Announcements

Physiological Ecology Section 2017 Presentation Awards

As many of us are starting to think about the 2018 Annual meeting, we want to take a moment to congratulate our presentation award winners from 2017.

We are thrilled to have an opportunity to recognize these outstanding young scientists and to highlight their contributions to the discipline.

Congratulations!

Gerard Sapes (U. Montana) W. D. and S. M. Billings Award
Best oral presentation by a graduate student
“Plant water content is the best predictor of drought-induced mortality”

Beth Roskilly (U. Montana) New Phytologist Award
Best poster presentation by a graduate student
“Xylem anatomy mediates growth and longevity in ponderosa pine”

Alexandria Pivovaroff (UCLA, co-winner) Plant, Cell & Environment Award
Best oral presentation by a postdcotoral scholar
“In the heat of the moment: Diurnal patterns of branch carbon uptake and transpiration during heat waves”

Nick Smith (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, co-winner) Plant, Cell & Environment Award
Best oral presentation by a postdoctoral scholar
“Predicting photosynthetic capacity from first principles”

Honorable Mentions, W. D. & S. M. Billings Award

Natalie Aguirre (Pepperdine U., Hydraulic mechanisms of fungal-induced dieback in a keystone chaparral species during unprecedented drought in California)

Leander Anderegg (U. Washington, A spectrum of spectrums: Leaf economics across taxonomic scales)

Jessica Guo (Northern Arizona U., Seasonal trends in leaf non-structural carbohydrates driven by depletion of starch in Larrea tridentata)

41st New Phytologist Symposium: Plant sciences for the future

11 – 13 April 2018
Nancy, France

The grant deadline for the 41st New Phytologist Symposium: Plant sciences for the future, is approaching!

Submit your application at https://newphytologist.org/symposia/41. Deadline: 18 January 2018.

Grants are available to researchers with up to five years’ experience post-PhD. This excludes career breaks.

We look forward to welcoming you in Nancy.

Register now for the 42nd New Phytologist Symposium
The biology of wood: from cell to trees

10–12 July 2018

Granlibakken, Lake Tahoe, CA, USA

Wood biology research has traditionally been approached by discipline-specific questions and approaches, but recently the need and power of integrative approaches is becoming apparent. This symposium will bring together diverse researchers from different aspects of wood biology research including anatomists, biochemists, cell biologists, ecologists, geneticist / genomicists, and physiologists.

This symposium aims to facilitate the exchange of ideas and foster new collaborations across disciplines. We will also challenge speakers to put forth their vision for future research, including outstanding questions and interdisciplinary approaches by which they could be addressed.

The symposium will take place over three days at the Granlibakken Resort at Lake Tahoe in California. The symposium will be organised into sessions by research topics, there will be dedicated time for discussions, posters, selected poster talks, a conference dinner and a field trip.

Travel grants are available!

Travel grant deadline: Thursday 5 April 2018

Poster abstract deadline: Thursday 3 May 2018

More details and registration at https://www.newphytologist.org/symposia/42

ESA Physiological Ecology Section travel and presentation awards

Applications are now being accepted for the Physiological Ecology Section’s AWARDS for attendees at the ESA 2017 Annual Meeting.

The student/postdoctoral awards include the following:

1. Student travel awards (applications due May 15, 2017)
2. Billings Oral Presentation Award (applications due June 15, 2017)
3. New Phytologist Poster Award (applications due June 15, 2017)
4. Plant Cell & Environment Postdoctoral Award (applications due June 15, 2017)

The student competitions are open to undergraduate and graduate students who are currently enrolled in a degree program or who have finished their degree within the last 12 months, and are not past winners. All awardees must be Section Members at the time of presentation to be eligible for any award. Please see attached file for more information and application instructions.

We are also seeking judges for these awards. If you are available to serve as a judge for student travel awards (assessing brief applications prior to the meeting) or talks/posters at this year’s meeting, please send us an email. Many, many thanks in advance.

If you have any questions, please email us: danjohnson@nulluidaho.edu or zcberry@nullgmail.com

Best wishes,
Carter Berry and Dan Johnson
Section Co-Secretaries (2015-2017)

New Physiological Ecology Co-Chairs

We are extremely pleased to announce our two new Co-Chairs, David Moore and Jason West. It was an extremely close election, and the Section was fortunate to have had three highly qualified candidates. David and Jason will take over on 1 Jan. 2017 and will serve through 31 Dec. 2018. Please join us in congratulating them and wishing them well. They will be part of the leadership team that includes Co-Secretaries Carter Berry and Dan Johnson. If you would like to communicate any suggestions or concerns about the Physiological Ecology Section before Jan 1st, please don’t hesitate to contact Kate McCulloh or Gretchen North. Finally, as we head off into 2017 and the post-(national) election landscape, it is worth reading a brief comment by David Lodge, President of ESA.

