Scales-project news last news from scales-project.net http://www.scales-project.net Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:04:31 +0200 WebDesign LTD. FeedCreator The biodiversity crisis: Worse than climate change http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=193 30 January 2012

By Prof. Carsten Rahbek

Biodiversity is declining rapidly throughout the world. The challenges of conserving the world’s species are perhaps even larger than mitigating the negative effects of global climate change. Dealing with the biodiversity crisis requires political will and needs to be based on a solid scientific knowledge if we are to ensure a safe future for the planet. This is the main conclusion from scientists from University of Copenhagen, after 100 researchers and policy experts from EU countries were gathered this week at the University of Copenhagen to discuss how to organise the future UN Intergovernmental Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, IPBES - an equivalent to the UN panel on climate change (IPCC). (Please see the link below for more information)]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: Postdoc on social-ecological feedbacks and resilience (Stockholm Resilience Centre, ... http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=194 30 January 2012

The interdisciplinary research group SES-LINK at the Stockholm Resilience Centre seeks a postdoctoral researcher for the project “The nature of social-ecological linkages and their implication for the resilience of human-environment systems”. The project is funded by a starting grant of the European Research Council (ERC). Its goal is to enhance understanding of the dynamics and resilience of social-ecological systems (SES) through systematic analysis of social-ecological feedbacks using theoretical approaches and case studies of irrigation, marine governance and river basin management.

Application deadline: 19 February 2012.

For more information please visit the webpage linked below.]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Article alert: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=192 24 January 2012

Science 13 January 2012: 335(6065): 174-175. DOI: 10.1126/science.1217245

Maestre FT et al.

How is the biodiversity within an ecosystem related to the ecosystem's function? Quantifying and understanding this relationship—the biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) (1)—is important because socio-economic development is almost always accompanied by the loss of natural habitat and species (2). Short-term economic gains may thus trump longer-term benefits for human society, creating vulnerabilities that could be avoided or corrected with enough knowledge about the role of biodiversity. Erosion of biodiversity at local and regional scales may also reduce resilience at larger spatial scales as a result of degradation of ecosystem function (3). On page 214 of this issue, Maestre et al. (4) report an important step toward extending our understanding of BEF to globally important ecosystems.

]]> Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: Science Officer for BiodivERs http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=191 22 January 2012

The Belgian Biodiversity Platform is presently seeking to hire a Science Officer to assist in the implementation of the EU FP7 “BiodivERsA” ERA-net project. BiodivERsA is a network of national funding organisations promoting pan-European research that offers innovative opportunities for the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity. The BiodivERsA Science Officer will be in charge of implementing the tasks coordinated by the Belgian Biodiversity Platform/BELSPO.

Closing date for application: 3th February 2012.

Please see the attachment pdf file for more information.]]> Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Successful conservation policy needs monitoring and knowledge http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=189 21 January 2012

Science for Environment Policy, Issue 269

New research has explored how well different governance systems can achieve desirable conservation outcomes. Results confirmed the importance of adaptive management, which relies on regular monitoring to enable ‘learning through doing’ to refine actions, and suggested that leadership using expert knowledge was also significant in successful governance.]]> Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Protect biodiversity to safeguard ecosystem services http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=190 21 January 2012

Science for Environment Policy, Issue 269

Most species in an ecosystem could help supply essential ecosystem services, according to a recent study. The researchers found that 84% of species in the grassland ecosystems they studied contributed towards at least one ecosystem service. Losing any of these species would therefore degrade the ecosystem services such an environment could provide. ]]> Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Effect of habitat area and isolation on plant trait distribution in European forests and grasslands http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=188 18 January 2012

A new study exploring the sensitivity of grassland and forest plants to decreasing habitat size and isolation in north-central Europe carried out within the SCALES project concludes that an irreversible shift in the most dominant plant species may already be underway in forests and grassland, where forests are more vulnerable than grasslands. Overall, forest species were found to be more sensitive to changes in habitat area and isolation than grassland species. Out of the 121 area-sensitive species, 89 were from forests compared to 32 from grasslands. Similarly, of the 128 species found to be sensitive to isolation, 88 were from forests compared to 40 from grasslands. The results also suggest that ‘clonal’ plants, those that mainly reproduce asexually, were more sensitive to a decrease in habitat size in forests and grasslands than non-clonal plants, which reproduce by dispersing seeds or spores. This result, which contrasts with previous studies, may be linked to a lower capacity to spread into new habitat. For short-lived and non-clonal species, which were less sensitive to habitat size and isolation, habitat quality may be a more important factor, say the researchers. Differences in seed weight across the species revealed no link with habitat area, but a strong link with isolation. Surprisingly, forest species with large seeds were more sensitive than those with small seeds, while the opposite was true for grassland species. The scientists relate this to different modes of seed dispersal in for...]]> Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: 6 Postdoctoral research positions in environmental decisions/conservation ecology at ... http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=187 17 January 2012

The appointees will conduct research in the Quantitative and Applied Ecology (QAE) Group in The School of Botany at The University of Melbourne (http://www.qaeco.com). The research is associated with the National Environment Research Program (NERP) Environmental Decisions Hub, the National Climate Adaptation Research Facility (NCARF), and an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant. The research will develop and test structured approaches to conservation investment, environmental decision making and performance monitoring.
These are full-time fixed-term positions available for four years.

