex- The fragmentation of habitats and ecosystems around cellent opportunities for research in fragmentation biol- the tropics poses tremendous problems for maintaining ogy and restoration ecology. The primary and secondary ecosystem functions. Natural islands may serve as model forests of the station are drained by numerous streams Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #43 October 2011 3 and rivers, making comparative water related studies ac- tion programs for people with HIV/AIDS in resource lim- cessible. ited settings, seismic vulnerability and informal housing NAPIRE Research mentors will live on the OTS Las Cruces in rapidly expanding urban centers, agent-based model- Biological station where they will provide personal, direct ing using statistical learning methods and its application guidance for 1 to 3 undergraduate students in ecological to water management problems, modeling of transport field research at the station. This includes hands on par- and land use in rapidly growing cities, and analysis of ticipation in helping students develop an answerable re- environmental policy at the national and at the interna- tional scale. search question, appropriate research design, data collec- tion methods, statistical analysis of the results, and write Fellows work in a research center or in a program area the scientific paper and presentation of the research. In that is best suited to their individual research direction. addition, Research Mentors will be expected to partici- Cross-cutting Initiative themes are emphasized. One or pate in Research Symposiums, Evaluations and Ethics dis- more senior scholars act as mentors throughout the fel- cussions, but participation in recreational activities is op- lowship to guide the Fellows’ work. Fellows attend a tional. unique series of seminars, dinners with Prof. Jeffrey For more details, please contact Wendy Townsend: Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, and other special [email protected] or visit the OTS website events that explore key interdisciplinary issues, bring Fel- lows together as a community, and allow them to meet a diverse array of Columbia faculty and researchers. Post-doc: Earth Institute Fellows Fellowship applications are posted online August 22, 2011 and due by November 15, 2011 for consideration The Earth Institute, Columbia University seeks outstand- for fellowships beginning in the summer or fall of 2012. ing post-doctoral scholars to apply to the Earth Institute Fellowships are typically awarded for 24 months. Fellows Program. We ask your help in identifying the most promising individuals to join a dynamic research Additional information on the Earth Institute Fellows Pro- environment where multi-disciplinary research into the gram and an online application are available on the Earth global challenges of sustainable development is fostered. Institute Fellows website at http://redir.targetx.com/cgi- bin/email/redir.cgi?id=0000904586-126447545. Ad- Fellowship applicants should be recent Ph.D., JD or MD ditional information on the Earth Institute is recipients. The program accepts applications from in- at http://redir.targetx.com/cgi-bin/email/redir.cgi? dividuals qualified in a core discipline such as earth id=0000904584-126447545. sciences, biological sciences, engineering sciences, eco- nomics and other social sciences, law and health sciences who wish to broaden their research through interactions Tropical Forest Canopy Access with other fields. Those who have an existing interdisci- plinary background can engage that experience with ex- perts at the Earth Institute. All Fellows work to develop Want to learn proper and safe techniques for exploring research programs that address the central issues in sci- and conducting research in the tropical forest canopy? ence, engineering and the policy dimensions of sustain- ITEC (The Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conserva- able development including the causes and consequences tion: www.itec-edu.org) is offering a course in Canopy of poverty, hunger, disease, water resource management, Access Techniques during its "winter" session on Isla energy options, public health, climate change, and envi- Colon in Panama. Come and learn to climb, spend- ronmental degradation. ing three weeks of winter in a warm tropical environ- Earth Institute Fellows design their own research agendas ment at a field station sandwiched between a Caribbean in collaboration with a senior mentor who is an expert in beachfront and tropical rainforest. Check us out: their field of study. Examples of past and current projects http://www.itec-edu.org/canopy.html or contact instruc- include: theoretical modeling of disease-driven poverty tor Joe Maher at [email protected] traps, sustainable energy development, agricultural man- This is not a zipline canopy tour! This is the "real deal" agement systems and crop response to climate variation and is tailored for those whose research will take them and extremes, links between drought and conflict, nutri- into the vertical world of the tropical forest canopy. Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #46 November 2011 1
BES Tropical Ecology Group BESTEG News Upcoming Events! TEG update • GTÖ 2012 • ATBC 2012: Brasil Another month, another TEG e-bulletin. The deadline for sub- missions for INTECOL is drawing close.