Our best wishes to all, and especially to David and Jason!
Kate & Gretchen

Election: ESA Physiological Ecology Section Chair

It is time to elect a new Chair to replace Kate McCulloh and Gretchen North, who are nearing the end of their two-year term. We are fortunate to have three extremely well-qualified candidates for 2017-2018, David Moore, University of Arizona, Jason West, Texas A&M University, and Maciej Zwieniecki, University of California, Davis. Their biographical sketches and personal statements are below.

Please vote here.

David Moore

Bio
I study physiological ecology because it explores the mechanisms that underpin the patterns we see in nature. Understanding these mechanisms can inform species distribution and behavior, management and conservation decisions and predictions of the ecosystem consequences of environmental change. My research spans plant photosynthesis, respiration and growth to microbial and whole ecosystem metabolism at a range of scales. My work in physiological ecology is an attempt to understand how ecosystems work across time and space. The work in our lab involves field and laboratory measurements and process based models. I received a BSc in Botany from University College Dublin and a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Illinois on the effects of rising CO2 on forests. My postdoctoral research involved the measurement and modeling of ecosystem fluxes at regional scales. Since 2007, I’ve organized a two week training course in flux measurement and advanced modeling (the ‘fluxcourse’) which attempts to bridge the gap between empirical and modeling approaches to science. After spending three years as a faculty member at King’s College London, one as a visiting scientist at the National Ecological Observatory Network, I am currently an Associate Professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona.

Goals
If I was to be elected chair I would attempt to do two things, both focused on increasing discussion of new ideas in physiological ecology. First I would work to expand the digital footprint of the section and include those opting out of social media. There is a growing community of physiological ecologists on social media, sharing papers, new findings, jobs and encouraging young scientists to participate in in the scientific discourse. While this is an important development, we need to work to make sure that we do not create a digital divide between our members and find ways to include everyone. Second, I would work to expand the relevance the physiological section at the Ecological Society of America meeting. This depends of the active engagement of all scientists who share our passion. I would like to encourage the development of Organized Oral Sessions within the discipline and to encourage the inclusion of young scientists and those traditionally under-represented in these sessions. The will involve a little planning, providing timely information about how to propose a session to our members and it hinges on building a community of scientists eager to show up and discuss our science.

Jason West

Bio
I am a plant physiological ecologist by training and work on soil-plant-atmosphere interactions. My research encompasses within-leaf processes, leaf and root function, the responses of whole plants to environmental drivers, and the dynamics of ecosystems and landscapes as a function of anthropogenic change. I have also championed efforts to use models and spatially distributed stable isotope data to answer questions at large scales. My bachelor’s degree is in Range Science from Utah State University where I was first introduced to concepts of plant stress, the fascinating ways it can be studied, and the importance of plant-environment interactions to ecological processes. I then went to the University of Georgia and Lisa Donovan’s lab where I completed a PhD in Botany studying the below ground dynamics of longleaf pine savannas. I then took a two year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota, working with Sarah Hobbie and Peter Reich on ecosystem responses to multiple global changes. After that I was a research associate at the University of Utah working in an invigorating and multidisciplinary group in Jim Ehleringer’s lab on a range of stable isotope-focused questions. I am currently an Associate Professor at Texas A&M University where I get to work with fantastic students, postdocs, technicians, research associates and colleagues on the research questions we find compelling. Our more recent work has included internal resistances to CO2 diffusion in leaves, responses of southeastern forests to climate change, biogeochemical and ecohydrological processes in semi-arid environments, deep rooting in seasonally dry ecosystems, drivers of isotope fractionation in plants, and modeling of plant isoscapes.

Personal Statement
It is an honor to be considered for President of the Physiological Ecology Section of the Ecological Society of America. I have been close to the discipline since I was as an undergraduate working in Martyn Caldwell’s lab and have been a member of ESA and the Section for nearly twenty years. The Section represents a vibrant, diverse community of ecologists tackling challenging questions across a wide spectrum of organisms and ecosystems. If elected President, I would focus on continuing the already excellent programs that promote our science, advance the careers of young ecophysiologists, promote diversity and inclusion, and grow the Section’s membership. In addition, I would like to work on three main areas with some new initiatives: (1) Science communication – I think it is quite clear that the scientific community in general needs to do a better job of communicating what we do, why it’s important, and what the impacts of our work are. I will work to expand our social media presence and look for new ways to engage in broader dialogs, in particular with non-scientists, through helping to organize efforts like Science Cafés (http://www.sciencecafes.org/) and others, (2) Diversity and inclusion – Our section does a very good job cultivating young scientists from many backgrounds and providing tools for their success, including participating in the SEEDS program, offering student and postdoc awards that recognize excellence, and maintaining strong links to the ESA Student Section. I would like to explore new efforts, including sponsoring an event at the ESA Annual Meeting or strengthening the Section’s participation in SEEDS Leadership Meetings and other events, and will seek input from across the Section on how we can enhance what we do in this area, (3) Funding – Since the Section is one of the largest in ESA and because we receive generous support from donors, it has strong financial footing. New initiatives, however, require new funding. I will seek to enhance support from external donors and will work with the Section’s leadership to develop a proposal for the ESA Long Range Planning Grants program if that opportunity is made available.