Close date: 15 February 2012.

Please see the Web site for more information.]]> Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Practical course: Dispersal analysis with mark-release-recapture methods (30 April – 2 May ... http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=186 13 January 2012

A practical course on dispersal analysis with mark-recapture methods will be held on 30 April – 2 May 2012 in Prague, Czech Republic. The course is aimed at researchers / students / conservation managers, who are using, or planning to use, mark-recapture methods for investigating dispersal in their study species. The course should provide them with practical knowledge of how to plan the fieldwork and to analyse the data collected.

Course participation is free, but please register by sending organisers an e-mail. The participants need to cover their travel and accommodation costs. To register, contact: Piotr Nowicki (piotr.nowicki@uj.edu.pl).

Please see the attachment pdf file for more information.]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: PhD student at Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Leipzig, Germany) http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=185 12 January 2012

Topic: Effects of land-use on multitrophic interactions in rice-dominated landscapes in South-East Asia.

The Department of Community Ecology at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ is offering a position for three years within the BMBF funded project „LEGATO – Land-use intensity and ecological engineering – assessment tools for risks and opportunities in irrigated rice based production systems” for a PhD student (Early Stage Researcher).

Closing date for application: 10th February 2012.

Please see the attachment pdf file for more information.]]> Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: Post-Doc position: Conservation biology and spatial ecology in Mediterranean farmlands http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=183 10 January 2012

A grant offer is open to conduct post-doctoral research for 18 months (with the possibility of an extension) in Spain in the context of the project STEPPE-AHEAD “Steppe-land birds, agriculture practices and economic viability: towards the conservation of threatened species in humanised landscapes“ funded by Fundación General CSIC and Banco Santander. (http://www.steppeahead.com).

Closing date for applications: 31 January, 2012.

Please see the link below for more information.]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Article alert: Continent-wide response of mountain vegetation to climate change http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=184 10 January 2012

Nature Climate Change (2012) doi:10.1038/nclimate1329

M. Gottfried, H. Pauli, A. Futschik et al.

Climate impact studies have indicated ecological fingerprints of recent global warming across a wide range of habitats1, 2. Although these studies have shown responses from various local case studies, a coherent large-scale account on temperature-driven changes of biotic communities has been lacking3, 4. Here we use 867 vegetation samples above the treeline from 60 summit sites in all major European mountain systems to show that ongoing climate change gradually transforms mountain plant communities. We provide evidence that the more cold-adapted species decline and the more warm-adapted species increase, a process described here as thermophilization. At the scale of individual mountains this general trend may not be apparent, but at the larger, continental scale we observed a significantly higher abundance of thermophilic species in 2008, compared with 2001. Thermophilization of mountain plant communities mirrors the degree of recent warming and is more pronounced in areas where the temperature increase has been higher. In view of the projected climate change5, 6 the observed transformation suggests a progressive decline of cold mountain habitats and their biota.

]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: Internship “European synthesis of vegetation mapping experiences” http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=182 06 January 2012

The Service du Patrimoine Naturel of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle is searching for an intern to help with its programme of habitat mapping (CARHAB), in particular to assist with a survey of current experience across Europe and to prepare a review of national or regional habitat mapping in Europe.

Interested candidates should apply by 20.01.2012.

Please download the attached pdf below for more information.]]> Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: Postdoctoral fellowship: Biodiversity and biological control at Swedish University ... http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=180 04 January 2012

SLU invite applications for a two-year post-doctoral position fellowship for research on ecosystem services in multifunctional agricultural landscapes. The positions are part of the project SAPES (Multifunctional Agriculture: Harnessing Biodiversity for Sustaining Agricultural Production and Ecosystem Services - http://www.lu.se/o.o.i.s/23810).

Closing date for applications: 5 March, 2012.

Please download the attached pdf below for more information.]]> Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: 8 PhD positions in interdisciplinary River Science http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=181 04 January 2012

SMART (http://www.riverscience.eu/) is a 3-years Joint PhD programme offered in the framework of the Erasmus Mundus action by the University of Trento (Italy), Queen Mary, University of London (UK) and the Free University of Berlin (Germany), together with 12 associate partners in 8 different countries and 4 continents, encompassing research centres, private companies and governmental agencies. The SMART Joint Doctorate, awarding the prestigious “Erasmus Mundus” label, focuses on the core areas of natural and engineering sciences relevant to the sustainable management of river systems from their headwaters to estuaries

The deadline for application is approaching: 9 January 2012.

