Is conservation hopeless?

Is conservation hopeless? I do not mean “will conservation efforts ultimately fail?” but “do conservation biologists perform their work without hope that it will make a difference?” A recent article in Bioscience (Volume 60, pages 626-630) argues that yes, researchers in conservation all too often function with a pessimistic outlook. The article points out that “A society that is habituated to the urgency of environmental destruction by a constant stream of dire messages from scientists and the media will require bigger and bigger hits of catastrophe to be spurred to action, and ultimately will give up hope that anything can be done.”

This notion of too much doom and gloom has been presented before, but this paper also suggests concrete solutions. I thought the most striking was the suggestion that conservation-oriented journals request that submitted articles possess, in addition to the usual concluding section on management implications, a section on hope. This section would focus on how the study offers hope for a better future.

Another interesting aspect of the paper was the implicit assumption that researchers studying conservation-related issues should be advocates for change. Some would argue that researchers should remain as objective as possible to avoid potential bias in their work. Many elements of science are inherently subjective, but it is not a settled matter that conservation biologists are advocates – that is worthy of debate as well.

On a different note, I recently got out pheasant hunting in Minnesota – beautiful autumn! – and snow has started to fly in Laramie. Ski season is not too far away.

READING

Swaisgood, Sheppard. 2010. The culture of conservation biologists: show me the hope! Bioscience 60:626-630.

Summer travels

I enjoyed traveling around the west this summer and scouting potential field sites. (From the top, the Laramie River in Colorado; a spot along the road in central Colorado; and the Shoshone River in northern Wyoming.) Aside from having a raccoon take my shoes into the brush overnight while camping, my trips were productive and uneventful.

One of the other nice features of summer in Laramie (apart from the beautiful weather) is the farmer's market, which takes place every Friday. There are a fair amount of farms in southeastern Wyoming and northern Colorado that make the trip to Laramie for these markets, and they provide a nice selection of produce and meat.

Events and Community

It has been great to see everyone back on campus and around town after returning from summer field work, work through data, plan new projects, and get some writing done (lots more still to go!). A few events worth noting -

The ecology graduate students had a welcome back/welcome new students cookout, followed by a camping trip in Happy Jack (~20 minutes from Laramie):

Program in Ecology Graduate Student Fall Camping Trip, Happy Jack, WY

E.O. Wilson came to Laramie and spoke about biodiversity loss and conservation for a public audience on campus.  I can now mark him off of my science-heros-I'd-like-to-see-in-person list!

The Program in Ecology hosted Dr. Ray Callaway for our Distinguished Ecologist Speaker Series.

My home department, Zoology & Physiology, has a fall picnic every year as well.  This year's get-together took place on a beautiful ranch owned by a retired professor just outside of Centennial and the Snowy Mountains (~30 minutes from Laramie):

Zoology & Physiology Department Fall Picnic, Lindzey's Ranch near Centennial, WY

And while I was near the Snowy Mountains for the department picnic, I decided to spend the morning hiking in Medicine Bow National Forest with the Snowies in the background.  One of my favorite spots near Laramie, especially in late summer/early fall:

Snowy Mountains, Medicine Bow National Forest, WY

The University of Wyoming community is a great one, and I'm always amazed when my friends at other institutions are surprised that the faculty and students socialize as much as we do.

The graduate students are hosting two invited speakers for the Program in Ecology this semester, and I am looking forward to interacting with the speakers as well as the professors and students during those visits.

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READING: Guenet et al. 2010. Priming effect: bridging the gap between terrestrial and aquatic ecology. Ecology.
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Summer's Over....