Maciej Zwieniecki

Bio
Maciej Zwieniecki received his Ph.D. in forest ecophysiology from Oregon State University (1995) studying chaparral forests. Following 12 years, Maciej spent at Harvard University at series of soft money positions in Missy Holbrook lab studying multiple aspects of plant water relations. From 2008 till 2012 Maciej was a Sargent Research Fellow at The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University focusing his research on the biology and biophysics of transport processes in plants and the water relations of trees in their natural environment. In 2012 Maciej joined Plant Science Department at UC Davis where he continues his eco-physiological research in both natural and agro-ecosystems.

Goals
Genomic revolution, global climate change, and big data (meta-analysis) took over ESA, BSA, ASPB, and any other society that has plant focus. This shift in attention left ecophysiology and ‘classical physiology’ without home. Within last 10 years I have noticed that at any of these big society meetings there is only one or at the most two symposia/session in any relevance to my research – explicitly 3-6 hours of talks and handful of posters making trips to this meeting almost irrelevant. It is down-ward spiral of self-fulfilling prophecy of diminishing relevance of what we do – less visibility, less funding etc. Surprisingly it is not for the absence of students, postdocs and faculty. A recent search for the eco-physiologist at UC Davis had over 90 qualified candidates – if only all of them went to ESA meeting it would be a feast for thought. Thus my overarching goal is making ESA meeting an attractive destination for plant organismal physiologist and eco-physiologists and to generate new enthusiasm for the filed. As previous efforts to utilize classical venues like webpages, Facebook to increase our visibility seemed to reach their peak my specific goals would be to (1) encourage attendance and submission of session proposals using our personal contacts. (2) Encourage group leaders to attend ESA meeting (not just sending students) – Student and postdocs are going to this meeting to make contacts, find role models, be stimulated. If faculty is not there, the meeting attractiveness is not there either. Faculty need to find time to do it and I will work hard to make it happen. (3) Make section meeting at ESA more fun, not just food. I will also try to encourage faculty to organize multi-lab informal mixers, dinners etc. (4) Encourage whole labs attendance even including lab members who are presenting. In fact, on personal note, I took my entire lab (6 people – only two presenters) for the BSA meeting this year and I was absolutely impressed how this four-day event stimulated lab members’ creativity and enthusiasm for conducting research. Of course, I would continue my predecessors established leadership in generating opportunities for students by helping defray meeting costs, and I will continue to work with our sponsors to maintain, and hopefully increase, the travel and distinction awards.

Apply for the New Phytologist Tansley Medal – deadline 30 November

Calling all early career plant scientists!

The New Phytologist Tansley Medal is awarded annually in recognition of an outstanding contribution to plant science by an individual in the early stages of their career (student and post-doctoral researchers with up to five years’ experience since gaining / defending their PhD are eligible). The winner will receive a prize of £2000 (GBP) and will author a short Tansley insight review to be published in New Phytologist, accompanied by an Editorial announcing the winner and finalists. The application deadline for this year’s Tansley Medal is 30 November 2016. Apply at http://www.newphytologist.org/tansleymedal

The Tansley Medal is an opportunity to recognise an outstanding scientist in the early stages of their career, and supporting the next generation of plant scientists is a core aspect of the activities of the New Phytologist Trust. I would be very grateful if you would support us in this endeavour by spreading the word to anyone you know who might be eligible to apply for the Tansley Medal. If you have any queries regarding the medal or the submission process please do not hesitate to get in touch.

ESA Physiological Ecology Section Award Winners

The Physiological Ecology Section is pleased to announce the 2016 merit award winners for their presentations at the ESA meeting in Ft. Lauderdale.

The recipient of the Dwight Billings Award for Physiological Ecology is: Kathryn V. Baker, Forest, Range, and Fire Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, for her talk entitled “Hydraulic strategies of six co-occurring conifer species in northern Idaho during a severe drought,” coauthored with Daniel M. Johnson, Dept. of Forest, Range, and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho.

The recipient of the Plant, Cell & Environment Postdoctoral award is: Duncan D. Smith, Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, for his talk entitled “Does the centrifuge method underestimate xylem vulnerability in short-vesseled species?” coauthored with Katherine A. McCulloh, Botany, The University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This year, there are two recipients of the New Phytologist Poster award: Dileepa M. Jayawardena, Dept of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, for his poster entitled “Elevated carbon dioxide and chronic warming decrease nitrogen (N) uptake and levels of N-uptake and N-assimilatory proteins in tomato provided different forms of inorganic N,” coauthored with Scott A. Heckathorn¹, Deepesh R. Bista¹, Sasmita Mishra², Jennifer Boldt³ and Charles R. Krause³, (1) Dept of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, (2) Dept of Biology, Kean University, Union, NJ, (3) USDA, Toledo, OH.

