Basing policy on carbon dioxide levels'potentially disastrous economic folly' Dec 21, 2007
" But the Senate report noted the scientists who are expressing a dissatisfaction with such generalizations include experts in climatology, geology, oceanography, biology, glaciology, biogeography, meteorology, economics, chemistry, mathematics, environmental sciences, engineering, physics and paleoclimatology. "Some of those profiled have won Nobel Prizes for their outstanding contribution to their field of expertise and many shared a portion of the UN IPCC Nobel Peace Price with Vice President... (WorldNetDaily)
Don't Look to Government to Cool Down the Planet Nov 8, 2007
Phillip Stott, professor of biogeography at the University of London, says that the global warming debate has become the new "grand narrative" of the environmental movement. "It's something for people to get excited about and protest. It's more about emotion than science." While the scientists thrash things out, what are the rest of us to do. (Human Events Online)
Importance Of Mangrove Conservation In Tsunami Prone Regions Nov 1, 2007
1, 2007) Agricultural expansion rather than shrimp farming is the major factor responsible for the destruction of tropical mangrove forests in the tsunami-impacted regions of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka, according to a new study published in the Journal of Biogeography. See also. (Science Daily)
Why do so many species live in tropical forests and coral reefs? Oct 31, 2007
In Hubbell's 2001 book, The Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and Biogeography, he pointed to a surprising feature of some measurements of relative species abundance distributions (RSAs). The measurements are indistinguishable from fictional distribution curves generated by models based on random processes; that is, processes in which the fates of hypothetical species owe purely to chance events in birth, death, and immigration rather than to their adaptive prowess. (EurekAlert!)
Antarctic Plants And Animal Life Survived Ice Ages Oct 1, 2007
But recent advances in molecular biology and biogeography show us that they are indeed significant when you are trying to reconstruct a picture of the Earth's glacial history. It is important now for us to work together with scientists from all disciplines to integrate this new biological evidence in glaciological and climate models. (Science Daily)
Mapping global diversity of protozoans Sep 26, 2007
These results are concordant with the 'moderate endemicity model' of microbial biogeography. Rare or continentally endemic microbes may be ecologically significant and potentially of conservational concern. (BioMed Central)
New bat species discovered in Mindoro Sep 18, 2007
Lim said a team from the Comparative Biogeography and Conservation of Philippine Vertebrates (CBCPV) project conducted an expedition in Mindoro Occidental early last year that led to the discovery of the new fruit bat species, which has been named as the Mindoro Stripe-Faced Fruitbat for its striking facial features and the island on which it was found. A local resident of Sablayan first described the flying fox in great detail to us, but we were unconvinced until the species showed up in... (ABS CBN News)
'Private Bandwidth' For Communication In Bats: Evidence From Insular Horseshoe Bats Aug 16, 2007
A new study in the Journal of Biogeography by Danilo Russo and colleagues suggests that this is certainly the case for horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae). These bats find their way in the dark and detect insect prey by emitting long ultrasound calls mainly made of a constant frequency. (Science Daily)
Portrait: Bill Elliott honored by the National Speleological Society Aug 14, 2007
Mainly because he's fascinated by the evolution and biogeography of living things. Elliott said the geographic distribution of some creatures such as the pink planarian, which is only found in Devil's Icebox Cave in Rock Bridge State Park reflects geologic and climatic history. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Proteaceae spread by continental drift and transoceanic dispersal Aug 9, 2007
But now a new study published in the Journal of Biogeography has shown that, while this is the case for some of these plants, others are far too recent to have lived at the time when the super-continent broke up. They must therefore have dispersed across oceans to reach their current distribution ranges. (EurekAlert!)