I'm back in Laramie after a great summer touring some beautiful Big Rivers in Wyoming and Idaho.  I'll try to get back into the groove of posting on here every once in a while, but for now I'll just share some photos from the field -

View of Jackson Lake and the Tetons from the UW-NPS Research Station in Grand Teton National Park, WY

Collecting inverts from the Buffalo Fork River, WY

Buffalo Fork River, WY

Sunset insect emergence, Green River, WY

Our "office" at our campsite on the Green River, WY

Green River, WY

The closest "store" to our sites on the Green River, La Barge, WY

Henry's Fork River, ID

Cooking chicken soup at the Warm River campground, ID

(My advisor) fishing during a sampling break on our nutrient release day, Henry's Fork, ID

Rowing on the Snake River, WY

Scouting days allowed for some extra fishing time, Snake River, WY

Camp at the confluence of the East Fork and the Salmon River, ID

Floating the Salmon River, ID

Winkler titrations, Salmon River, ID

At the end of the summer some of the students hiked up to Goat Lake for an overnight trip, Sawtooth Wilderness, ID

Sawtooth Wilderness, ID

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READING: Moreno et al. (2010) A three-isotope approach to disentangling the diet of a generalist consumer: the yellow-legged gull in northwest Spain. Mar Biol.

(for my Inverse Modeling of Isotopes seminar - great class so far!)
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Summer Update

Before I head off to the field again, I figured I could do a quick update in pictures:

1) Amazing aquatic sciences conference and workshops in Santa Fe:

2) I enjoyed exploring the southwest a bit more after the meeting and workshop:

3) 10 days in the Tetons for an invasive species food web project in Kelly Warm Springs (yes, the bottom photo is a cichlid. And no, they are not supposed to be there!):

4) And now, back to into the field for a large rivers nutrient cycling project (photos coming soon!).

Yep, that just about covers it!  I love summers in Wyoming, and I can't wait to explore some new field sites over the next month and a half.

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READING: Tank et al. (2008) Are rivers just big streams? A pulse method to quantify nitrogen demand in a large river. Ecology.

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The first year

I recently finished my first academic year here, and things are going well. I took several courses, sent out proposals, and had my first committee meeting. More importantly, I've enjoyed the process. As I've thought over ideas and sought advice, the faculty and graduate students here have been generous with their time and opinions - and that's probably been the greatest help to me as a first year PhD student.

Weekend in the Fort

My weekend trip to Fort Collins was great.  The weather was nice, trees were blooming, and Odell Brewery had outdoor seating and live music at their Tap Room on Saturday afternoon:

We also arrived just in time to take a tour of the newly expanded brewery.  My favorite part?  The cask room (some of my favorite Odell brews are from their cask batches):

Oh, and there's a new brewery to add to the FoCo sampling list: Equinox Brewing.  I guess Fort Collins has good water?

We enjoyed dinner at Jay's Bistro (one of the best buffalo steaks I've ever had!) and stayed overnight at the Armstrong Hotel.  It was nice to get away and recharge for a weekend.

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READING: Newsome* et al. (2010). Pleistocene to historic shifts in bald eagle diets on the Channel Islands, California. PNAS. 

* Seth is a postdoc at the University of Wyoming in the Department of Zoology & Physiology
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April snow

As Erin mentioned, it does tend to snow in Laramie in April. (And also in the other months that don't end in "uly" or "gust.") One of the benefits is a long skiing season.

I'm not an accomplished skier, but I enjoy living close to so many options. In early April, I went skiing at Monarch, just a few hours away in Colorado. Although it was the first week of April, they still had fresh snow and a base of 80".

While winters are long here, they also provide good recreation - and in April, ski slopes can be just as nice as they are in mid-winter but less crowded.

Candidate!

My preliminary exams are over! (And yes, I passed!)  My writtens were actually fun (even though I didn't get much sleep during the process) and my oral exam went well. And I love my committee. They are all very supportive and help me think beyond the comfort zone of my dissertation topic, which is really rewarding.

It's nice to be back in non-prelim mode.  I have lots of work to do in the next month to prepare for an LTER working group, a metabolism modeling workshop, and the ASLO/NABS Aquatic Sciences Conference in June.

And in case you were wondering if all I ever think about is science: I'm heading down to Colorado for the weekend to celebrate the end of the prelim era.  Fort Collins is only an hour south of Laramie, so it's an easy weekend escape to check out different dining options, sample micro brews at Odell or New Belgium, wander around Old Town, and/or enjoy live music at the Aggie.