Harmandeep Sharma, Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, for her poster entitled “Variation in plant water use and environmental drivers of sap flow in sagebrush communities spanning rain- to snow-dominated elevation zones,” coauthored with Keith Reinhardt and Kathleen A. Lohse, Biological Sciences, Idaho State University.

 

 

Top (l-r): Kathryn Baker, Duncan Smith; bottom (l-r): Dileepa Jayawaranda, Harmandeep Sharma

The presentations by these young investigators were outstanding, as were all of the student and postdoctoral entries considered for merit awards this year. Such presentations are part of an illustrious tradition for the Physiological Ecology Section, and we hope to see even more entries in 2017! Thanks to all the judges for their perspicacity and to co-secretaries Carter Berry and Dan Johnson for coordinating the selection process. Thanks also to our out-going student liaison Jesse Blanchard, soon to receive his PhD from Florida International University, and a warm welcome to our new student liaison Shan Kothari, a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota.

Next year’s ESA meeting will be in Portland, OR. The Section can no longer sponsor sessions, but please consider proposing an Organized Oral Session or other session around a subject of interest: the deadline for proposals is Sept. 15, 2016 (see ESA meeting webpage for further details).

Upcoming election for Physiological Ecology Section president or co-presidents: Kate McCulloh and Gretchen North will be stepping down in December, so it is time to consider nominations for section president(s) for 2017-2018; self-nominations are highly encouraged (a candidate you can fully support!). The election will be held in October. Please contact Kate (kmcculloh@nullwisc.edu) or Gretchen (gnorth@nulloxy.edu) for nominations or more information.

Finally, as always, the Physiological Ecology Section is grateful for the continued support of our generous sponsors and donors: Many thanks to:

Applications for ESA Physiological Ecology Section Awards

Applications are now being accepted for the Physiological Ecology Section’s AWARDS for attendees at the ESA 2016 Annual Meeting.

The student/postdoctoral awards include the following:

1. Student travel awards (applications due May 1, 2016)
2. Billings Oral Presentation Award (applications due June 1, 2016)
3. New Phytologist Poster Award (applications due June 1, 2016)
4. Plant Cell & Environment Postdoctoral Award (applications due June 1, 2016)

The student competitions are open to undergraduate and graduate students who are currently enrolled in a degree program or who have finished their degree within the last 12 months, and are not past winners. All awardees must be Section Members at the time of presentation to be eligible for any award.

We are also seeking judges for these awards. If you are available to serve as a judge for student travel awards (assessing brief applications prior to the meeting) or talks/posters at this year’s meeting, please send us an email. Many, many thanks in advance.

More information and application instructions.

If you have any questions, please email us: danjohnson@nulluidaho.edu or zcberry@nullgmail.com

Best wishes,
Carter Berry and Dan Johnson
Section Co-Secretaries (2016-2018)

2016 ESA Annual Meeting: Call for Contributed Abstracts (Talks, Posters, Lightning Talks)

Call for Contributed Abstracts: Talks, Posters, Lightning Talks

101st Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; August 7-12, 2016

Deadline for Submission: Thursday, February 25, 2016. Only complete proposals submitted by 5:00 PM Eastern Time (2:00 PM Pacific) will be considered.

Join us in sunny Fort Lauderdale this summer as we begin ESA’s second century with sessions that explore our meeting theme, “Novel Ecosystems in the Anthropocene.”

With a rapidly changing climate, altered hydrological and nutrient cycles, dominance of large regions by agricultural and urban ecosystems, and massive movement of species to new continents, the Earth has entered a new epoch characterized by human influence. Understanding the basic principles of ecology will be more important than ever before, to predict how new combinations of species in new environments will develop into functioning, novel ecosystems. We encourage abstracts that address ecosystem structure and function responses to multiple drivers of change, management of developing novel ecosystems, and potential benefits and problems that society will face as we progress into the Anthropocene Epoch. Although abstracts related to the meeting’s theme are encouraged, any timely and coherent subject of broad interest to ecologists will be considered. We also welcome abstracts that explore interdisciplinary connections with areas of social and natural science outside of ecology or that relate to ecological education at any level.

All abstracts will be reviewed using guidelines described in the abstract calls. Abstracts will be sorted into thematic sessions based on topics ranked by the submitting author at the time of abstract submission. By submitting an abstract, authors are indicating they expect to be available during any of the appropriate time slots.

Contributed talks are scheduled for 15 minutes plus 5 minutes for questions (20 minutes total). Oral sessions could be scheduled Monday afternoon through Friday morning.

Contributed posters will be scheduled for a two hour session in the late afternoon. Poster sessions could be scheduled Monday through Thursday.