Contact: We’d very much like to have a tropical session in there! Please contact me if you are interested in putting something together. • website • email TEG Early Career Researcher Meeting 28-30 • twitter March 2012 The 6th Early Career Researcher Meeting will take place at Im- In this issue: perial College, Silwood Park, from the 28 to 30th March 2012. Key-note speakers: Professor Georgina Mace, Professor Andrew • BESTEG News Balmford. • INTECOL 2013 During the meeting, we will run a workshop on the Analysis of • GTÖ 2012 Ecological Data in R, in collaboration with the Computational • Obituary: Kalko Ecology SIG. If you have any topics you would like covered, • RA, Imperial please let us know. • Earth Institute Fellows More details on the TEG website soon! • SIGEO Ecologist • SI Fellowships Tropical Papers • STRI Fellowships The TEG e-Bulletin is read by over 200 tropical ecologists each • Tropical Papers month. Make a bigger impact by sending us the details of your newly published paper and we’ll add it to the list. Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #46 November 2011 2
MEETINGS and consequences of ecosystem fragmentation for biodi- versity and ecosystem services; (iii) Human ecology and INTECOL 2013 Call for symposia management of fragmented tropical ecosystems.
INTECOL: 18-23 August 2013, International Conference Centre, ExCel, London OBITUARY We invite proposals for symposia for the Congress. Sym- Elisabeth K.V. Kalko (1962-2011) posia will be a cornerstone of the scientific programme and will have a high profile at the meeting. We are espe- cially keen to receive proposals which focus on the future direction of ecology and present cutting edge, world class science which has broad relevance. Symposia comprise a keynote speaker (30 minutes), up to 5 other invited speakers (15 minutes each) and facilitated debate/question and answer session. Each Symposium will be allocated 2 hours. The keynote speaker should have a high profile in their field and their talk should fo- cus on future developments in ecological science in their area. This will provide a framework for the rest of the talks in the Symposium.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS 30 November 2011. Elisabeth K.V. Kalko, staff scientist at the Smithsonian More details here. Tropical Research Institute and head of the Institute of Please return completed application forms to in- Experimental Ecology at the University of Ulm in Ger- [email protected] or to INTECOL British many, died in her sleep on Monday, September 26, 2011 Ecological Society, Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger during a visit to the Kilimanjaro project of the German Re- Street, London WC1N 2JU. Please use these contact de- search Foundation (DFG) in Tanzania. Eli’s sudden death tails for all queries. at the age of 49 was completely unexpected. Eli Kalko was a tireless and passionate researcher who in- GTÖ 2012 spired colleagues and students alike. She was one of the world’s leading experts in tropical bats and has published over 100 papers on bat community ecology, echolocation 22-25 Feb 2012, Erlangen, Germany. and bat behavior. To see a video about her work, follow In 2012, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen- this link: http://youtu.be/TADZHMWr1iU NÃijrnberg will host the Annual Conference of the Society Kalko obtained a first degree in biology from the Univer- ˝ for Tropical Ecology (Gesellschaft fÃijr TropenÃukologie, sität Tübingen in Germany, followed by a PhD in 1991. ˝ gtÃu), focusing on the Islands in land- and seascape. She held a NATO postdoc at the SmithsonianÂt’s National The conference (www.gtoe-conference.de) will run from Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, and at February 22 to 25, 2012 in Erlangen, Germany. The con- STRI. She worked on the DFG programs on tropical di- ference aims to maximize interactions among scientists versity and Neotropical bats, and a Heisenberg postdoc of all disciplines and backgrounds who are interested in in Tübingen. Eli Kalko was appointed STRI staff scientist tropical biogeography and biodiversity. in 1999. From 2000, she was director and full professor The fragmentation of habitats and ecosystems around at the Institute of Experimental Ecology at the University the tropics poses tremendous problems for maintaining of Ulm in Germany. She was also a research associate ecosystem functions. Natural