Sink into summer with a good book - Local readers give their personal recommendations Jul 31, 2007
Glaes is now reading The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction, by David Quammen, a collection of essays. He hasn t read enough to know if he d recommend it to anyone, but Glaes said anyone looking for a powerful story should pick up the book Saturday, by Ian Mcewan. (Missoulian, MT)
March Of The Giant Penguins: Prehistoric Equatorial Penguins Reached 5 Feet In Height Jun 26, 2007
Together these new finds are revolutionizing our understanding of biogeography and timing of diversification in the penguin lineage. (Credit: Art by Kristin Lamm). (Science Daily)
Bug expert's testimony key to conviction Jun 2, 2007
The author of some 90 publications, she focuses her research on the biology and evolution of insects; biogeography of insects; functional morphology, dealing with the form and structure of insects; and systematics, or the science of classification. Kimsey was trained by world-renowned entomologist Richard M. Bohart of UC Davis, who founded the Bohart Museum in 1946. (Davis Enterprise, CA)
Entomologist Links Insects on Suspect's Car Radiator with Whereabouts Davis, May. 31 Jun 1, 2007
The author of some 90 publications, she focuses her research on the biology and evolution of insects; biogeography of insects; functional morphology, dealing with the form and structure of insects; and systematics, or the science of classification. Kimsey was trained by world-renowned entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007) of UC Davis, who founded the Bohart Museum in 1946. (University of California Newswire, CA)
Open your eyes to see who really is doing the swindling May 26, 2007
"Isn't it bizarre to think that it's humans, when we're filling up our cars and turning on our lights, that we're the ones controlling climate?" asks Philip Stott, professor emeritus of biogeography at the University of London. "Just look up in the sky. Look at that massive thing, the sun. Even humans, at our present 6 billion, are minute compared to that.". (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Prehistoric Behavior And Ecology Of Northern Fur Seals Reconstructed May 24, 2007
"We were able to reconstruct this species' prehistoric range and see changes in biogeography and behavior over timescales longer than ecologists usually think about," said Seth Newsome, who worked on the study as a graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is now a postdoctoral researcher at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Today, the main breeding colony of northern fur seals is on the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea. (Science Daily)
Antarctic Species Treasure Trove Discovered May 20, 2007
First insights into the biodiversity and biogeography of the Southern Ocean deep sea, by Angelika Brandt, Andrew J. Gooday, Simone N. Brando, Saskia Brix, Wiebke Brkeland, Tomas Cedhagen, Madhumita Choudhury, Nils Cornelius, Bruno Danis, Ilse De Mesel, Robert J. Diaz, David C. Gillan, Brigitte Ebbe, John A. Howe, Dorte Janussen, Stefanie Kaiser, Katrin Linse, Marina Malyutina, Jan Pawlowski, Michael Raupach anreusel. Nature 447, 307-311 (17 May 2007) | doi:10. (ScienceBlogs)
Antarctic mission finds 700 new species May 17, 2007
First insights into the biodiversity and biogeography of the Southern Ocean deep sea. Brandt, et al, 'Nature', 447, pp307-311. (Independent)
Invasion Of The Island Bats May 10, 2007
Analysis of bat DNA published in Journal of Biogeography reveal that several neotropical species descended from ancestors that evolved in the West Indies, and this pattern is consistent with fossils found throughout the region. As the culmination in the study of several independent bat groups, this article shows that reverse colonization is a feature of the entire Caribbean bat community, encompassing groups of bats as different from each other as aerial insectivores, nectarivores, and... (Science Daily)
Wednesday talk focuses on Arctic May 2, 2007
Kingston is an associate professor of anthropology at OSU, where she has developed collaborative grants from the National Science Foundation to explore the culture, biogeography, and traditional ecological knowledge of King Island, Alaska. She is a descendent of the King Island Inupiaq community. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
Global warming labeled a 'scam' Mar 6, 2007
In his program, Mr. Durkin rejects the concept of man-made climate change, calling it "a lie ... the biggest scam of modern times." The truth, he says, is that global warming "is a multibillion-dollar worldwide industry, created by fanatically anti-industrial environmentalists, supported by scientists peddling scare stories to chase funding, and propped up by compliant politicians and the media." Channel 4 says that the program features "an impressive roll-call of experts," including nine... (Washington Times)
'Global Warming Is Lies' Claims New Documentary... Mar 5, 2007
Philip Stott, professor emeritus of biogeography at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London , who also features in the film warned the issue was too complex to be down to one single factor, whether CO2 or clouds. He said: "The greenhouse effect theory worried me from the start because you cant say that just one factor can have this effect. "The system is too complex to say exactly what the effect of cutting back on CO2 production would be, or indeed of continuing to produce CO2. (The Drudge Report)
