Sections
Sections are organized within ESA’s membership to promote interaction among those with similar research and discipline interests. Sections organize activities and facilitate communication among their members.
ESA welcomed four new sections in 2015: the Ecological Restoration Section, Invasion Ecology Section, Open Science Section, and Communication and Engagement Section. In 2016, the Black Ecologists Section was created.
Links to section websites and social media are provided at the end of each paragraph. The section name links to history information, if available. With ESA’s Centennial in 2015, the Historical Records Committee strongly encourages all sections to research and publish their history. We are happy to help—please let us hear from you!
- The Agroecology Section was formed in 2000 to promote an understanding of the importance of the application of ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agroecosystems.
Section website | Twitter @ESA_agroecology | On Facebook - The Animal Behavior and Sociobiology Section, formed in 1956, was a large (>1000 members) and visible section until 1964, when it merged with a similar Division of the American Society of Zoologists to form the Animal Behavior Society. Thereafter it largely ceased to function as a Section and was dissolved in 1993.
- The Applied Ecology Section is the second-largest and third-oldest of the active sections within this Society. The Section was established in 1971 and strives to enhance communication about applying ecological principles to solve practical environmental problems.
Section website - The Aquatic Ecology Section advances, coordinates, and assists research and dissemination of theoretical and applied knowledge in all branches of aquatic ecology. It is the largest and oldest active section, having been established in 1961 as a successor to a Fish and Fisheries committee created in 1917.
Section website | Twitter @ESAAquatic - The Asian Ecology Section was formed in 1994 to promote communication and collaboration, as well as ecological research and education in Asia.
Section website - The Biogeosciences Section, formed in 2002, promotes research and education on the influence of biology on the chemistry Earth’s surface, the processing of energy and materials in Earth’s ecosystems, and the impact of humans on Earth system function.
Section website | Info and listserv | Email Biogeoscience - The Black Ecologists Section was established in August of 2016.
Section website - The Communication and Engagement Section was formed in 2015 to promote and support the practice of traditional and emerging science communication approaches by ecologists and science communicators within ESA’s membership.
Section website - The Disease Ecology Section, founded in 2014, seeks to promote research and education regarding epidemiology, evolution, and ecology of host-pathogen and host parasite interaction and disease.
Section website | Twitter @ESADisease - The Early Career Ecologist Section, founded in 2014, includes but is not limited to individuals who currently have less than 8 years of full-time employment in an ecology-related position, or otherwise self-identified as “early career”.
Section website | Twitter @ESA_EarlyCareer - The Ecological Restoration Section promotes theoretical and applied research, teaching, communication, grant development, and collaboration on ecological restoration. It was organized in 2015.
Section website | Twitter @ESArestore - The Education Section began in 1988 and aims to enhance ecology education for students of all ages and for the general public and to advocate an appropriate emphasis on ecology education at all levels, among other goals.
Section website | Twitter @ESAedu | Facebook | Education/Diversity timeline - The Environmental Justice Section was organized in 2007 to promote the engagement of ecologists in addressing environmental injustice issues through education, research and outreach.
Section website | Engaged Ecologist blog - The Human Ecology Section began in 2010 in order to guarantee intellectual exchanges on the role and the interpretation of humans’ relationship to their environment.
Section website | History timeline (draft) - The Inclusive Ecology Section, approved in 2016, will strive to facilitate inclusivity by working with the efforts of other ESA sections and programs to educate, support and mentor, and provide a setting for sharing concerns.
Section website - The International Affairs Section was established in 1978 to support and manage the relationships between ESA members and the world-wide community of ecologists through INTECOL and other international organizations. Inactive 2005; dissolved 2015.
- The Invasion Ecology Section, created in 2015, promotes research, teaching, communication, and collaboration on the ecology of biological invasions.
Twitter @ESAinvasionecol - The Long-Term Studies Section was founded in 1988 to encourage research; exchange ideas; facilitate communication; and enhance public understanding of the relevance of long-term ecological data.
Section website - The Microbial Ecology Section was formed in 2006 to promote research and education regarding the ecology of microorganisms.
Section website | Twitter @ESAmicrobe - The Natural History Section was organized in 2010 to promote the value, improve the practice, grow the community and increase the application of natural history within and beyond ESA.
Section website | Twitter @ESAnathist - The Open Science Section was organized in 2015 to encourage and support ecologists who are striving to practice Open Science principles in their research, teaching, outreach, and engagement with policymakers, managers, and other ecologists.
Section website | Twitter @ESAopensci - The Paleoecology Section, formed in 1976 to encourage research and to sponsor meetings for the communication of results in all phases of paleoecology, defined broadly as retrospective ecology on a variety of timescales.
Section website | Twitter @ESA_paleo - The Physiological Ecology Section, founded in 1969, is one of the largest sections in the Ecological Society of America. Its primary purpose is to promote research, teaching, and communication in physiological ecology of both animals and plants.
Section website | Twitter @Eco_Phys - The Plant Population Ecology Section, founded in 1994, encourages research and communication in plant population ecology and related fields.
Section website | Twitter @PlantPopEco_ESA - The Policy Section, founded in 2010, acts to foster interaction among ecologists who have worked or currently work in public policy positions and works with the Public Affairs Office to facilitate the participation of students.
Section website - The Rangeland Ecology Section, founded in 2000, facilitates communication of all aspects of rangeland ecology and management among applied and basic ecologists, natural resource managers and interested members of the public.
Section website - The Researchers at Undergraduate Institutions Section is dedicated to supporting scientists with significant teaching loads in their roles as ecological researchers.
Section website - The Soil Ecology Section, founded in 1993, seeks to promote an understanding of the importance of soil biota among ecologists, soil scientists, and members of related disciplines and to encourage and support education and research in soil ecology.
Section website | Twitter @ESAsoilecology - The Statistical Ecology Section, founded in 1989, seeks to encourage research in statistical theory and methodology applied to ecological problems and to facilitate communication between the disciplines of statistics and ecology.
Section website - The Student Section, founded in 2000, aims to facilitate communication among all student members of the Society, enhance interaction between students and the Society as a whole, and to provide an effective way for students to communicate their needs to the Society.
Section website | History timeline | Twitter @ESA_students - The Theoretical Ecology Section was formed in 1993 to foster theoretical research in all areas of ecology and research collaboration between theoreticians and experimental/field ecologists; and encourage the application of ecological theory to the resolution of societal problems.
Section website - The Traditional Ecological Knowledge Section, founded in 2002, works to promote the understanding, dissemination and respectful use of traditional ecological knowledge in ecological research, application and education and increase participation in ESA by indigenous people .
Section website - The Urban Ecosystem Ecology Section, founded in 2002, promotes an understanding of the importance of urban ecosystems among ecologists and members of related disciplines.
Section website | Twitter @UrbanEcosystems - The Vegetation Section, founded in 1984, seeks to encourage research and foster communication of results in all aspects of vegetation science.
Section website
Awards
At this time, HRC is not tracking section awards, but old records may be found at Awards given by Chapters and Sections.