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READING: Gazeau et al. (2010). Effect of ocean acidification on the early stages of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis). Biogeosciences.
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April showers...

...or snow?  Either way, it's "spring time" in Laramie.  And that means a week of lovely chaco weather followed by a big snow storm!

I took these photos yesterday afternoon, about halfway to this morning's total accumulation:

University of Wyoming campus, 23 April 2010

Walking home, 23 April 2010

So now I get to break out the snow boots to walk to campus for Undergraduate Research Day!  

I am looking forward to hearing about the research-to-classroom connections made by our Wyoming Science Teacher Education Program (WySTEP) Fellows this year (I mentor graduate and undergraduate research partners for WySTEP during the summer).

I have also been working with an undergraduate student on a research project monitoring the impacts of an invasive snail on native freshwater invertebrates.  She will be presenting her results today as well as at the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography / North American Benthological Society Conference in June. 

The University of Wyoming offers several fellowships and scholarships to support undergraduate research.  Which, in turn, is a great opportunity for graduate students to mentor undergraduate researchers and expand their own research.  Getting involved with undergraduate research programs and projects has been very exciting and rewarding.

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READING: Taylor & Townsend (2010). Stoichiometric control of organic carbon–nitrate relationships from soils to the sea. Nature.
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Prelims: Day 7 Recap

Edits done, written exam turned in, and I just went out for a couple of beers at Front Street to celebrate with friends.

Now: I am ready to SLEEP!

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READING: Right now? Nothing.
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Prelims: Day 6 Recap

Considering the influence of sediments and anaerobic microbial processes on freshwater ecosystem carbon cycling

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READING: Hedin et al. (1998). Thermodynamic constraints on nitrogen transformations and other biogeochemical processes and soil-stream interfaces. Ecology.
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Prelims: Day 5 Recap

Edits on 1-4. Lots of work left to do. It's going to be a crazy couple of days!

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READING: My terrible writing.
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Prelims: Day 4 Recap

Role of freshwater ecosystems in global carbon cycling through deep time: Comparing early Eocene thermal maximum, late Pleistocene glacial maximum, and current environmental conditions

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READING: Bowen et al. (2004). A humid climate state during the Palaeocene/Eocene thermal maximum. Nature.

Ward et al. (2005). Carbon starvation in glacial trees recovered from the La Brea tar pits, southern California. PNAS.
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Prelims: Day 3 Recap

Use of δ¹⁸O-CO₂ to 1) quantify terrestrial ecosystem respiration, 2) understand mechanisms responsible for variation in atmospheric δ¹⁸O-CO₂, and 3) model global carbon cycling

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READING: Wingate et al. (2009). The impact of soil microorganisms on the global budget of δ¹⁸O in atmospheric CO₂. PNAS.
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Prelims: Day 2 Recap

Evolution of carbon concentrating mechanisms in aquatic primary producers: Resulting stable isotope composition and ecological implications given projected increases in atmospheric CO₂

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READING: Tortell (2000). Evolutionary and ecological perspectives on carbon acquisition in phytoplankton. Limnology and Oceanography.
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Prelims: Day 1 Recap

Perspectives: Impacts of rising atmospheric CO₂ on freshwater ecosystems

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READING: Urabe et al. (2003). Stoichiometric impacts of increased carbon dioxide on a planktonic herbivore. Global Change Biology.
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The Dreaded Prelims

Progress as a PhD student includes many benchmarks: deciding on an advisor/University/program, research topic, committee members, dissertation research objectives/methods, and the list of courses to include in your program of study. Presenting your proposed research. Writing your dissertation research proposal. Finishing required classes. Passing your preliminary exams. Writing-up and publishing dissertation research. Defending. Finding a post-doc or real job. Graduating.

So...where am I? I begin the written portion of my preliminary exams (prelims) this Tuesday. And I have been dreading this part of the PhD process more than any other.

