Final 2 weeks of class…

Next week - Dale Lockwood: The “should ecologists be neutral or advocates” debate…

Final exam will be posted on-line soon…but a preview today!

But first... Who wants to vent?• This is a great paper and a must read not only for ecologists but for all with a concern about the impact of human activity on our planet.

• I felt that Ehrlich's paper, especially towards the end, gets really inspiring…• I liked the advocacy message of this article. It shows that there is hope and work to be done

• Ehrlich and Pringle are unaccountably obnoxious.  it's impressive that he's able to annoy me this much.

• I was a bit irked… I’d would just like to say: I’m sick of it!!

• This week's readings were both saddening and overwhelming. 

• I’ve heard many colorful descriptions of humanity’s behavior, but Ehrlich’s comparison to us as spoiled teenagers is my new favorite. It’s just so true.

• I don’t think I have ever seen a more depressing description of ecology than the one quoted in the Ehrlich article, calling it "an ever more sophisticated refinement of the obituary of nature.”

• They make a decent argument for getting rid of the blood suckers.

• This attitude that the eradication of not just one species but of a group of species can be justified makes me very pessimistic about the future especially after reading about how much we have already impacted our planet and yet we are willing to continue the destruction.

• As far as irritants go, I'd have to put mosquitos, Ehrlich, & Pringle all in the same Genus.

The Control of NaturePublished by Farrar; Straus & Giroux Paperback: 0-374-52259-6; $12.00US

ECOL 505 Final 2010

Throughout this class we have read a lot papers that are supposed to have a high impact in the field. Throughout the remainder of your career you will likely spend much more time reading specialized research papers. However, these high impact papers are supposed to be idea rich and clearly the authors hoped they would influence the field in a way that another standard data paper cannot.

But how successful are they?

Your assignment is to use Web of Science to search for recent (2009/10) ecological papers that cited one of these “classic” papers we read in class (Odum 1969, Ricklefs 1987, Hairston et al 1960, Lindeman 1942, Gleason 1939, Gould and Lewontin 1979, and Lawton 1999). You should be able to find hundreds for the 2009 publication year alone.

Based on your interests, select one of these papers and read it (most papers should be available electronically from the CSU library).

Your assignment is to address both 1 and 2 below:

1. Explain how the authors of the paper cited the paper we read in class. Is it cited as an essential foundation for their work? Or do they use this paper merely to confirm some accepted idea? Is it cited along with a list of other similar papers or does this paper play a more central role in justification or explanation of their data or interpretation? Or it is cited in a very general, non-essential manner?

What I want to know is, in your opinion, did the cited paper seem to have a strong impact? -- and how was it used in this recent research paper.

2. Provide a brief overview of the paper you selected to read and address the following questions (make sure you include the complete reference of the paper you are reviewing:

A. Is the study question/hypothesis driven? What is the main hypothesis?B. Does the underlying question(s) addressed follow logically from extant knowledge?C. Are logical predictions made and supported? D. Is the study truly capable of testing the hypothesis? E. Are mechanisms, or is causality, inferred with results or with speculation? F. What is the level of inference (space, time, taxonomic level) of the study? G. What is the “take home message”? (One sentence that summarizes what the author’s learned).

Please limit your answer to 2 pages of text (single spaced). Email your final to me by Dec 13, 2010. This exam must be completed individually. No interactions with other students or faculty are permitted.

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A major challenge for research ecologists (you)…

There are more fundamentally important questions to answer and more problems to solve than we have ecologists or resources available ($)… or (gulp) time (?).

How do we prioritize?

What if you were the “Czar of Global Ecological Crises”? How would you decide?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Individual/Class exercise (Groups of 4)

Provide specific prioritizing criteria that you think we should use to determine what ecological research we fund and what we do not…

Rare vs. dominant?Unique vs. broadly applicable?Aesthetic vs. economicUrgent vs. best science?

Your criteria: We should support research that….