Contributed Lightning Talks are scheduled for 5 minutes with shared discussion time. Lightning sessions could be scheduled Monday afternoon through Friday morning.

Student Awards

Students who would like to be considered for best student presentation for talks and posters (Buell/Braun awards) should apply by following the instructions in the calls for contributed abstracts. The application deadline is the same as the abstract deadline, February 25 at 5:00 PM Eastern (2:00 PM Pacific).

If you have any questions, please contact the Program Chair, Lee Frelich, at freli001@nullumn.edu or the Program Coordinator, Jennifer Riem, at jennifer@nullesa.org.

New co-secretaries for Physiological Ecology!

Greetings! We hope 2016 has begun well for you despite snow, rain, or lack thereof. Here are a few dates and reminders from the Physiological Ecology Section. First, the annual meeting of the ESA, in Ft. Lauderdale this year, is Aug. 7-12. Abstracts for presentations at the meeting are due Feb. 25. Several of you on our membership list from 2015 have not yet registered (or paid up!) for 2016, and you’ll want to do that soon. Remember that you need to be a member of a section, so be sure to re-join Physiological Ecology. Other ways to keep in touch with Section activities are our Facebook page and our twitter feed (@Eco_Phys).

Also, here is a follow-up reminder about a request for proposals that was sent in December. The due date is February 15, but please contact Kate or Gretchen if you need a few more days.

Request for Proposals

The Physiological Ecology Section of ESA is now accepting proposals for supplemental funds for organizing short training courses and/or workshops. These events should cover physiological ecology topics, and proposals must be submitted by a current section member. Priority will be given to events that target students and/or postdocs. Funds can be used directly for costs of the event (e.g., meeting location expenses, supplies, etc.), or can be distributed by the organizers to individuals to defray their costs associated with the event. Two months after the event, a one-page report on its effectiveness and expected outcomes is due to the section chair(s).

Who can apply: members of the Physiological Ecology section of ESA who are organizing short training courses and/or workshops

Amount of individual awards: $1000-2000

Number of awards funded: 2-4 in 2016

Proposal due date: 2/15/16

Application process: please submit description of event, in a maximum of one page, including relevance/importance to the section and how the funds will be used. Email your proposal to Kate McCulloh (kmcculloh@nullwisc.edu) or Gretchen North (gnorth@nulloxy.edu).

New co-secretaries for Physiological Ecology!

We are glad to announce that the section has elected co-secretaries for 2016 and 2017, Carter Berry and Dan Johnson! Please join us in welcoming them to the section’s leadership team and in thanking departing co-secretaries Joseph Bump and Molly Cavaleri for their unflagging commitment to the section. To all of you, have a great winter holiday season (remember snow? see the logo), and please renew your membership to ESA and Physiological Ecology when you get the chance.

Best wishes,
Kate McCulloh
Gretchen North

Summer Soil Institute at Colorado State University – June 12-25, 2016

Please consider participating in our 2-week long 7th Annual Summer Soil Institute (SSI 2016) which is designed for graduate and advanced undergraduate students, post-docs, professionals, faculty, and K-12 teachers. SSI 2016 will be held on June 12-25, 2016 and is located at the confluence of the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. For details please see http://soilinstitute.nrel.colostate.edu/.

Bayesian Modeling Workshop – May 18-27, 2016

The National Science Foundation (award #: DEB-1145200) is sponsoring an annual, two-week workshop to provide intensive training in Bayesian modeling for post-doctoral researchers, academic faculty, and agency scientists. Applicants must have earned a PhD to be considered for the workshop, and applications will not be accepted from graduate students. Twenty participants will be invited each year. There will be no cost for participation in the workshop. A $1000 stipend will be provided to each U.S. participant, and a $700 stipend will be provided to each international participant (due to taxes withheld), to defray costs of travel. The fourth workshop will be held May 18-27, 2016 at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO.

Goals of the Workshop

1. Provide a principles-based understanding of Bayesian methods needed to train students, to evaluate papers and proposals, and to solve research problems.
2. Communicate the statistical concepts and vocabulary needed to foster collaboration between ecologists and statisticians.
3. Provide the conceptual foundations and quantitative confidence needed for self-teaching modern analytical methods.

Instructors:
Tom Hobbs, Colorado State University
Mevin Hooten, Colorado State University
Kiona Ogle, Arizona State University
Maria Uriarte, Columbia University

For more information and application instructions:
http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/bayesworkshop/

Questions:
Dr. Tom Hobbs
Natural Resource Ecology Lab
Colorado State University
970-491-5738
Tom.Hobbs@nullcolostate.edu

The New Phytologist Tansley Medal – deadline 30 November

Calling all early-stage career scientists!

The New Phytologist Tansley Medal is awarded annually in recognition of an outstanding contribution to research in plant science by an individual in the early stages of their career (student and post-doctoral researchers with up to five years’ experience since gaining/defending their PhD are eligible). The winner will receive a prize of £2000 (GBP) and will author a short review that will be published in New Phytologist accompanied by an Editorial announcing the winner and finalists. The application deadline for this year’s Medal is 30 November 2015.