'The Great Global Warming Swindle' Set to Rock Climate Debate... Mar 5, 2007
The film features an impressive roll-call of experts, including nine professors experts in climatology, oceanography, meteorology, environmental science, biogeography and paleoclimatology from such reputable institutions as MIT, NASA, the International Arctic Research Centre, the Institut Pasteur, the Danish National Space Center and the Universities of London, Ottawa, Jerusalem, Winnipeg, Alabama and Virginia. The film hears from scientists who dispute the link between carbon dioxide levels and... (The Drudge Report)
New Bird, Bat Species Revealed By Extensive DNA Barcode Studies Feb 21, 2007
At unprecedented levels of difficulty involving highly biodiverse and continent-sized landscapes, scientists have successfully tested their ability to identify and DNA "barcode" entire assemblages of species -- the prelude to a genetic portrait of all animal life on Earth. Unique DNA barcodes for provisional new bat species were obtained from look-alike specimens of several bats, including Trachops cirrhosus, which feasts on frogs. (Science Daily)
No Missing Link? Evolutionary Changes Occur Suddenly, Professor Says Feb 13, 2007
ScienceDaily: No Missing Link. Evolutionary Changes Occur Suddenly, Professor Says. (Science Daily)
Missing Link Feb 5, 2007
In 1876, he published The Geographical Distribution of Animals, which became a pioneering text in the important field of biogeography. Yet, the same year, he relocated his family because a dead brother had urged it via automatic writing. (New Yorker)
New Species Among Marine Marvels Found in 2006 Dec 13, 2006
Dr. Fred Grassle, an expert in benthic ecology and ocean biogeography based at Rutgers University's Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, is chair of the Census Scientific Steering Committee. (Photo courtesy ). (Environment News Service)
Ancient Climate Change May Portend Toasty Future Dec 8, 2006
Scientists, including Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology, have found that the Earth's global warming, 55 million years ago, may have resulted from the climate's high sensitivity to a long-term release of carbon. This finding contradicts the position held by many climate-change skeptics that the Earth system is resilient to such emissions. (Science Daily)
Human Taste For Rarity Spells Disaster For Endangered Species Nov 29, 2006
The shady pursuit of endangered bird eggs made international headlines in May 2006 when Colin Watson, widely considered Britain's most notorious illegal egg collector, died after falling from a 12-meter tree, allegedly while hunting a rare egg. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds estimates that up to 30 of Britain's most vulnerable species are targeted by collectors. (Science Daily)
Entomology Professors to Teach Course on S. African Diversity UCD, Nov. 21 Nov 22, 2006
Information about the Gullan and Cranston laboratory research: insect systematics, evolution and biogeography. News article, with photo of Peter Cranston. (University of California Newswire, CA)
Extraordinary life found around deep-sea gas seeps Nov 21, 2006
It will contribute to the Census of Marine Life, Chemosynthetic Ecosystems (ChESS) programme, which aims to understand global patterns of biodiversity and biogeography in these ecosystems, and to COMARGE, the Census program on continental margins of the world ... Coordinated from the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (UK) and the Institute of Marine Sciences-CSIC, Barcelona (Spain), ChEss aims to improve our knowledge of the biogeography of chemosynthetic ecosystems and the processes... (EurekAlert!)
Cracking up: Ice turning to water, glaciers on the move - and a planet in peril Oct 23, 2006
And a leading sceptic, Professor Philip Stott, emeritus professor of biogeography at the University of London, insisted that the collapse was "only to be expected", adding that "simplistic, apocalyptic statements about 'global warming' have more to do with myth than reality.". Last year, however, American research showed that no other collapse of this size has taken place in the past 10,000 years, and it is becoming ever clearer that the Antarctic peninsula, which juts some 800km from the frozen... (Yahoo News -- Climate Change)
Harvard species guru takes on spiritual side Oct 21, 2006
In 1967, E.O. Wilson co-authored the book that founded island biogeography, a new field of scientific study. He could have retired then with a distinguished record. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Fossils Pinpoint Tropics As Earth's Most Fruitful Biodiversity Spawning Ground Oct 7, 2006
-- The unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography (here "Unified Theory" or "UNTB") is a theory and the title of a monograph[1] by ecologist Stephen Hubbell. The theory aims to explain the. (Science Daily)
Report Challenges Common Ecological Hypothesis About Species Abundance Oct 5, 2006
(June 7, 2006) -- A new study published in the Journal of Biogeography provides some of the first evidence that ecological patterns at large spatial scales have been significantly altered within recent human history ... -- The unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography (here "Unified Theory" or "UNTB") is a theory and the title of a monograph[1] by ecologist Stephen Hubbell. (Science Daily)
Scientist's Persistence Sheds Light On Marine Science Riddle Sep 30, 2006
