[DIALOGnews] DIALOG and DISCCRS News Feb. 12, 2004
Susan Weiler
weilercs@whitman.edu
Thu, 12 Feb 2004 15:28:25 -0800
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Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
DIALOG and Disccrs News Feb. 12, 2004
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Forum
From Wendy Loya:
>>LOOKING FOR COLLABORATOR IN MICROBIOLOGY OR MICROBIAL ECOLOGY
>>the crazy idea:
>>The crater lake of White Island volcano, New Zealand (for example,
>>as there are others), can exhibit pH values below zero and yet
>>support microbial life. Where does this life originate? To
>>examine the possibilities a study of several crater lakes in
>>various stages of evolution is proposed. By carefully selecting
>>acidic lakes from active volcanic craters, such as one recently
>>formed (< 1 year), another less than 10 years old, and a third (in
>>addition to White Island) that is more evolved, microbial ecology
>>can be compared. By looking at early colonizers of new crater
>>lakes (e.g. Papandajan volcano, Indonesia) we may be able to
>>ascertain if such life forms are able to adapt as their environment
>>gradually grows more acidic or if they are originating from
>>magmatic degassing deeper in the volcanic conduit. Magmatic fluids
>>have been compared to primordial soup and recent work has found
>>complex organic compounds that were previous thought unable to
>>withstand magmatic temperatures.
>> Below is a link for an NSF proposal due 01April 2004 in
>>Geomicrobial Processes.
>> About me: I have BS/MS degrees in Environmental Engineering
>>and a PhD in Geochemistry/Volcanology. Though currently a post-doc
>>at McGill University in Canada, I am obtaining an Adjunct position
>>at Mich Tech which will allow me to write NSF proposals. Although
>>my expertise is in volcano geochemistry, my limited background in
>>microbiology comes from biodegradation studies as an environmental
>>engineer and I would like to pair up with a microbiologist for this
>>proposal. This would be my first NSF proposal but I have won a
>>large number of small grants.
>>>Research in Biogeosciences
>>>URL : http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04535
>>>Type : Program Announcements & Information
>>>Subtype : Geosciences
>
>Lois Jean Wardell
>Earth & Planetary Sciences
>McGill University
>3450 University Street
>Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2A7
>Canada
>(514) 398-4587
>fax (514) 398-4680
wardell@eps.mcgill.ca
***************************************************
Resources
The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program is pleased to announce the call
for applications for the 2005 Leopold Leadership Fellowships. Please
forward this e-mail to anyone you know who might be interested.
Fellowship details, including application forms, can be downloaded
from the web site, www.leopoldleadership.org
<http://www.leopoldleadership.org>.
Aldo Leopold Leadership Program
Call for Applications - 2005 Fellowships
Deadline: Monday, April 19, 2004
The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program invites academic
environmental scientists from North America (Canada, Mexico and the
United States) to apply for the 2005 fellowships that provide
scientific leadership, communications and outreach training.
Through a competitive process, the Leopold Leadership Program selects
up to 20 Fellows annually to participate in an intensive training
program designed to build and enhance the skills of academic
environmental scientists to communicate with policy makers, media
representatives, businesses, non-profit organizations, and the
general public. The program's goal is to increase the understanding
of complex environmental issues among non-scientific audiences in
order to improve policies and practices for sustainability of the
planet.
The program seeks candidates from a broad range of disciplines
including biological, physical and social sciences (e.g. economics,
political science) and technical, medical and engineering fields
(e.g., wildlife veterinary medicine, environmental health, hazardous
waste management) related to the environment. Applicants must be
employed by an academic institution in North America, be at
mid-career as a tenured or tenure-track professor, and be active in
teaching and research. Every applicant must demonstrate:
* a reputation for excellent science, interdisciplinary
research, and application within their area of professional
specialty, and good judgment;
* a record of making direct connections between
defining issues and applying science in ways that support
sustainability;
* interest, willingness, and an appropriate
professional position to actively synthesize, interpret, and
communicate the results of their work to their peers, policy makers,
the media, and the general public;
* passion and capacity to exercise leadership in the
environmental science and sustainability arenas, and enthusiasm to
promote the importance of scientific understanding for improved
environmental policies and practices;
* commitment to participate in the entire two weeks of
training and contribute to the program as well as take advantage of
its benefits;
* intent to share what is learned in the training
program with students and colleagues and other stakeholders through
courses, workshops and broader outreach efforts;
* ability and desire to remain an active member of the
Leopold Leadership Network after the conclusion of the Fellowship
year.
The 2005 training schedule is:
Session I Session II
Trinity Conference Center, CT Washington, D.C.