The Tansley Medal is an opportunity to award recognition to an outstanding scientist in the early stages of his or her career, and supporting and nurturing the next generation of plant scientists is a core aspect of the activities of the New Phytologist Trust. I would be very grateful if you would support us in this endeavour by spreading the word to anyone you know who might be eligible to apply for the 2016 Tansley Medal. If you have any queries regarding the medal or the submission process please do not hesitate to get in touch. More details on the Medal can be found at: http://www.newphytologist.org/tansleymedal.

With best wishes,

Dr Mike Whitfield
Development Coordinator, New Phytologist
New Phytologist Central Office, Bailrigg House, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YE, UK

Funding Opportunity Announcement (DOE): Environmental System Science

The Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) of the Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) hereby announces its interest in receiving research applications for environmental system science. The goal of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to improve the representation of terrestrial ecosystems and subsurface processes appropriate for advancing Earth system model capabilities, thereby improving the quality of climate model projections and providing the scientific foundation needed to inform DOE’s energy decisions. The FOA will consider applications that focus on measurements, experiments, modeling or synthesis to provide improved quantitative and predictive understanding of terrestrial ecosystem and/or subsurface processes that can affect the cycling and transport of carbon, water, nutrients, and contaminants. All projects are required to clearly delineate an integrative, hypothesis-driven approach and clearly describe the existing needs/gaps in state-of-the-art models. Applicants should provide details on how the results of the proposed research, if successful, will be incorporated into numerical models of subsurface systems and/or terrestrial ecosystems. Applications from this FOA will support the scientific mission for the Terrestrial Ecosystem Science (TES) and Subsurface Biogeochemical Research (SBR) programs (more information on these program can be found at http://science.energy.gov/ber/research/cesd/terrestrial-ecosystem-science/ and http://science.energy.gov/ber/research/cesd/subsurface-biogeochemical-research/ respectively) DE-FOA-0001437 – Environmental System Science Please see the announcement for additional details. http://science.energy.gov/grants/foas/open/ Please note the schedule below. Deadline for Pre-applications (required): November 13, 2015, 5 pm EST Deadline for Proposals: January 22, 2016, 11:59 pm EST.

Congratulations to winners of Phys. Eco. Section student/postdoc awards 2015

The Physiological Ecology Section is proud to announce the 2015 merit award winners for their presentations at the ESA meeting in Baltimore.

This year, there are two recipients of the Dwight Billings Award for Physiological Ecology:

Helen Holmlund, undergraduate at Oklahoma Christian University (graduated in April 2015, now working with Steve Davis at Pepperdine University), for her talk entitled “Ferns living on the edge: Differential traits for survival during California’s historic drought” with co-authors Breahna M. Gillespie, Nicole A. Nakamatsu, Amanda M. Burns, Jarmila Pittermann, and; Stephen D. Davis.

Stephen Klosterman, PhD candidate, Harvard University, for his talk entitled “Bridging the organism and landscape scales of deciduous forest phenology using an unmanned aerial vehicle, PhenoCam, and remote sensing” with co-authors Sidni Frederick, Arturo Martinez, and Andrew D. Richardson.

The recipient of the New Phytologist Poster award is:

Michelle Shero, PhD student, University of Alaska, Anchorage, for her poster entitled “Breaking diapause: Using minimally-invasive ultrasonographic techniques shows intra-specific variation in the timing and probability of pregnancy in the Weddell seal” with co-authors Gregg P. Adams, Robert B. McCorkell, Amy L. Kirkham, and Jennifer M. Burns.

The recipient of the Plant, Cell & Environment Postdoctoral award is:

Kirsten Deane-Coe, postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University, for her talk entitled “Bryophyte-cyanobacteria associations increase bryophyte nitrogen content and photosynthetic performance but are vulnerable to environmental stress” with co-author Jed P. Sparks.

The presentations by these young investigators were outstanding, as were all of the student and postdoctoral entries considered for merit awards this year. Such presentations are part of an illustrious tradition for the Physiological Ecology Section, and we hope to see even more entries in 2016!

Student Travel Award winners for 2015:
Leander Anderegg, University of Washington
Megan Bartlett, UCLA
Anna Carter, Victoria University of Wellington
Stephen Klosterman, Harvard University
Helen Holmlund, Oklahoma Christian University
Gail McCormick, Pennsylvania State University
Eric Riddell, Clemson University
Jessica Valdovinos-Ayala, California State University, Bakersfield

As always, the Physiological Ecology Section is grateful for the continued support of our generous sponsors and donors. Many thanks to: New Phytologist; Plant, Cell & Environment; CRC Press; and LI-COR Biosciences.