islands may serve as model with the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). ecosystems in terms of biogeographic patterns and pro- In 2006 she received the award for best university teach- cesses in population dynamics and ecosystem function- ing in natural sciences (Landeslehrpreis) in the state of ing. Future climate change, land use changes and in- Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Eli was a member of the creasing pressure by growing local populations land im- German National Committee on Global Change Research, pose additional challenges for the development of suc- the Senate Commission on Biodiversity of the German Re- cessful mitigation and adaptation strategies. The annual search Foundation (DFG), and was elected for life to the conference of the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtÃu)˝ will Heidelberg Academy of Sciences. She served as council- provide an interdisciplinary platform for discussion, par- lor for the Association of Tropical Biology and Conser- ticularly on the following topics: (i) Biogeographic pat- vation, vice-president of the Society of Tropical Ecology, terns and ecological processes in naturally isolated trop- and head elect of Diversitas Germany. As editor-in-chief ical ecosystems (islands, high mountains), (ii) Processes of the international tropical ecology journal Ecotropica, Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #46 November 2011 3 she strengthened the journal’s profile considerably. research programs that address the central issues in sci- ence, engineering and the policy dimensions of sustain- The tropical research community has suffered a great loss and Eli will be sorely missed by all who knew her. able development including the causes and consequences of poverty, hunger, disease, water resource management, Those who would like to give their condolences to energy options, public health, climate change, and envi- Eli’s family can use the following email address: ronmental degradation. kondolenz.kalko(at)uni-ulm.de Earth Institute Fellows design their own research agendas in collaboration with a senior mentor who is an expert in OPPORTUNITIES their field of study. Examples of past and current projects include: theoretical modeling of disease-driven poverty Research Associate, Imperial College traps, sustainable energy development, agricultural man- agement systems and crop response to climate variation Research Associates in Landscape Ecology, Landscape and extremes, links between drought and conflict, nutri- Modelling and Mathematics for Ecology tion programs for people with HIV/AIDS in resource lim- ited settings, seismic vulnerability and informal housing Three positions are available for five years from 1 January in rapidly expanding urban centers, agent-based model- 2012 to analyse, model and predict the biodiversity con- ing using statistical learning methods and its application sequences of land use change in the wet tropics. You will to water management problems, modeling of transport work as part of team investigating the role of landscape and land use in rapidly growing cities, and analysis of ontogeny and habitat fragmentation in determining spa- environmental policy at the national and at the interna- tial and temporal patterns of biodiversity, with a focus on tional scale. community ecological principles. Fellows work in a research center or in a program area The positions are funded by the European Research that is best suited to their individual research direction. Council and will be based in the Division of Biology at Cross-cutting Initiative themes are emphasized. One or Silwood Park Campus, Division of Biology, Imperial Col- more senior scholars act as mentors throughout the fel- lege London. lowship to guide the Fellows’ work. Fellows attend a The successful candidates will all have strong analyti- unique series of seminars, dinners with Prof. Jeffrey cal, statistical or modelling backgrounds, and experience Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, and other special with software development in the R statistical computing events that explore key interdisciplinary issues, bring Fel- language is desirable. Experience in modelling land use lows together as a community, and allow them to meet a change, networks or biodiversity would be advantage, as diverse array of Columbia faculty and researchers. would a background in theoretical community ecology or Fellowship applications are posted online August 22, landscape ecology. 