June 20 - 27, 2005 September 23 - 30, 2005
The training is offered in English and focuses primarily on
U.S.-based institutions, audiences, and policy making. Full details
and application documents are available online at:
www.leopoldleadership.org <http://www.leopoldleadership.org>
Support for the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program is provided by
the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
*********************
NSF Budget Would Increase 3 Percent in President's FY 2005 Request
The National Science Foundation (NSF) budget would grow 3.0
percent to $5.7 billion in FY 2005, according to the budget request
submitted to Congress by the President on February 2. The proposed
increase falls well short of the doubling path specified in the NSF
Authorization Act of 2002, which was passed by Congress and signed
into law by the President less than 18 months ago. Of the $167
million in new funding, 45 percent would be devoted to a management
initiative that would provide more staff for NSF and improve the
security of its computer systems. NSF would increase the average
grant size to $142,000 per year in FY 2005, from $139,000 in FY 2004.
The average grant duration would remain 3 years.
Funding for the Biocomplexity in the Environment Priority Area
would remain flat at $99.8 million in FY 2005. This
cross-disciplinary Priority Area, which "explores the complex
interactions among organisms at all scales and through space and
time," received a 42 percent increase last year. Most of the funding
under this initiative comes from the Biological Sciences and
Geosciences directorates.
The number of NSF graduate fellowships would increase from
5,000 to 5,500 in FY 2005. The stipends would remain constant at
$30,000 per year. Overall funding for Education and Human Resources
would decrease by 17.9 percent to $771.4 million. This loss would
come in the form of cuts to Elementary, Secondary and Informal
Education and a program to stimulate competitive research at the
state-level, as well as the transfer of the President's Math and
Science Partnership program.
NSF Director Rita Colwell called the agency's three percent
budget increase a "vote of confidence" in a time when other federal
agencies are experiences severe cuts, although she called the $19
billion recommended by the National Science Board to fulfill all
unmet needs "fully justified, and frankly, necessary."
An extended version of this article, which includes a budget
table, is available online at
<http://www.NCSEonline.org>www.NCSEonline.org
************************
Interagency Education Research Initiative
URL : http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04553
***************************************************
Science News
CITIES BUILT ON FERTILE LANDS AFFECT CLIMATE
While cities provide vital habitat for human beings to
thrive, it appears U.S. cities have been built on the most
fertile soils, lessening contributions of these lands to
Earth's food web and human agriculture, according to a study by
NASA researchers and others.
Though cities account for just 3 percent of continental U.S.
land area, the food and fiber that could be grown there rivals
current production on all U.S. agricultural lands, which cover
29 percent of the country. Marc Imhoff, NASA researcher and
lead author of a current paper, and co-author Lahouari Bounoua,
of NASA and University of Maryland, College Park, added that
throughout history humans have settled in areas with the best
lands for growing food.
"Urbanization follows agriculture -- it's a natural and
important human process," said Imhoff.Throughout history,
highly productive agricultural land brought food, wealth and
trade to an area, all of which fostered settlements.
"Urbanization is not a bad thing. It's a very useful way for
societies to get together and share resources," said Bounoua.
"But it would be better if it were planned in conjunction with
other environmental factors." Studies like this one, which
appears in the current issue of Remote Sensing of Environment,
may lead to smarter urban-growth strategies in the future.
The researchers used two satellites offering a combination of
daytime and nighttime Earth observation data and a biophysical
computer model to derive estimates of annual Net Primary
Productivity (NPP). NPP measures plant growth by describing the
rate at which plants use carbon from the atmosphere to build
new organic matter through photosynthesis. NPP fuels Earth's
complex food web and quantifies amounts of carbon dioxide, a
greenhouse gas, which plants remove from the atmosphere.
Nighttime-lights data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite
Program and a vegetation-classification map created at NASA's
Goddard Institute of Space Studies, New York, were used to
portray urban, peripheral and non-urban areas across the United
States. In this way, the researchers calculated the extent and
locations of U.S. urban and agricultural land.
In addition, observations from the Advanced Very High
Resolution Radiometer instrument, aboard the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration's polar orbiting satellites,
were used to calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation
Index. This index is a measure of plant health, based on the
principle that plants absorb solar radiation in the red part of
the spectrum of sunlight used for photosynthesis during plant
growth. These data were then entered into a Stanford University
computer model to derive NPP.
The computer model created a potential pre-urban American
landscape, which was used to compare and estimate the reduction
of NPP due to current urban-land transformation.
For the continental United States, when compared to the pre-
urban landscape, modern cities account for a 1.6 percent annual
decline in NPP. This loss offsets the gain in NPP of 1.8
percent annually from increased farmlands. The result is
striking, given the small area that cities cover, relative to
agricultural areas.
A reduction of this magnitude has vastly unknown consequences
for biological diversity, but it translates to less available
energy for the species that make up Earth's complex food
web. The loss of highly fertile lands for farming also puts
pressure on other means to meet the food and fiber needs of an
increasing population. On the local scale, urbanization can
increase NPP, but only where natural resources are limited. It
brings water to arid areas, and "urban heat islands" extend the
growing season around the urban fringe in cold regions. These
benefits, however, do not offset the overall negative impact of
urbanization on NPP.