ESA Meeting Follow-up

Dear Member of the Physiological Ecology Section, ESA:

The Section was well represented at the ESA meeting this year! It was particularly inspiring to see so many undergraduates, graduate students, and post-docs doing fascinating and important research. The future of the Section seems in good hands. At the business meeting and mixer, we promised to send two questions posed by Monica Turner, the incoming President of ESA, that are relevant not only to ESA but to the Section. Whether or not you came to the meeting, please take a minute to answer the following by replying to this email. If you’d like to add any other comments or suggestions, please do!

1. What benefits would make it imperative to belong to ESA (and the Physiological Ecology Section) and consistently maintain membership?
2. How can we assure that ESA (and Physiological Ecology) remain vital as the landscape of science changes?

Next, two additions to announcements made at the meeting: First, we thank LI-COR Biosciences for being a steadfast supporter of student travel awards and of the Section in general. Second, we thank Adam Roddy and Jesse Blanchard for serving as student liaisons to the Section. Jesse has graciously volunteered to continue for another year, and it would be great if a plant physiological ecology student would like to volunteer to replace (the otherwise irreplaceable) Adam. Please notify Jesse (jblan138@nullfiu.edu), Kate (kmcculloh@nullwisc.edu), or Gretchen (gnorth@nulloxy.edu) if you have any interest in representing the Section as student liaison or as Secretary, 2016-2017 . We’ll be glad to answer any questions you have about the duties (not to mention the perks).

Also, remember Phys-Fest. It’s a workshop designed to train grad students and postdocs in various eco-physiological techniques. It will take place on the Konza Prairie from June 5-9, 2016.

Finally, we look forward to seeing you in Fort Lauderdale in 2016, where we have been told to expect ocean breezes!

Gretchen North
Kate McCulloh
Co-Chairs, Physiological Ecology Section ESA

ESA Physiological Ecology Newsletter August 2015

Greetings from Baltimore! We are looking forward to seeing you at the ESA meeting. The first important announcement: our section mixer and annual business meeting is Wednesday evening, 6:30 PM-8:00 PM, Camden Lobby, Baltimore Convention Center (BCC).

We’d like to call your attention to other events at the meeting: Chris Field, who directs the Carnegie Institution’s Dept. of Global Ecology and is a member of the Physiological Ecology Section, is the New Phytologist Trust Lecturer and will speak Mon., 12:00-1:15 in BCC Rm. 308. His talk is entitled “Climate change: Mapping the problem space and the solution space.” In addition there are three Contributed Oral Sessions: Physiological Ecology I, Mon., 1:30-5:00, BCC Rm. 338; Physiological Ecology II, Tues., 8:00-11:30, BCC Rm. 347, and Physiological Ecology III, Tues., 1:30-5:00, BCC Rm. 343. The Physiological Ecology poster session, PS 77, is Thurs., 4:30-6:30, Exhibit Hall.

Other ways to keep in touch with Physiological Ecology at the meeting are by visiting our booth, #130 in the Exhibit Hall, and through Facebook (Physiological Ecology Section of the ESA group) and Twitter (@Eco_Phys). The annual newsletter is posted here: 2015 ESA Ecophys Newsletter

ESA Ecophys on Facebook and Twitter

Kate McCulloh recently created a Physiology Ecology Section of ESA Facebook page and a Phys Ecology ESA Twitter account – please check them out to stay for another way to connected with the community!

2015 ESA Annual Meeting: Call for Contributed Abstracts (Talks, Posters, Lightning Talks)

Call for Contributed Abstracts: Talks, Posters, Lightning Talks

100th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America
Baltimore, Maryland
August 9-14, 2015
http://esa.org/baltimore/

Deadline for Submission: February 26, 2015

Only complete proposals submitted by 5:00 PM Eastern Time (2:00 PM Pacific) will be considered.

Ecological Science at the Frontier: Celebrating ESA’s Centennial

We invite abstract submissions for contributed presentations in talk, poster, and lightning talk formats. Join us in beautiful historic Baltimore next summer to celebrate ESA’s first century and usher in the next.

ESA currently stands at a boundary between 100 successful years for the Society and an uncharted future for the planet. Although abstracts related to the meeting’s theme are encouraged, any timely and coherent subject of broad interest to ecologists will be considered. We also welcome abstracts that explore interdisciplinary connections with areas of social and natural science outside of ecology or that relate to ecological education at any level.

All abstracts will be reviewed using criteria described in the calls. Abstracts will be sorted into thematic sessions based on topics ranked by the submitting author at the time of abstract submission. By submitting an abstract, authors are indicating they expect to be available during any of the appropriate time slots.

Contributed Talks
Contributed talks are scheduled for 15 minutes plus 5 minutes for questions (20 minutes total). Oral sessions could be scheduled Monday afternoon through Friday morning.

Contributed Posters
Contributed posters will be scheduled for a 2 hour session in the late afternoon. Poster sessions could be scheduled Monday through Thursday.