Prelims for the Program in Ecology begin with a week of written questions from your 5+ member committee.  The written part is open-book, and I'm actually(!!!) looking forward to it.  I think I am a decent writer, and I enjoy reviewing and synthesizing material to answer "think big" questions.

Two or more weeks after finishing your written questions, you will meet with your committee for your oral exam.  Your oral exam questions will not be limited to your research area or your written questions - they are in part used to confirm that you know (and can think) enough to be a PhD Candidate in Ecology, so the range of possible topics is daunting.  The point seems to be to take you to the edge of your abilities.  And, like many PhD students, I fear that this "edge" won't be on a deep enough ledge to satisfy my committee.

Your committee members will vote on whether you have passed your prelims immediately after your oral exam.  If you pass, you get to 1) celebrate, 2) sleep, 3) call yourself a "PhD Candidate", and 4) carry on with all of the research you have neglected while preparing for and completing your prelims!

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READING: Biology, physiology, chemistry, biophysics, ecology, biogeochemistry, statistics, limnology....

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Yet another peaceful feast day

February 10th marked yet another peaceful St. Scholastica Day at the University of Wyoming. Unlike the days-long riot between armed bands of scholars and townsfolk that broke out on this day many years ago in another university town, the tenth of February - like other days - was characterized more by continued tranquility between the town and the university. In fact, there's quite a bit of support and pride in the University and its teams around town; in turn, scholars here generally refrain from throwing alcoholic beverage containers at tavern-keepers while using abusive language and sparking riots. All of which is to say that town-gown relationships here are pretty nice.

Downtown

I've lived in college towns with less than thriving downtowns, so it's nice to see folks in Laramie who care about keeping the downtown area thriving. In the warmer months, there's a farmer's market on Friday afternoons. Recently, downtown has seen a new bar open (which houses one of the oldest bars in the state), a new sushi restaurant open, and a new Italian restaurant is coming soon.

In addition to the mountain west location and amount of outdoors, Laramie's downtown is one of the best parts of the area. The Main Street Program is a good source for information about the downtown area and the shops found there.

Feedback

As I work on refining some ideas for my dissertation, I'm looking forward to getting some feedback from professors and fellow grad students. This Monday, I'll be giving a talk going on some of my research ideas in the Zoology and Physiology Department's informal weekly seminar.

I've enjoyed conversations with grad students in my home department and PiE at seminars and receptions, but I'm really looking forward to having a captive audience of scientists to help sharpen some of my ideas. The Monday "brown bag" series is a nice way for students, faculty, and guests to share ideas and get feedback from folks who have expertise outside your study area.

Consumed

Spring semester always begins with this great promise of being super-productive, especially when I am on a research assistantship and not teaching.

Then I come back to reality and remember that much of my spring semester is always consumed by:

1. applying for grants or helping undergraduates apply for grants to fund their independent projects,
2. preparing summer research conference abstracts and presentations, and
3. planning summer fieldwork. 

Don't get me wrong, these things are still productive, but it's never what I dream of RE: writing 5 manuscripts and skiing every weekend.  Guess I should be a little more realistic when I make my "to do this semester" lists!

And, in the end, the above list (+ writing articles and teaching) certainly reflects the reality of the rest of my life if I choose to stay in academia.  I am still figuring out the best way to juggle writing, lab work, teaching, mentoring and planning.  I think I am getting better, but there is still LOTS of room for improvement.

For now (based on how I feel this morning) I will leave you with this:

Check out the rest of the PhD comics series!
(It's amazing how well they mirror my life as a graduate student.)

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READING: Smith (2010). Is There an Ecological Unconscious? The New York Times.

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Recovering from break & hosting a speaker

Well, it's been a while since my last post.

I went "home" over winter break to spend some time with family and friends in Tennessee.  I always promise myself I will get loads of work done over break.  And I usually end up being very disappointed with myself at the end of break.  I did get lots of reading done...just not as much writing as I had hoped.  But it was nice to catch up with everyone and enjoy views like this:

View from my Grandmother's house in eastern TN

I love the open spaces and breathtaking mountains of the western US, but I think the rolling hills of the southeastern US will always feel like "home."