Further details are available on the attached flyer below.]]> Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0200 Article alert: Individual-scale inference to anticipate climate-change vulnerability of biodiversity http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=178 28 December 2011

Philosophical Transactions B Biological Sciences (2012) 367(1586): 236-246; doi: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0183Clark JS, Bell DM, Kwit M, Stine A, Vierra B, Zhu K

Anticipating how biodiversity will respond to climate change is challenged by the fact that climate variables affect individuals in competition with others, but interest lies at the scale of species and landscapes. By omitting the individual scale, models cannot accommodate the processes that determine future biodiversity. We demonstrate how individual-scale inference can be applied to the problem of anticipating vulnerability of species to climate. The approach places climate vulnerability in the context of competition for light and soil moisture. Sensitivities to climate and competition interactions aggregated from the individual tree scale provide estimates of which species are vulnerable to which variables in different habitats. Vulnerability is explored in terms of specific demographic responses (growth, fecundity and survival) and in terms of the synthetic response (the combination of demographic rates), termed climate tracking. These indices quantify risks for individuals in the context of their competitive environments. However, by aggregating in specific ways (over individuals, years, and other input variables), we provide ways to summarize and rank species in terms of their risks from climate change.

]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: Master's Programs in Environmental Sciences and Policy (Hungary) http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=179 28 December 2011

The Central European University is pleased to announce its call for applications 2012/2013 for the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy (http://envsci.ceu.hu/). The Dapartment combines general academic research with specialized professional education in environmental sciences and policy. Focus is placed on integrating theory and practice and developing solutions for environment–related problems. Graduates pursue successful careers with local and national governments, international environmental organizations and NGOs, and in academia. Alumni specialize in environmental policy, environmental planning, regulation and management.

Application deadline: January 25, 2012.

Please see the link below for more information.]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: Postdoctoral Position at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=175 27 December 2011

The Research Center FuturES – Futures of Ecosystem Services at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in Environmental and Sustainability Science beginning April 1, 2012 (or at the earliest date thereafter). The position can be negotiated to be anything from 50% part-time to 100% full-time. It is remunerated under state salary scheme EG 13 TV-L and limited to a term of 2 years, with an option of extension. The newly established Leuphana Research Center FuturES – Futures of Ecosystem Services (http://www.leuphana.de/en/institute/ie/futures.html) brings together the broad and diverse expertise of researchers at Leuphana University Lüneburg and of renowned international experts across a wide range of disciplines such as communication science, ecology, economics, ethics, political science and management. They collaborate on questions of sustainable conservation and use of ecosystem services. This collaboration proceeds between the natural and social sciences (interdisciplinary approach), and actively involves stakeholders and policy makers in shaping research goals and methods (transdisciplinary approach).

Closing date for applications: February 15, 2012.

Please see the attachment pdf file for more information.]]> Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: Postdoctoral Researcher in Pollination Ecology and Bee health at University of ... http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=176 27 December 2011

The Ecosystem Functions group (Prof. Alexandra-Maria Klein) of the Institute of Ecology at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in Pollination Ecology and Bee health beginning March 1, 2012. The position is an integral part of a cooperative project “Global evaluation of bee attractiveness and apicultural relevance of agricultural crops” between the Leuphana University of Lüneburg and an industrial partner to improve the available information for a scientifically sound risk assessment for pollinators. The successful candidate will become a member of the Ecosystem functions group at the Leuphana University www.leuphana.de/en/professorships/ecosystem-functions.html

Closing date for applications: January 31, 2012.

Please see the attachment pdf file for more information.]]> Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0200 Job alert: PhD position at Jagiellonian University (Poland) http://www.scales-project.net/news.php?n=174 20 December 2011

The Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland has announced an internship program for interdisciplinary young doctors. Internships will be granted for a period of 2 years to people who defended their Ph.D. dissertation not less than 2 years before the time of recruitment. The intern will be employed at the Jagiellonian University as a scientific assistant for an indefinite period under the terms of a work contract. The recruitment for the internships will be carried out in an open competition with the following criteria: scientific achievements of the candidate, quality of the research project, etc. People who qualify for the internships, will be obliged to prepare during their internship an application for an external research grant (with particular regard to applications for European Union programs), conduct scientific research, and publish in prestigious international scientific journals. Regulations for the recruitment of interns within the IPhDS SET Project will be presented in July, after approval by the Scientific Council of the Project.

Conservation Biology and Ecological Education Research Team (http://www.eko.uj.edu.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=156&Itemid=37) – one of the scientific group of Institute of Environmental Sciences (Jagiellonian University) - is particularly interested in a Post-doc candidate specializing on social aspects of nature conservation. For more details please contact: Malgorzata Grodzinska-Jurczak, Assoc. Prof. at m.grodzinska-jurczak@uj.edu.pl

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