Is broadly relevantFocuses on “big biomes” so that results are generalizableFocuses on dominant species or those with the greatest impactEmphasizes broad studies that attempt to identify underlying mechanismsFocuses on systems that are broadly applicable rather than unique Includes data collection (monitoring) that can be shared widelyFocuses on the dominant rather than the rare (unless the rare is cuddly, loveable, brings public support, or is an umbrella species)Focuses on Keystone Species…

Is valuable to “us”Benefits human welfare or impacts the quality of life for humans…Has a broad focus on human impacts – both urgent short- and long-term effectsIs at the interface of human/natural interactionsHas economic relevance…Is policy relevant…Will enable proactive policies…Incorporates sustainability & non-market values of ecosystem services….

Is practicalIs tractable and has the potential to actually influence the subject of study…Is in areas where it’s “cheap” to make changes…(China, Latin America)

“We want it all” criteriaIs both theoretical and applied (theory must have application, applied research must link to theory…In both dynamic and static systems…Considers urgency vs. the long-term foresight of the problem…Seeks to establish parallels between paleo/historical changes and contemporary change…

My favorite criteria!

That will contribute to future research…

That creates a framework for prioritizing research!

Criteria focused on the “process of science” (should be this, but not that..)Is high quality science – not “urgent” science…Prioritizes a range of ecosystem services, not just harvest…Focuses on “systems” rather than individual organisms…Is interdisciplinary and collaborative…Includes a variety of systems and processes…

What is the future of Ecology?

Will continue on a trajectory of increasing complexity (at a higher rate than the increase in individual scientific skills), necessitating a greater reliance on a collaborative approach…

Loose ends…..

Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations

by Clay Shirky

Past:Filter, then publish…

Future:Publish, then filter…

Suggestions for Strengthening Ecological Science

Belovsky G E., D B. Botkin, T A. Crowl, K W. Cummins, J F. Franklin, M L. Hunter, Jr., A Joern, D B. Lindenmayer, J A. MacMahon, C R. Margules, and J. M Scott. 2004. Ten suggestions to strengthen the science of ecology. BioScience: 54: 345–351.

The “shoulds”…

Ecologist’s should:

1. Identify a set of basic (important? fundamental?)questions and answer them…

We are too attracted to "hot topics," and tend to forget the past

3. Optimally mix theory with empiricism…

We should be muddy boots mathematicians

4. Design ecological experiments for realism…

Don't be dumb- design intelligent experiments based on natural history

2. Exhibit greater scholarship through knowledge of earlier literature…

We are too lazy, read EVERYTHING

8. Make measurements that are comparable to other studies to facilitate synthesis…

Make your data compatible with others'

7. Replicate experiments in different environments and over time…

Replicate, replicate, replicate (through space AND time)

6. Focus more on dynamics of systems rather than emphasize equilibria or disequilibria…

The natural world is not a stable equilibrium

5. Design experiments to examine multiple causes over a range of conditions…

The world is complex- there are few single-cause patterns

9. Make sure that questions not methods or statistics are driving their science…

Methodology and stats won't substitute for poor data

10. Insure that both basic and applied research are fostered and valued equally…

Be applied or not, we should all be able to get along.

What is our role as “Ecologists”?

Our responsibilities…

1. Increase our fundamental understanding of our natural world and how it works…(and communicate it - publish)

2. Provide the best (relevant) information to society/policy makers to help us deal with our environment and our impact in a sustainable way…(and communicate it - publish)

3. Communicate that information via education at all levels…

Collectively, we must to do all three…individually, you should do what you do best to have the greatest impact… (1 of 3, 2 of 3, or all 3)

What about your research? Theoretically, you can attack any question…

How did you decide what to do? (or how will you decide?)

You only have 2-4 years to “bridge the gap between experimental clarity and biological reality… How will you do this?

How will your “discrete 2-4 year period of information/knowledge generation” make a difference with the really important questions/problems of the world?

Will you make a difference? Will what you do be valuable?

How will you “communicate” your research ideas and findings?

In-class assignment (more groups of 4):

Describe your research and its purpose/value/importance in 2 sentences (or 30 seconds…) in two ways (use feedback from your group to help you):

a. Do so without invoking any reference to the well-recognized human-driven environmental crisis we are facing – instead, do so as if your only interest is in the basic understanding of how the natural world works.

b. Do so as if you were talking to a senator and his/her staffer in an elevator…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you don't have a project, make one up that you would take on.

Be prepared to share with the class...

Everyone should turn their “2 sentence assignment” in at the end of class –