So...it's back to school, back to the lab, back to work.  I'm only taking one course this semester: the final required class for the Program in Ecology ("ecology as a profession").  I'm hoping this means I will conquer most of the lab work, data analyses and writing on my "to do" list as well as the dreaded preliminary exams.

This past week I've been busy planning the schedule for our first visiting ecology speaker of 2010: Dr. Peter Groffman from the Institute of Ecosystem Studies.  I met Peter while taking the Fundamentals of Ecosystem Ecology course at IES several years ago (an amazing course that I would recommend to any graduate student studying ecology), and I'm thrilled to be hosting his visit to Wyoming.

One of my favorite privileges of being a PiE student is that we get to nominate, vote, invite and host several visiting speakers each year for the Ecology Speaker Series.  This series is run entirely by grad students, and I think we've done an excellent job of selecting and hosting speakers.

Hopefully the weather cooperates - sometimes that's the trickiest part of hosting a visiting speaker in Laramie!

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READING: Groffman et al. (2004). Exotic earthworm invasion and microbial biomass in temperate forest soils. Ecosystems.
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Up and running

The semester is beginning with a flurry of speakers and seminars. I enjoyed listening to Dov Sax speak about patterns of plant invasions on oceanic islands. Since part of my research involves thinking about freshwater fish invasions, this was an interesting perspective - the patterns are quite different between fish and plants.

Alexandra Rose gave a seminar on latitudinal gradients in clutch size. Again, I found myself thinking about the potential role of latitudinal gradients in my research and the comparisons among taxa.

This week, Peter Groffman is giving a seminar that I believe focuses on smaller organisms and ecosystem processes. One of the reasons I came to Wyoming was the diversity here - plants, birds, worms - which helps keep me from focusing too narrowly within my own work. The seminars are also a nice way to meet some of the dozens of PiE students who aren't in my department.

Modern history of polar bear conservation

Dag Vongraven, of the Norwegian Polar Institute, recently published a guest editorial in the journal Polar Research (2009, 28:323-326). It provides a concise rundown of events that led to today's administrative bodies responsible for managing and conserving the world's 19 populations of polar bears. It's a neat read if you are curious how data is gathered and shared, and how management decisions are coordinated, for this circumpolar, international species.

Doubt and ignorance in science

I have heard several people characterize graduate school as: the farther along one progresses in education, the more apparent one’s ignorance becomes. And, generally, I agree – as I learn about the mechanisms behind a particular natural phenomenon, I end up thinking about all the other phenomena and mechanisms of which I am totally unfamiliar.

But it is not just a matter of how much of the world you have been exposed to; I think also that as a scientist progresses, he or she absorbs the notion that it is best to doubt something unless faced with strong evidence to the contrary, preferably experimental. This doesn’t sound radical, but I think it is – the list of assumptions I make about how the natural world works is actually quite long, and the list of phenomena for which I have encountered mechanistic explanations supported by clear, experimental evidence, is really short.

Claude Bernard uses pages and pages to discuss this notion and although he was focused on human medicine, I think the implied principle in his phrase “True science teaches us to doubt, and, in ignorance, to refrain” applies to all science.

The phrase is from An introduction to the study of experimental medicine. Like I said, in this book he is taking a long time (at least according to my 21st-century attention span) to discuss the role of doubt in science, the importance of experimentation, and the critical need to humble oneself in front of nature. In short, he seems to be saying “Get over yourself – nature is complicated so don’t pretend to know it all.”

It seems kind of strange to emphasize that point. It is a point well-taken, as I described above, but today it does not seem necessary to tell scientists that they can’t make up data or tweak it to fit their hypotheses (sure, that does happen, but it is widely understood to be wholly unethical and condemnable). Perhaps it is that in Bernard’s day – the book was published in 1865 – the risk was not an unethical bending of data to fit a preconception, but a mindset that frequently put human wisdom as the pinnacle of truth, rather than clear reasoning supported by strong evidence.