NASA scientists developed the city lights map, and the U.S.
Geological Survey used a technique to create the Normalized
Difference Vegetation Index data. Research partners include the
University of Maryland's Earth System Science Interdisciplinary
Center, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Center for
Conservation Biology at Stanford University.
For more information and images on the Internet, visit:
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2004/0202cityland.html
*****************
NASA PREDICTS MORE TROPICAL RAIN IN A WARMER WORLD
As the tropical oceans continue to heat up, following a
20-year trend, warm rains in the tropics are likely to become
more frequent, according to NASA scientists.
In a study by William Lau and Huey-Tzu Jenny Wu, of NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., the authors offer
early proof of a long-held theory that patterns of evaporation
and precipitation, known as the water cycle, may accelerate in
some areas due to warming temperatures. The research appears in
the current issue of Geophysical Research Letters.
The study cites satellite observations showing the rate that
warm rain depletes clouds of water is substantially higher than
computer models predicted. This research may help increase the
accuracy of models that forecast rainfall and climate. The rate
water mass in a cloud rains out is the precipitation
efficiency. According to the study, when it comes to light warm
rains, as sea surface temperature increases, the precipitation
efficiency substantially increases.
Computer climate models that predict rainfall have
underestimated the efficiency of warm rain. Compared to actual
observations from NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission
(TRMM) satellite, computer models substantially underestimate
the precipitation efficiency of light rain. The findings from
this study will provide a range of possibilities for warm rain
efficiency that will greatly increase a model's accuracy.
"We believe there is a scenario where in a warmer climate there
will be more warm rain. And more warm rain will be associated
with a more vigorous water cycle and extreme weather patterns,"
Lau said.
The process that creates warm rain begins when water droplets
condense around airborne particles and clouds are created. The
droplets collide, combine and grow to form raindrops. The
raindrops grow large and heavy enough to fall out as warm rain.
The study claims, for each degree rise in sea surface
temperature, the rate a cloud loses its water to moderate-to-
light warm rainfall over the tropical oceans increases by eight
to 10 percent.
Cold rains are generally associated with heavy downpour. They
are generated when strong updrafts carry bigger drops higher up
into the atmosphere, where they freeze and grow. These drops
are very large by the time they fall. Once updrafts take these
large drops high enough, and freezing takes place, the process
of rainfall is more dependent on the velocity of the updraft
and less on sea surface temperatures. Since the process of
condensation releases heat, warm rains heat the lower
atmosphere. More warm rains are likely to make the air lighter
and rise faster, creating updrafts producing more cold rain.
The study found warm rains account for approximately 31 percent
of the total global rain amount and 72 percent of the total
rain area over tropical oceans, implying warm rains play a
crucial role in the overall water cycle. Light warm rains
appear to occur much more frequently, and cover more area, than
cold rains, even though they drop less water per shower. The
total precipitation from all types of warm rains accounts for a
substantial portion of the total rainfall.
In a warmer climate, it is possible there will be more warm
rain and fewer clouds. If the amount of water entering into
clouds stays constant and rainfall efficiency increases, then
there will be less water in the clouds and more warm rains.
More study is needed to better understand the relationship
between increased warm-rain precipitation efficiency and a rise
in sea surface temperatures, and to determine how cold rain
might be affected by an increase in warm rain and a decrease in
cloud water amounts.
NASA's Earth Science Enterprise is dedicated to understanding
the Earth as an integrated system and applying Earth System
Science to improve prediction of climate, weather and natural
hazards using the unique vantage point of space.
For more information and images related to the study on the
Internet, visit:
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2003/1224rainfall.html
For information about NASA on the Internet, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
***************************************************
Jobs for PhDs
Professor in marine ecology, with specialization in fish ecology
University of Kalmar, Sweden
The University of Kalmar, located in SE Sweden at the Baltic
Sea, has a strong profile in aquatic, especially marine, ecology,
with a diversified undergraduate program and courses for
PhD-students. Research is based on international cooperation with
extensive funding from the EU as well as the Swedish Research Council
and other national agencies. The university can offer modern, well
equipped laboratories, with state of the art instruments, for both
traditional and molecular biological work, and mesocosm and aquaria
rooms with running seawater, for fish and invertebrate studies. More
than 30 scientists (including two professors) , PhD-students and
technicians participate in research and teaching within aquatic
ecology.
We are now opening a new position as professor in marine
ecology, with specialization in fish ecology. Teaching and research
should be within an ecosystem context, and with focus on the Baltic
Sea and its fish resources and fisheries. We are looking for a
candidate with internationally recognized scientific merits,
documented pedagogic skills and experience from undergraduate
teaching as well as supervision of graduate students. The candidate
is expected to take an active part in the development of teaching
and research at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science,
through own externally funded research projects, recruitment and
supervision of PhD-students and teaching in undergraduate courses e.
g. within Aquatic Ecology, Marine Ecology, Fisheries and
Environmental Science.
