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Meetings

30 Years Later, Yellowstone Fires Are Still a Burning Problem

103rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America: Extreme events, ecosystem resilience and human well-being 5–10 August 2018 Monica G. Turner served as President of ESA for the 2015-2016 term. She is an internationally recognized landscape ecologist, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and received ESA’s Robert H. MacArthur Award in 2008. Her field studies and simulation…

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ESA Communicating Science Workshop – Travel Awards Available

ESA Member Opportunity Attend the Inaugural ESA Communicating Science Workshop **Travel Awards of up to $200.00 will be given to each attendee as a supplement for travel costs.** RSVP now Reserve your spot now.  November 2, 1:00pm-5pm – November 3, 8:00am-4pm  Bowie State University  Center for  Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Nursing 4000 Jericho Park Road, Bowie, MD 20715-9465 Attend and…

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Distant volcanic eruptions foster saguaro cactus baby booms

One hundred and thirty years ago, the volcano Krakatoa erupted in what is now Indonesia, unleashing a cataclysm locally and years of cool temperatures and rain globally. On the far side of the world, a bumper crop of saguaro cacti were getting their start in life in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. Many of the large exemplars of the famous cacti standing…

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Two adult Asian tiger mosquitoes

Asian tiger mosquito thrives in New York

The aggressive, day-biting Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, has spread with global trade from its native home in the tropics and subtropics of Southeast Asia. First observed in Houston, Texas, in 1987, it rapidly spread through the interstate system in the the United States. Its range is pushing northward into New York and Pennsylvania. Does Ae. albopictus crowd out other…

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Battle at the bloodmeal lek #ESA2016

Invasive Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the principal vectors of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses in the Americas. These species often find themselves in competition for mates and resources for their young. Cross-mating between the species creates infertile eggs and permanent sterilization of A. aegypti females. Lounibos and colleague Steven Juliano of Illinois State University described the causes and…

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Side effects of mosquito defense: broad spectrum insecticides kill the pollinators of rare native flowers

As an example of the costs of mosquito suppression, three imperiled native plants in the Lower Florida Keys suffer indirectly from the spraying of insecticides in housing developments flanking National Key Deer Refuge. Harris will present her work in a poster session on Conservation at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America in southern Florida this August. PS…

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Invasive mosquito helps break the spread of a parasite

Some species of mosquitoes spread dangerous human diseases. But mosquitoes have their own parasites, like the protozoan Ascogregarina barretti, which is related to the organisms that cause malaria and toxoplasmosis, and infects the native North American mosquito Aedes triseriatus. The invasive mosquito, Aedes japonicus, a recent arrival in North America, does not contract As. barretti. Will the presence of Ae. japonicus dilute the…

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Luring mosquitoes into honeysuckle traps

Beyond the blood meal, mosquitoes need sugar and safe and nurturing pools to cradle their eggs and emerging larva. Fallen leaves floating in still water (like residential stormwater drainage ditches) make appealing hatcheries for the common house mosquito (Culex pipiens), a carrier of West Nile virus. At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this…

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#SketchYourScience at ESA 2014

Can you describe your research with a sketch? What would you draw? Johanna Varner, Erin Gleeson, and Nancy Huntly are passionate about mountain research — and about promoting science communication. They’ve Storified what happened when they roamed the halls at the 2014 Annual Meeting in Sacramento, asking ecologists to #SketchYourScience. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions…

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Pika sketch by biological illustrator, Jennifer Landin

Pikas on Ice

Another fine guest post from Holly Menninger and the ESA2014 EcoCommCrew: Adorable and fuzzy, American pikas have become the spokes-critter for the consequences of climate change in alpine areas. Pika sketch by biological illustrator, Jennifer Landin.

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A puppy from a village outside of Jodhpur, India. Credit, Andy Yoak.

In India, vaccination, sterilization of stray dogs curbs rabies better than culls

When people encounter stray dogs in Jaipur, India, they cross the street to put distance between themselves and a potentially deadly bite. Street dogs are endemic in Indian cities and experience has taught citizens caution. The incidence of rabies in the stray population is uncomfortably high, resulting in about 20,000 human cases every year. Most cities have tried to solve…

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