2011 and due by November 15, 2011 for consideration Informal inquiries (with CV) to Dr. Robert Ewers: for fellowships beginning in the summer or fall of 2012. [email protected] Fellowships are typically awarded for 24 months. Application deadline is November 22. Additional information on the Earth Institute Fellows Pro- gram and an online application are available on the Earth Institute Fellows website at http://redir.targetx.com/cgi- Post-doc: Earth Institute Fellows bin/email/redir.cgi?id=0000904586-126447545. Ad- ditional information on the Earth Institute is The Earth Institute, Columbia University seeks outstand- at http://redir.targetx.com/cgi-bin/email/redir.cgi? ing post-doctoral scholars to apply to the Earth Institute id=0000904584-126447545. Fellows Program. We ask your help in identifying the most promising individuals to join a dynamic research Forest Ecologist environment where multi-disciplinary research into the global challenges of sustainable development is fostered. The Smithsonian Institution Global Earth Observatories Fellowship applicants should be recent Ph.D., JD or MD (SIGEO)/Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS) is a recipients. The program accepts applications from in- voluntary consortium of research institutions, forestry dividuals qualified in a core discipline such as earth agencies, universities and NGOs responsible for man- sciences, biological sciences, engineering sciences, eco- aging and overseeing the long-term censuses of woody nomics and other social sciences, law and health sciences species on large plots in temperate and tropical forests who wish to broaden their research through interactions across the world. SIGEO-CTFS represents a major re- with other fields. Those who have an existing interdisci- search initiative in the science portfolio of the Smith- plinary background can engage that experience with ex- sonian Institution. This network of large-scale forest perts at the Earth Institute. All Fellows work to develop plots is uniquely positioned to enable scientists to mea- Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #46 November 2011 4 sure long-term fluctuations in primary productivity of research projects on an aspect of molecular evolution, forests around the globe, to measure changes in the abun- population genetics, or systematics. Fellowships are for dance and distribution of biological diversity, and to as- 24 months. sess the impact of changing environmental conditions on More information on SI programs: http://www.si.edu/ forests of the world. SIGEO/CTFS consists of 42 stan- research+study or contact [email protected] dardized, large-scale demographic tree plots established in 21 countries, which is monitoring more than 4.5 mil- SI application procedure: http://www.si.edu/ofg/ Appli- lion trees of about 8,500 species. cations/SIFELL/SIFELLapp.htm Forest Ecologist The Smithsonian Institution seeks a Forest Ecologist to be STRI Fellowships located at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), National Zoological Park, VA, USA. The position STRI Fellowships and Internships is responsible for conducting independent research in the STRI Earl S. Tupper 3-Year Postdoctoral Fellowship (dead- areas of: ecosystem-climate interactions, global change line 15 of January 2012): Applications should include a science, energy-water-carbon exchanges, ecohydroecol- research proposal with budget, curriculum vitae, 2 let- ogy, ecosystem ecology, and/or dynamic vegetation mod- ters of recommendation, and names of 3 additional ref- eling. The position oversees novel research that utilizes erences. Note: candidates applying to this program may SCBI’s 25-ha SIGEO forest dynamics plot with the pend- also apply to the SI Postdoctoral Program listed above. ing and co-located NEON Fundamental Instrument Unit STRI Short Term Fellowships (deadlines: March 15, May (including eddy covariance tower, soil arrays, aquatic ar- 15, August 15 and November 15 of each year). Support rays, etc.), and oversees the climatological data collection is provided to carry out short-term research projects at program that is being implemented across the full SIGEO- STRI facilities. CTFS network. STRI Fellowship and Internship Program for students in Candidates should hold a PhD in ecology or related disci- Latin America (deadlines: March 