Deadline for applications March 8, 2004
For more details on where to send your application and documents
required please check at http://www.hik.se
************************
Academic Coordinator/Program Manager
>>UC Davis Extension department of Land Use & Natural Resources is
>>seeking an experienced scientist, resource manager, administrator
>>or policy analyst to serve as Program Manager of a unique
>>scientific peer review program focused on restoring the ecosystems
>>of the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta and its
>>watersheds and tributaries. This position is an essential part of
>>the California Bay Delta Authority (previously CALFED) Ecosystem
>>Restoration Program's proposal solicitation and review process.
>>The Ecosystem Restoration Program provides approximately $100
>>million in funding annually through its competitive proposal
>>solicitation process. $475 million has been awarded to 400
>>restoration projects thus far. Graduate degree in a discipline
>>related to ecology, fisheries, aquatic restoration, watershed
>>science or environmental management/policy required with 2-4 years
>>of professional experience in an agency, academic program or
>>consulting firm in a field directly related to ecosystem
>>restoration. Full-time position; annual hiring salary for Acad
>>Coord II ranges from $54,240 to$62,376, dependent upon experience.
>>For information call (530) 757-8671 or
>>dprigge@unexmail.ucdavis.edu. UC Davis is an affirmative
>>action/equal opportunity employer.
**************************************************
This newsletter has been developed by C. Susan Weiler for the purpose
of distributing information of potential interest to recent PhDs
engaged in interdisciplinary aquatic science or climate change
research, and to build an international sense of community among
recent grads. It provides an international forum for the exchange of
information and opinions regarding research, professional and social
issues.
The views and opinions expressed are strictly those of C.S. Weiler or
of the individual who has submitted a particular item for
distribution. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those
of the funding agencies or sponsoring societies. Dr. Weiler serves as
producer and editor and reserves the right to edit or reject material
submitted to the list.
Please submit announcements of interest to recent PhDs to
phd@whitman.edu or weiler@whitman.edu.
For ease of transmission, please do not send attachments. Send a
short message in the body of an e-mail message, and link to any
appropriate websites.
--
C. Susan Weiler, Ph.D.
Biology Department Tel: 509-527-5948
Whitman College Fax: 509-527-5961
Walla Walla, WA 99362
weiler@whitman.edu
Programs for Recent PhDs http://aslo.org/phd.html
Minorities in the Aquatic Sciences http://www.aslo.org/mas.html
DIALOG poster http://www.aslo.org/phd/dialogposter.pdf
DISCCRS poster http://www.aslo.org/phd/disccrsposter.pdf
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<html><head><style type="text/css"><!--
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--></style><title>DIALOG and DISCCRS News Feb. 12,
2004</title></head><body>
<div align="center"><font size="+2" color="#0000FF"><b>DIALOG and
Disccrs News</b></font> Feb. 12, 2004</div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div align="center"><font
color="#0000FF"><b>***************************************************</b
></font></div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
<div align="center"><font size="+1"
color="#0000FF"><b>Forum</b></font></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>From Wendy Loya:</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><b>LOOKING FOR COLLABORATOR IN
MICROBIOLOGY OR MICROBIAL ECOLOGY</b><br>
the crazy idea:</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>The crater lake of White Island volcano,
New Zealand (for example, as there are others), can exhibit pH values
below zero and yet support microbial life. Where does this life
originate? To examine the possibilities a study of several
crater lakes in various stages of evolution is proposed. By
carefully selecting acidic lakes from active volcanic craters, such as
one recently formed (< 1 year), another less than 10 years old, and
a third (in addition to White Island) that is more evolved, microbial
ecology can be compared. By looking at early colonizers of new
crater lakes (e.g. Papandajan volcano, Indonesia) we may be able to
ascertain if such life forms are able to adapt as their environment
gradually grows more acidic or if they are originating from magmatic
degassing deeper in the volcanic conduit. Magmatic fluids have
been compared to primordial soup and recent work has found complex
organic compounds that were previous thought unable to withstand
magmatic temperatures.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> Below is a link
for an NSF proposal due 01April 2004 in Geomicrobial
Processes.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> About me:
I have BS/MS degrees in Environmental Engineering and a PhD in
Geochemistry/Volcanology. Though currently a post-doc at McGill
University in Canada, I am obtaining an Adjunct position at Mich Tech
which will allow me to write NSF proposals. Although my
expertise is in volcano geochemistry, my limited background in
microbiology comes from biodegradation studies as an environmental
engineer and I would like to pair up with a microbiologist for this
proposal. This would be my first NSF proposal but I have won a
large number of small grants.