Contributed Lightning Talks
Lightning talks are scheduled for 5 minutes with shared discussion time. Lightning sessions could be scheduled Monday afternoon through Friday morning.

Student Awards
New this year, students who would like to be considered for best student presentation (Buell/Braun awards) should apply as part of abstract submission. The deadline is the same as the abstract deadline, February 26. See the appropriate abstract call for more information, including the application questions.

If you have any questions, please contact the Program Chair, Carol Brewer, at brewer.carol@nullgmail.com or the Program Coordinator, Jennifer Riem, at jennifer@nullesa.org.

Call for Proposals for Synthesis Activities in Earth System Science

The John Wesley Powell Center for Earth System Science Analysis and Synthesis fosters innovative thinking in Earth system science through collaborative synthesis activities. This mission is driven by the growing recognition that synthesis is critical to solving complex problems facing Society. We invite interdisciplinary Working Groups comprised of USGS researchers and their national and international colleagues in academia and government to submit proposals. Working Groups collaborate to promote understanding through analysis of existing data and information. Groups that submit successful proposals will receive computing and data management support, funding for a Fellow, opportunities for meetings in Fort Collins, CO, and between-meeting collaborative tools. Proposals are invited for projects that will begin on or after October 1, 2015.

Proposal Deadline: April 30, 2015

Some proposals may be jointly funded by USGS and NSF/GEO/EAR. Potential USGS/EAR proposals should follow Powell submission guidelines and will be processed through the Powell Center Science Advisory Board review process. Instructions for proposal preparation and submission are available at: http://powellcenter.usgs.gov.

Call for Proposals – Ignite ESA, Workshops, Special Sessions, Field Trips

100th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America
Baltimore, Maryland
August 9-14, 2015

Deadline for Submission: November 20, 2014

Only complete proposals submitted by 5:00 PM Eastern Time (2:00 PM Pacific) will be considered.

Ecological Science at the Frontier: Celebrating ESA’s Centennial

We invite proposals for Ignite ESA Sessions, Workshops, Special Sessions, and Field Trips for ESA’s 100th Annual Meeting. Join us in beautiful historic Baltimore next summer to celebrate ESA’s first century and usher in the next.

ESA currently stands at a boundary between 100 successful years for the Society and an uncharted future for the planet. Appropriately, the Centennial meeting will support both retrospective and prospective sessions. Proposals examining historical topics and the history of ecology are encouraged, as well as proposals from early career ecologists and students that shine a light on the future of ecological science.

Although session proposals related to the meeting’s theme are encouraged, any timely and coherent subject of broad interest to ecologists will be considered. We also welcome proposals that explore interdisciplinary connections with areas of social and natural science outside of ecology or that relate to ecological education at any level. All proposals will be peer reviewed using criteria described in the proposal calls.

Ignite ESA is intended to stimulate the exchange of new and exciting ideas in a short time period. Sessions consist of 6-10 5-minute talks which address a common theme and are presented in the Ignite style: 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds.

Workshops are sessions intended to convey specific knowledge or skills. Workshops are frequently more interactive and informal than sessions within the formal scientific program, and often involve hands-on training. They are not intended for the presentation of research papers.

Special sessions complement the formal scientific program, providing an opportunity for presentations or extended dialogue beyond what is usually possible in the regular scientific sessions. These sessions do not conform to any single structure. They are not intended for the presentation of formal research papers.

Field trips offer attendees an opportunity to visit ecologically significant locations such as conservation areas, restoration projects, research sites, local communities, and cultural landmarks. Full day and overnight trips are held over the preceding weekend. Shorter trips can be held during the week.

If you have any questions, please contact the Program Chair, Carol Brewer, at brewer.carol@nullgmail.com or the Program Coordinator, Jennifer Riem, at jennifer@nullesa.org.

Physiological Ecology Section Distinction Awards

The Physiological Section of the Ecological Society of America announces the 2014 winners of three distinction awards for presentations at the ESA meeting in Sacramento.

Jennifer Johnson from the University of Arizona is the winner of the 2014 Dwight Billings Award for Physiological Ecology for her oral presentation: “The resource-use efficiency of C3-C4 intermediate photosynthesis” with co-authors Joseph A. Berry and Christopher B. Field.

Danielle Marias of Oregon State University is the winner of the New Phytologist Poster Award for her poster presentation: “Thermotolerance of Coffea arabica: Potential implications in a warming world” with co-authors Rick Meinzer and Chris Still.

Jessica Savage at Harvard University is the winner of the 2014 Plant, Cell and Environment Postdoctoral Award in Physiological Ecology goes her oral presentation: “The complexity of phloem structural diversity and its implications for angiosperm evolution” with co-authors Sierra Beecher, Jan Knoblauch, Michael Knoblauch and N. Michele Holbrook.

Winners receive a monetary award and books from Elsevier and CRC Press.

Congratulations to these scholars for their extraordinary work!

Thank you