15, May 15, August pline, have an exceptional record of research and schol- 15 and November 15). Support is provided for short- arly publication, and be able to work in a highly collabo- term projects and internships. Candidates must be rative environment. from universities in Latin America, particularly Cen- This is a full-time, permanent federal position and tral America and Panama. For more information visit: is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. Ap- http://www.stri.org/espanol/educacion_becas/becas/ ply online at http://www.si.edu/ohr. Announcement becas_corto_plazo.php number: 12A-MR-297166-DEU-NZP or 12A-MR-297166- Stanley Rand STRI Fellowship Program (deadlines: March MPA-NZP. Closing date for applications is 25 November 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15). Support is 2011. provided for short-term research at STRI, focused on ani- mal behavior, natural history, evolutionary biology, plant SI Fellowships and animal ecology and environmental monitoring. Latin American students are especially encouraged to apply. Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program For more information and instructions about STRI fellow- SI 10-Week Graduate Student Fellowships (deadline 15 ships and internships visit www.stri.si.edu JAN 2012): For graduate students or PhD students not advanced to candidacy to carry out research under the guidance of a Smithsonian staff member. PUBLICATIONS SI Postdoctoral, Senior Postdoctoral and Predoctoral Fel- Newest publications on tropical ecology in the BES lowships (deadline 15 JAN 2012): Postdoctoral Fellow- Journals ships are offered to scholars who have held the Ph. D. degree or equivalent for less than seven years. Senior Céréghino, R. et al. (2011), Ant-plant mutualisms Postdoctoral Fellowships are offered to candidates who promote functional diversity in phytotelm communities. have had their PhD for seven years or longer. Predoc- Functional Ecology, 25: 954-963. toral Fellowships are offered to PhD students advanced Zandonà, E. et al. (2011), Diet quality and prey selec- to candidacy. SI Senior Postdoctoral Fellowships and SI tivity correlate with life histories and predation regime in Postdoctoral Fellowships can be up to two years depend- Trinidadian guppies. Functional Ecology, 25: 964-973. ing on research proposed. da Silva, E.V. et al. (2011), Functional specialization of SI Molecular Evolution Postdoctoral Fellowships (deadline: Eucalyptus fine roots: contrasting potential uptake rates 15 JAN 2012): For scholars who have held a doctoral de- for nitrogen, potassium and calcium tracers at varying gree or equivalent for less than seven years, to support soil depths. Functional Ecology, 25: 996-1006. Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #46 November 2011 5
Fox, R.J. & Bellwood, D.R. (2011), Unconstrained by the Hietz, P. et al. (2011) Long-Term Change in the Nitrogen clock? Plasticity of diel activity rhythm in a tropical reef Cycle of Tropical Forests. Science, 334: 664-666. fish, Siganus lineatus. Functional Ecology, 25: 1096- Hirota, M. et al. (2011) Global Resilience of Tropical For- 1105. est and Savanna to Critical Transitions. Science, 334:232- Réjou-Méchain, M. et al. (2011), Spatial aggregation of 235. tropical trees at multiple spatial scales. Journal of Ecol- Pan, Y. et al. (2011) A Large and Persistent Carbon Sink ogy, 99: 1373-1381. in the WorldâA˘Zs´ Forests. Science, 333: 988-993. Hérault, B. et al. (2011), Functional traits shape ontoge- Kraft, N.J.B. et al. (2011) Disentangling the Drivers of netic growth trajectories of rain forest tree species. Jour- β Diversity Along Latitudinal and Elevational Gradients. nal of Ecology, 99: 1431-1440. Science, 333: 1755-1758. Kanagaraj, R. et al. (2011), Tropical tree species assem- Odadi, W.O. et al. (2011) African Wild Ungulates Com- blages in topographical habitats change in time and with pete with or Facilitate Cattle Depending on Season. Sci- life stage. Journal of Ecology, 99: 1441-1452. ence, 333: 1753-1755. Gibson, L. et al. (2011) Primary forests are irreplaceable Newest tropical papers in ’lesser’ journals for sustaining tropical biodiversity. Nature 478, 378-381 Mumby, P.J. et al. (2011) Temporal clustering of tropical Sayer, E.J. et al. (2011) Soil carbon release enhanced by cyclones and its ecosystem impacts. PNAS 108: 17626- increased tropical forest litterfall. Nature Climate Change 17630 1, 304-307.