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Research in Biogeosciences<br>
URL : http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04535<br>
Type : Program Announcements & Information</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Subtype : Geosciences</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
Lois Jean Wardell<br>
Earth & Planetary Sciences<br>
McGill University<br>
3450 University Street<br>
Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2A7<br>
Canada<br>
(514) 398-4587<br>
fax (514) 398-4680</blockquote>
<div align="center">wardell@eps.mcgill.ca</div>
<div align="center"><font size="+1"
color="#0000FF"><b><br></b></font></div>
<div align="center"><font size="+1"
color="#0000FF"><b><br></b></font></div>
<div align="center"><font size="+1"
color="#0000FF"><b>***************************************************</b
></font></div>
<div align="center"><font size="+1"
color="#0000FF"><b><br></b></font></div>
<div align="center"><font size="+1"
color="#0000FF"><b>Resources</b></font></div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
<div><b>The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program</b> is pleased to announce
the call for<b> applications for the 2005 Leopold Leadership
Fellowships</b>. Please forward this e-mail to anyone you know
who might be interested. Fellowship details, including
application forms, can be downloaded from the web site,
www.leopoldleadership.org
<http://www.leopoldleadership.org>.</div>
<div>Aldo Leopold Leadership Program<br>
Call for Applications - 2005 Fellowships</div>
<div>Deadline: Monday, April 19, 2004<br>
The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program invites
academic environmental scientists from North America (Canada, Mexico
and the United States) to apply for the 2005 fellowships that provide
scientific leadership, communications and outreach training.<br>
Through a competitive process, the Leopold Leadership Program selects
up to 20 Fellows annually to participate in an intensive training
program designed to build and enhance the skills of academic
environmental scientists to communicate with policy makers, media
representatives, businesses, non-profit organizations, and the general
public. The program's goal is to increase the understanding of
complex environmental issues among non-scientific audiences in order
to improve policies and practices for sustainability of the
planet.</div>
<div>The program seeks candidates from a broad range of disciplines
including biological, physical and social sciences (e.g. economics,
political science) and technical, medical and engineering fields
(e.g., wildlife veterinary medicine, environmental health, hazardous
waste management) related to the environment. Applicants must be
employed by an academic institution in North America, be at mid-career
as a tenured or tenure-track professor, and be active in teaching and
research. Every applicant must demonstrate:</div>
<div><x-tab>
</x-tab>*<x-tab> </x-tab>a
reputation for excellent science, interdisciplinary research, and
application within their area of professional specialty, and good
judgment;<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>*<x-tab> </x-tab>a
record of making direct connections between defining issues and
applying science in ways that support sustainability;<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>*<x-tab>
</x-tab>interest, willingness, and an appropriate professional
position to actively synthesize, interpret, and communicate the
results of their work to their peers, policy makers, the media, and
the general public;<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>*<x-tab>
</x-tab>passion and capacity to exercise leadership in the
environmental science and sustainability arenas, and enthusiasm to
promote the importance of scientific understanding for improved
environmental policies and practices;<br>
<x-tab>
</x-tab>*<x-tab>
</x-tab>commitment to participate in the entire two weeks of training
and contribute to the program as well as take advantage of its
benefits;<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>*<x-tab>
</x-tab>intent to share what is learned in the training program with
students and colleagues and other stakeholders through courses,
workshops and broader outreach efforts;</div>
<div><x-tab>
</x-tab>*<x-tab> </x-tab>ability
and desire to remain an active member of the Leopold Leadership
Network after the conclusion of the Fellowship year.<br>
The 2005 training schedule is:<br>
</div>
<div>Session I<x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>Session II</div>
<div>Trinity Conference Center, CT<x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>Washington, D.C.</div>
<div>June 20 - 27, 2005<x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>September 23 - 30, 2005</div>
<div> The training is offered in English and
focuses primarily on U.S.-based institutions, audiences, and policy
making. Full details and application documents are
available online at: www.leopoldleadership.org
<http://www.leopoldleadership.org><br>
Support for the Aldo Leopold Leadership
Program is provided by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.</div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
<div>*********************</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><b>NSF Budget Would Increase 3 Percent in President's FY 2005
Request</b></div>
<div> The National Science Foundation
(NSF) budget would grow 3.0 percent to $5.7 billion in FY 2005,
according to the budget request submitted to Congress by the President
on February 2. The proposed increase falls well short of the
doubling path specified in the NSF Authorization Act of 2002, which
was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President less than
18 months ago. Of the $167 million in new funding, 45 percent
would be devoted to a management initiative that would provide more
staff for NSF and improve the security of its computer systems.