In a paper to be published in September in the Journal of Biogeography, "The Island Rule and the Evolution of Body Size in the Deep Sea," Rosenberg and his co-authors apply the island rule to deep-sea animals using Rosenberg's detailed database of marine snails. They find a similar pattern: when species colonize the deep sea, large-bodied species become smaller and small-bodied species become larger. (Science Daily)
Is a 'dillo coming to a flower bed near you? Sep 16, 2006
A 1996 article in the Journal of Biogeography suggested it could go west as well as east and reach as far north as Canada. But, for now, its normal range is still in west Texas. (Toronto Star -- Life)
Geography And Geospatial Technology Used To Study Patterns Of Seized Meth Lab Sep 9, 2006
It seems like a strange combination: geography and methamphetamine, also known as meth. But a Kansas State University geography professor is using geography and geospatial technology to describe the spatial patterns of seized meth labs in an area of Colorado and parts of Kansas, and to analyze their association with geographic and socioeconomic characteristics. (Science Daily)
Francis Rose, MBE — botanist and conservationist Jul 29, 2006
In 1964 Rose moved to King s College London as senior lecturer in biogeography. He was appointed University Reader in 1975, a post that he occupied until his retirement in 1981. (TimesOnline)
And, finally, there was heat and light Jul 13, 2006
Philip Stott is Emeritus Professor of Biogeography of the University of London. Have Your Say. (TimesOnline)
Climate Change Not The Only Factor Controlling Distribution Of Plant Species Jul 13, 2006
In a new study published in the Journal of Biogeography, researchers analyzed the distribution of western hemlock, a common tree that occurs in the wet climates in two separate regions: along the Pacific Coast and in the Northern Rocky Mountains of North America ... (June 15, 2005) -- In a fascinating new study published this week in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography, a group of Oxford Scientists have tested the ability of environmental science to predict the future. (Science Daily)
Midgets And Giants In The Deep Sea Jul 11, 2006
A full article is in press in the peer-reviewed Journal of Biogeography. This giant deep-sea isopod is an example of an animal that has evolved to a much larger size in deeper water. (Science Daily)
First Global Bird Map Provides New Clues To Future Extinctions Jun 21, 2006
(June 7, 2006) -- A new study published in the Journal of Biogeography provides some of the first evidence that ecological patterns at large spatial scales have been significantly altered within recent human history. . (Science Daily)
Taking Evolution's Temperature: Researchers Pinpoint The Energy It Takes To Make A Species Jun 1, 2006
"These authors are changing evolutionary biology, ecology and biogeography, putting them into a firm and quantitative foundation based on the first principles underlying individual metabolism," Marquet said. Can't find it. (Science Daily)
Myers Trust grants go to nine students for marine research May 8, 2006
Yvette R. Alva, "Reconstructing the biogeography of reef fish in the Tropical Eastern Pacific" (faculty adviser Giacomo Bernardi, ecology and evolutionary biology). Matt Bromage (Ferd Ruth Award), "SEA-LABS: a sensor network for real-time monitoring of shallow marine habitat" (faculty advisers Don Potts, ecology and evolutionary biology, and Katia Obraczka, computer engineering). (US Santa Cruz Currents, CA)
Senses Of The Past May 8, 2006
"They're going to have professional opinions about what's best for the park.'' The spots range in size from less than 1 acre at the 15th Avenue Steps to almost 400 acres at Lake Merced, and include habitats for sensitive plant and animal species, striking geologic formations and recreational open space. The parks most valuable for their natural resources and wildlife populations -- such as 40-acre Mount Davidson, the highest peak in the city at 928 feet -- would be planting more natives such as... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Cave Art: Prehistoric Teen Graffiti? Apr 19, 2006
Paul Martin, professor of quaternary biogeography at the University of Arizona, told Discovery News that he is inclined to agree with the new theory and findings. "(Guthrie) has an extraordinary knowledge of wild animal ecology globally, and especially in the Northern Hemisphere," Martin said. (TLC News Roundup)
Fictional 'Kong' mirrors odd island facts Jan 7, 2006
"Islands are havens and breeding grounds for the unique and anomalous. They are natural laboratories of extravagant evolutionary experimentation," writes David Quammen in his book 'The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction. There are many examples of what biologists term "gigantism" on islands. (CNN -- Science)
Tiny pikas seem to be on march toward extinction in Great Basin Jan 2, 2006
Climate change and human activities appear to be primary factors imperiling the pika, reports University of Washington archaeologist Donald Grayson in the current issue of the Journal of Biogeography. Grayson s research which looks at a 40,000-year record of archaeological and paleontological sites, combined with yet unpublished work by several other researchers, paints a bleak future for the American pika (Ochotona princeps) in the Great Basin. (innovations report)
Climate change driving pika to extinction Jan 2, 2006
His report is published in the current issue of the Journal of Biogeography. Grayson blames climate change and human activity. (Monsters and Critics.com)