Random Tropical Photo: Red-and-green macaws (Ara chloroptera) in Manu National Park, Peru. c mongabay.com Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #47 December 2011 1
BES Tropical Ecology Group BESTEG News Upcoming Events! TEG update • GTÖ 2012 • ATBC 2012: Brasil TEG Early Career Researcher Meeting 28-30 Contact: March 2012 th • website The 6 ECRM will take place at Imperial College, Silwood Park, from the 28 to 30th March 2012. • email Registration opens 1 Jan 2012 • twitter Key-note speakers: Julia Jones, Andrew Balmford. This is an exciting meeting for early-career post-graduate stu- In this issue: dents, post-docs and academics who work in diverse areas of • BESTEG News tropical ecology. The conference is two days, preceded by a one- day workshop. There will be guest speakers, oral and poster • INTECOL 2013 presentations by early-career researchers, workshops and a pho- • GTÖ 2012 tography competition • MPhil Conservation Presentations Please send a 250-word abstract, with title and • New Book preference for a poster or oral presentation to tropicalecolo- • Cambridge Plant Sci [email protected] by 5pm GMT on the 20th February 2012. • SI Fellowships Each oral presentation should not exceed 15 minutes (this in- • STRI Fellowships cludes 3 minutes for questions). • Tropical Papers Workshops Ecological data analysis in R An in-depth workshop on a popular or topical suite of analyses (e.g. mixed models, multivariate stats), led by the Computational Ecology SIG. Zen and the Art of Communicating Science This workshop gives you all the tips you need to engage others in your research. Ses- sions will include ’getting published’, ’what makes a really good talk?’, ’combating nerves’, ’networking’ and ’science for the pub- lic’. Please send suggestions for topics for either workshop to: tropi- [email protected] Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #47 December 2011 2
Photo Competition This year’s ECRM is hosting a tropical-themed photography competition, with three broad cate- gories: Flora, Fauna, and Aquatic Life. Enter a maximum of one photograph per category. No photo can be entered into more than one category. Supply your name, a title, the competition category and a maximum 100 word blurb describing the subject/system, location, equipment and settings (if known) and any digital enhancements. Photos should be supplied as a zipped file and saved as either a TIFF or JPEG file. If digital enhancements have been used, both the original and enhanced photo should be submitted. Send the photograph(s) and blurb to [email protected] by Monday 20th February 2012. Photographer and explorer Andrew Scriven will be judging the competition. Winners will be announced at the meeting, with prizes kindly donated by Oxford University Press and Wiley Blackwell. Although copyright remains with the photographer, by entering the competition applicants agree to give the BES the right to freely use their image(s). More details on the TEG website soon!
MEETINGS OPPORTUNITIES INTECOL 2013 TEG Symposium MPhil Conservation Leadership
Daisy Dent submitted a proposal bringing together sec- The course is a full-time, one year Masters, aimed at ondary forest researchers. Hopefully it will be approved! graduates of leadership potential with at least three to five years of experience relevant to biodiversity conser- vation. The unique feature of the course is its delivery GTÖ 2012 by a collaboration between six University of Cambridge departments and nine leading conservation organisations based around Cambridge, and its focus on issues of man- 22-25 Feb 2012, Erlangen, Germany. agement and leadership. A key aim of the course is to In 2012, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen- build the capacity of conservation leaders from tropical Nürnberg will host the Annual Conference of the Soci- countries. As a result, the first two cohorts have attracted ety for Tropical Ecology (Gesellschaft für Tropenökolo- highly experienced students from around the world. gie, gtö), focusing on the Islands in land- and seascape. There is scholarship funding available for the aca- The conference (www.gtoe-conference.de) will run from demic year beginning in October 2012. Appli- February 22 to 25, 2012 in Erlangen, Germany. The con- cations for October entry and scholarships must ference aims to maximize interactions among scientists be received by the 30th March. Further details of all disciplines and backgrounds who are interested in of the course and scholarships can be found at: tropical biogeography and biodiversity. http://www.geog.cam.ac.uk/graduate/mphil/conservation/ The fragmentation of habitats and ecosystems around We would also encourage applicants to seek scholarship the tropics poses tremendous problems for maintaining support locally, for example the Chevening Scholarship ecosystem functions. Natural islands may serve as model schemes run by the British Council in their home coun- ecosystems in terms of biogeographic patterns and pro- tries. cesses in population dynamics and ecosystem function- ing. Future climate change, land use changes and in- creasing pressure by growing local populations land im- pose additional challenges for the development of suc- cessful mitigation and adaptation strategies. The annual conference of the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) will provide an interdisciplinary platform for discussion, par- ticularly on the following topics: (i) Biogeographic pat- terns and ecological processes in naturally isolated trop- ical ecosystems (islands, high mountains), (ii) Processes and consequences of ecosystem fragmentation for biodi- versity and ecosystem services; (iii) Human ecology and management of fragmented tropical ecosystems. Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #47 December 2011 3