NSF would increase the average grant size to $142,000 per year in FY
2005, from $139,000 in FY 2004. The average grant duration would
remain 3 years.</div>
<div> <b> Funding for the Biocomplexity
in the Environment Priority Area would remain flat a</b>t $99.8
million in FY 2005. This cross-disciplinary Priority Area, which
"explores the complex interactions among organisms at all scales
and through space and time," received a 42 percent increase last
year. Most of the funding under this initiative comes from the
Biological Sciences and Geosciences directorates.</div>
<div> The number of NSF graduate
fellowships would increase from 5,000 to 5,500 in FY 2005. The
stipends would remain constant at $30,000 per year. <b> Overall
funding for Education and Human Resources would decrease by 17.9
percent</b> to $771.4 million. This loss would come in the form
of cuts to Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education and a program
to stimulate competitive research at the state-level, as well as the
transfer of the President's Math and Science Partnership
program. </div>
<div> NSF Director Rita Colwell called the
agency's three percent budget increase a "vote of confidence"
in a time when other federal agencies are experiences severe cuts,
although she called the $19 billion recommended by the National
Science Board to fulfill all unmet needs "fully justified, and
frankly, necessary."</div>
<div align="center"> An extended version
of this article, which includes a budget table, is available online at
<a href="http://www.NCSEonline.org">www.NCSEonline.org</a></div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
<div>************************</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><b>Interagency Education Research Initiative</b></div>
<div>URL : http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04553</div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
<div align="center"><font
color="#0000FF"><b>***************************************************</b
></font></div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
<div align="center"><font size="+1" color="#0000FF"><b>Science
News</b></font></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><b>CITIES BUILT ON FERTILE LANDS AFFECT CLIMATE</b><br>
<br>
While cities provide vital habitat for human
beings to</div>
<div>thrive, it appears U.S. cities have been built on the most<br>
fertile soils, lessening contributions of these lands to<br>
Earth's food web and human agriculture, according to a study by<br>
NASA researchers and others.</div>
<div><br>
Though cities account for just 3 percent of continental U.S.<br>
land area, the food and fiber that could be grown there rivals<br>
current production on all U.S. agricultural lands, which cover<br>
29 percent of the country. Marc Imhoff, NASA researcher and<br>
lead author of a current paper, and co-author Lahouari Bounoua,<br>
of NASA and University of Maryland, College Park, added that<br>
throughout history humans have settled in areas with the best<br>
lands for growing food.<br>
<br>
"Urbanization follows agriculture -- it's a natural and<br>
important human process," said Imhoff.Throughout history,<br>
highly productive agricultural land brought food, wealth and<br>
trade to an area, all of which fostered settlements.<br>
<br>
"Urbanization is not a bad thing. It's a very useful way for<br>
societies to get together and share resources," said Bounoua.<br>
"But it would be better if it were planned in conjunction
with<br>
other environmental factors." Studies like this one, which<br>
appears in the current issue of Remote Sensing of Environment,<br>
may lead to smarter urban-growth strategies in the future.<br>
<br>
The researchers used two satellites offering a combination of<br>
daytime and nighttime Earth observation data and a biophysical<br>
computer model to derive estimates of annual Net Primary<br>
Productivity (NPP). NPP measures plant growth by describing the<br>
rate at which plants use carbon from the atmosphere to build<br>
new organic matter through photosynthesis. NPP fuels Earth's<br>
complex food web and quantifies amounts of carbon dioxide, a<br>
greenhouse gas, which plants remove from the atmosphere.<br>
<br>
Nighttime-lights data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite<br>
Program and a vegetation-classification map created at NASA's<br>
Goddard Institute of Space Studies, New York, were used to<br>
portray urban, peripheral and non-urban areas across the United<br>
States. In this way, the researchers calculated the extent and<br>
locations of U.S. urban and agricultural land.<br>
<br>
In addition, observations from the Advanced Very High<br>
Resolution Radiometer instrument, aboard the National Oceanic<br>
and Atmospheric Administration's polar orbiting satellites,<br>
were used to calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation<br>
Index. This index is a measure of plant health, based on the<br>
principle that plants absorb solar radiation in the red part of</div>
<div>the spectrum of sunlight used for photosynthesis during plant<br>
growth. These data were then entered into a Stanford University<br>
computer model to derive NPP.<br>
<br>
The computer model created a potential pre-urban American<br>
landscape, which was used to compare and estimate the reduction<br>
of NPP due to current urban-land transformation.<br>
<br>
For the continental United States, when compared to the pre-<br>
urban landscape, modern cities account for a 1.6 percent annual<br>
decline in NPP. This loss offsets the gain in NPP of 1.8<br>
percent annually from increased farmlands. The result is<br>
striking, given the small area that cities cover, relative to<br>
agricultural areas.<br>
<br>
A reduction of this magnitude has vastly unknown consequences<br>
for biological diversity, but it translates to less available<br>
energy for the species that make up Earth's complex food<br>
web. The loss of highly fertile lands for farming also puts<br>
pressure on other means to meet the food and fiber needs of an<br>
increasing population. On the local scale, urbanization can<br>
increase NPP, but only where natural resources are limited. It<br>
brings water to arid areas, and "urban heat islands" extend
the<br>