New Tropical Book and supervision of graduate students; teaching of un- dergraduates; and other duties associated with academic life. Candidates must have a PhD (or equivalent), an out- standing record of excellence in Plant Science research, and an aptitude for teaching. It is hoped that the Lec- turer will start no later than October 2012. The Department seeks, through appointment to this new permanent lectureship, to reinforce and complement its range of expertise. We welcome excellent candidates in any area of plant science but we have particular interest in the following areas: Microbiology of viruses, bacteria, fungi or algae, with links either to industrial biotechnology or plant pathol- ogy. Mathematical and computational biology including epidemiology, bioinformatics and complex systems mod- elling at any level from the cell to the ecosystem. Ecology and evolution including molecular ecology. Synthetic bi- ology. Genome biology of plants, including crops. Plant Taxonomy A £250,000 grant from the Gatsby Charitable Founda- tion is available to support the candidate’s research pro- gramme. The appointee will play a central role in the Department’s undergraduate teaching. However, the first priority will be to establish a productive research programme and ini- tially the appointee will have only minimal teaching re- sponsibility. Further particulars are available on http://www.plantsci. cam.ac.uk/jobs/PD09392.pdf. Applicants should send a covering letter, their CV and a completed Tecc Editora published Tropical Plant Collecting: From form CHRIS/6 (http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/ of- the Field to the Internet, and edited volume by Scott A. fices/hr/forms/chris6/) by email to [email protected]. Mori, Amy Berkov, Carol A. Gracie & Edmund F. Hecklau. ac.uk, by 4 pm on Wednesday 14 December 2011. Please This book is based on 40 years of tropical plant collect- quote reference PD09392. Any enquiries concerning ing in Central and South America by the senior author the position or application process can also be made and his colleagues and, in particular, draws from his ex- to [email protected]. Interviews will be held in perience in publishing a guide to the vascular plants of February 2012. central French Guiana and a monograph of the Brazil nut family (Lecythidaceae). Although traditional field and herbarium techniques are SI Fellowships discussed in detail, the book also covers how new techniques provided by digital photography, electronic Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program databases, and the Internet have revolutionized plant col- lecting and data presentation in systematic botany. The SI 10-Week Graduate Student Fellowships (deadline 15 audience for this book is tropical biologists who, as part JAN 2012): For graduate students or PhD students not of their field work, need to gather botanical specimens to advanced to candidacy to carry out research under the document their scientific studies. The book will also be guidance of a Smithsonian staff member. useful for those taking field biology courses in the tropics. SI Postdoctoral, Senior Postdoctoral and Predoctoral Fel- lowships (deadline 15 JAN 2012): Postdoctoral Fellow- ships are offered to scholars who have held the Ph. D. University of Cambridge: Plant degree or equivalent for less than seven years. Senior Sciences Lecturer Postdoctoral Fellowships are offered to candidates who have had their PhD for seven years or longer. Predoc- Applications are invited for the post of University Lec- toral Fellowships are offered to PhD students advanced turer in Plant Sciences. Responsibilities include: research to candidacy. SI Senior Postdoctoral Fellowships and SI Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #47 December 2011 4