growing season around the urban fringe in cold regions. These<br>
benefits, however, do not offset the overall negative impact of<br>
urbanization on NPP.<br>
<br>
NASA scientists developed the city lights map, and the U.S.<br>
Geological Survey used a technique to create the Normalized<br>
Difference Vegetation Index data. Research partners include the<br>
University of Maryland's Earth System Science Interdisciplinary<br>
Center, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Center for<br>
Conservation Biology at Stanford University.</div>
<div><br>
For more information and images on the Internet, visit:<br>
</div>
<div>http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2004/0202cityland.html</div>
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<div><b><br></b></div>
<div><b>NASA PREDICTS MORE TROPICAL RAIN IN A WARMER WORLD</b></div>
<div><br>
As the tropical oceans continue to heat up,
following a</div>
<div>20-year trend, warm rains in the tropics are likely to become<br>
more frequent, according to NASA scientists.<br>
<br>
In a study by William Lau and Huey-Tzu Jenny Wu, of NASA's<br>
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., the authors offer</div>
<div>early proof of a long-held theory that patterns of
evaporation<br>
and precipitation, known as the water cycle, may accelerate in</div>
<div>some areas due to warming temperatures. The research appears
in<br>
the current issue of Geophysical Research Letters.<br>
<br>
The study cites satellite observations showing the rate that<br>
warm rain depletes clouds of water is substantially higher than<br>
computer models predicted. This research may help increase the<br>
accuracy of models that forecast rainfall and climate. The rate<br>
water mass in a cloud rains out is the precipitation<br>
efficiency. According to the study, when it comes to light warm<br>
rains, as sea surface temperature increases, the precipitation<br>
efficiency substantially increases.<br>
<br>
Computer climate models that predict rainfall have<br>
underestimated the efficiency of warm rain. Compared to actual<br>
observations from NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission<br>
(TRMM) satellite, computer models substantially underestimate<br>
the precipitation efficiency of light rain. The findings from<br>
this study will provide a range of possibilities for warm rain<br>
efficiency that will greatly increase a model's accuracy.<br>
<br>
"We believe there is a scenario where in a warmer climate
there<br>
will be more warm rain. And more warm rain will be associated<br>
with a more vigorous water cycle and extreme weather
patterns,"<br>
Lau said.<br>
<br>
The process that creates warm rain begins when water droplets<br>
condense around airborne particles and clouds are created. The<br>
droplets collide, combine and grow to form raindrops. The<br>
raindrops grow large and heavy enough to fall out as warm rain.<br>
The study claims, for each degree rise in sea surface<br>
temperature, the rate a cloud loses its water to moderate-to-<br>
light warm rainfall over the tropical oceans increases by eight<br>
to 10 percent.<br>
<br>
Cold rains are generally associated with heavy downpour. They<br>
are generated when strong updrafts carry bigger drops higher up<br>
into the atmosphere, where they freeze and grow. These drops<br>
are very large by the time they fall. Once updrafts take these</div>
<div>large drops high enough, and freezing takes place, the
process<br>
of rainfall is more dependent on the velocity of the updraft<br>
and less on sea surface temperatures. Since the process of<br>
condensation releases heat, warm rains heat the lower<br>
atmosphere. More warm rains are likely to make the air lighter<br>
and rise faster, creating updrafts producing more cold rain.<br>
<br>
The study found warm rains account for approximately 31 percent<br>
of the total global rain amount and 72 percent of the total<br>
rain area over tropical oceans, implying warm rains play a<br>
crucial role in the overall water cycle. Light warm rains<br>
appear to occur much more frequently, and cover more area, than<br>
cold rains, even though they drop less water per shower. The<br>
total precipitation from all types of warm rains accounts for a<br>
substantial portion of the total rainfall.<br>
<br>
In a warmer climate, it is possible there will be more warm<br>
rain and fewer clouds. If the amount of water entering into<br>
clouds stays constant and rainfall efficiency increases, then<br>
there will be less water in the clouds and more warm rains.<br>
<br>
More study is needed to better understand the relationship<br>
between increased warm-rain precipitation efficiency and a rise<br>
in sea surface temperatures, and to determine how cold rain<br>
might be affected by an increase in warm rain and a decrease in<br>
cloud water amounts.<br>
<br>
NASA's Earth Science Enterprise is dedicated to understanding<br>
the Earth as an integrated system and applying Earth System</div>
<div>Science to improve prediction of climate, weather and natural<br>
hazards using the unique vantage point of space.<br>
<br>
For more information and images related to the study on the</div>
<div>Internet, visit:<br>
<br>
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2003/1224rainfall.html<br>
<br>
For information about NASA on the Internet, visit:<br>
</div>
<div>http://www.nasa.gov</div>
<div><br></div>
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color="#0000FF"><b>***************************************************</b
></font></div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
<div align="center"><font size="+1" color="#0000FF"><b>Jobs for
PhDs</b></font></div>
<div align="center"><font color="#0000FF"><b><br></b></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><b>Professor in marine ecology, with
specialization in fish ecology</b></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><b>University of Kalmar, Sweden<br>
</b> The University of Kalmar, located in SE
Sweden at the Baltic Sea, has a strong profile in aquatic, especially
marine, ecology, with a diversified undergraduate program and courses
for PhD-students. Research is based on international cooperation
with extensive funding from the EU as well as the Swedish Research
Council and other national agencies. The university can offer modern,
well equipped laboratories, with state of the art instruments, for
both traditional and molecular biological work, and mesocosm and
aquaria rooms with running seawater, for fish and invertebrate
studies. More than 30 scientists (including two professors) ,
PhD-students and technicians participate in research and teaching
within aquatic ecology.</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"> We are now opening
a new position as professor in marine ecology, with specialization in
fish ecology. Teaching and research should be within an ecosystem
context, and with focus on the Baltic Sea and its fish resources and
fisheries. We are looking for a candidate with internationally
recognized scientific merits, documented pedagogic skills and
experience from undergraduate teaching as well as supervision of
graduate students. The candidate is expected to take an active part
in the development of teaching and research at the Department of
Biology and Environmental Science, through own externally funded
research projects, recruitment and supervision of PhD-students and
teaching in undergraduate courses e. g. within Aquatic Ecology,
Marine Ecology, Fisheries and Environmental Science.</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><b>Deadline for applications March 8,
2004<br>
For more details on where to send your
application and documents required please check at
http://www.hik.se</b></font></div>
<div><br></div>
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<div><font face="Times New Roman"><b><br></b></font></div>
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face="Times New Roman"><b>************************</b></font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman"><b><br></b></font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman"><b>Academic Coordinator/Program
Manager</b></font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>><b>UC Davis Extension
department of Land Use & Natural Resources</b> is</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>seeking an experienced
scientist, resource manager, administrator</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>or policy analyst to serve
as Program Manager of a unique</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>scientific peer review
program focused on restoring the ecosystems</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>of the San Francisco
Bay-Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta and its</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>watersheds and
tributaries. This position is an essential part
of</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>the California Bay Delta
Authority (previously CALFED) Ecosystem</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>Restoration Program's
proposal solicitation and review process. </font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>The Ecosystem Restoration
Program provides approximately $100</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>million in funding annually
through its competitive proposal</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>solicitation process. $475
million has been awarded to 400</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>restoration projects thus
far. Graduate degree in a discipline</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>related to ecology,
fisheries, aquatic restoration, watershed</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>science or environmental
management/policy required with 2-4 years</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>of professional experience
in an agency, academic program or</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>consulting firm in a field
directly related to ecosystem</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>restoration. Full-time
position; annual hiring salary for Acad</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>Coord II ranges from $54,240
to$62,376, dependent upon experience.</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>For information call (530)
757-8671 or</font></div>
<div><font
face="Times New Roman">>>dprigge@unexmail.ucdavis.edu. UC Davis
is an affirmative</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">>>action/equal opportunity
employer.</font></div>
<div
align="center">**************************************************</div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
<div align="center"><font size="-1">This newsletter has been developed
by C. Susan Weiler for the purpose of distributing information of
potential interest to recent PhDs engaged in interdisciplinary aquatic
science or climate change research, and to build an international
sense of community among recent grads. It provides an international
forum for the exchange of information and opinions regarding research,
professional and social issues.</font></div>
<div align="center"><font size="-1">The views and opinions expressed
are strictly those of C.S. Weiler or of the individual who has
submitted a particular item for distribution. The opinions expressed
do not necessarily reflect those of the funding agencies or sponsoring
societies. Dr. Weiler serves as producer and editor and reserves the
right to edit or reject material submitted to the list.</font></div>
<div align="center"><font color="#0000FF"><b>Please submit
announcements of interest to recent PhDs to phd@whitman.edu or
weiler@whitman.edu.</b></font></div>
<div align="center">For ease of transmission, please do not send
attachments. Send a short message in the body of an e-mail message,
and link to any appropriate websites.</div>
<div align="center"><font color="#0000FF"><b><br></b></font></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>C. Susan Weiler,
Ph.D. <br>
Biology
Department <span
></span> Tel:
509-527-5948 <br
>
Whitman
College <span
></span
>
Fax: 509-527-5961<br>
Walla Walla, WA 99362<br>
weiler@whitman.edu <br>
Programs for Recent
PhDs <span
></span> http://aslo.org/phd.html<br>
Minorities in the Aquatic Sciences
http://www.aslo.org/mas.html<br>
DIALOG poster
http://www.aslo.org/phd/dialogposter.pdf<br>
DISCCRS poster
http://www.aslo.org/phd/disccrsposter.pdf <span
></span> </div>
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