Postdoctoral Fellowships can be up to two years depend- http://www.ru.nl/publish/pages/516146/visser_et_al_ ing on research proposed. 2011_ecol_lett.pdf SI Molecular Evolution Postdoctoral Fellowships (deadline: Hartter J, Ryan S, Southworth J, Chapman C (2011) 15 JAN 2012): For scholars who have held a doctoral de- Landscapes as continuous entities: forest disturbance and gree or equivalent for less than seven years, to support recovery in the Albertine Rift landscape. Landscape Ecol- research projects on an aspect of molecular evolution, ogy 26: 877-890. population genetics, or systematics. Fellowships are for Newest publications on tropical ecology in the BES 24 months. Journals More information on SI programs: http://www.si.edu/ Iida et al. (2011) Tree architecture and life- research+study or contact [email protected] history strategies across 200 co-occurring tropical SI application procedure: http://www.si.edu/ofg/ Appli- tree species. Functional Ecology 25:1260-1268. cations/SIFELL/SIFELLapp.htm http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365- 2435.2011.01884.x/abstract Brown et al. (2011) Effects of seasonal STRI Fellowships aridity on the ecology and behaviour of in- vasive cane toads in the Australian wet-dry STRI Fellowships and Internships tropics. Functional Ecology 25:1339-1347. STRI Earl S. Tupper 3-Year Postdoctoral Fellowship (dead- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365- line 15 of January 2012): Applications should include a 2435.2011.01888.x/abstract research proposal with budget, curriculum vitae, 2 let- Lujan et al. (2011) Do wood-grazing fishes par- ters of recommendation, and names of 3 additional ref- tition their niche?: morphological and isotopic ev- erences. Note: candidates applying to this program may idence for trophic segregation in Neotropical Lori- also apply to the SI Postdoctoral Program listed above. cariidae. Functional Ecology 25: 1327-1338. STRI Short Term Fellowships (deadlines: March 15, May http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365- 15, August 15 and November 15 of each year). Support 2435.2011.01883.x/abstract is provided to carry out short-term research projects at Beeton & McCallum (2011) Models predict that STRI facilities. culling is not a feasible strategy to prevent extinc- STRI Fellowship and Internship Program for students in tion of Tasmanian devils from facial tumour dis- Latin America (deadlines: March 15, May 15, August ease. Journal of Applied Ecology 48:1315-1323. 15 and November 15). Support is provided for short- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365- term projects and internships. Candidates must be 2664.2011.02060.x/abstract from universities in Latin America, particularly Cen- Woodroffe & Donnelly (2011) Risk of contact be- tral America and Panama. For more information visit: tween endangered African wild dogs Lycaon pictus http://www.stri.org/espanol/educacion_becas/becas/ and domestic dogs: opportunities for pathogen trans- becas_corto_plazo.php mission. Journal of Applied Ecology 48:1345-1354. Stanley Rand STRI Fellowship Program (deadlines: March http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365- 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15). Support is 2664.2011.02059.x/abstract provided for short-term research at STRI, focused on ani- Hampson et al. (2011) Predictability of mal behavior, natural history, evolutionary biology, plant anthrax infection in the Serengeti, Tanza- and animal ecology and environmental monitoring. Latin nia. Journal of Applied Ecology 48:1333-1344. American students are especially encouraged to apply. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365- For more information and instructions about STRI fellow- 2664.2011.02030.x/abstract ships and internships visit www.stri.si.edu Alfaro-Shigueto et al. (2011) Small-scale fisheries of Peru: a major sink for marine turtles in the Pacific Journal of Applied Ecology 48:1432-1440. PUBLICATIONS http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365- 2664.2011.02040.x/abstract From TEG members Long-term trends in carnivore abundance using dis- M. D. Visser et al. (2011) Tri-trophic interactions af- tance sampling in Serengeti National Park, Tanza- fect density dependence of seed fate in a tropical for- nia. Journal of Applied Ecology 48:1490-1500. est palm. Ecology Letters. 14, 1093-1100. Official http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365- url: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1461- 2664.2011.02042.x/abstract 0248.2011.01677.x/abstract Direct download: Tropical Ecology Group e-Bulletin #47 December 2011 5
Newest tropical papers in ’lesser’ journals dence and environmental filtering predict seedling mor- tality in a tropical forest. Ecology Letters 14:34- Tollefson (2011) Fighting for the forest: The roadless 41. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1461- warrior. Nature 480, 22-24. http://www.nature.com/ news/fighting-for-the-forest-the-roadless-warrior-1.9494 0248.2011.01705.x/abstract Brookshire et al. (2011) Large losses of inor- Sheldon et al. (2011) Climate change and community disassembly: impacts of warming ganic nitrogen from tropical rainforests suggest a on tropical and temperate montane commu- lack of nitrogen limitation. Ecology Letters 14:9- 16. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1461- nity structure. Ecology Letters 14:1191-1200. 0248.2011.01701.x/abstract http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1461- 0248.2011.01689.x/abstract Paine et al. (2011) Phylogenetic density depen-
Random Tropical Photo: Large Orangutan in Central Kalimantan. c mongabay.com