Tropical Ecology @ Netherlands Annual Ecology Meeting 2019
The next Netherlands Annual Ecology Meeting (NAEM) will take place on 12 and 13 February 2019 at Conference Centre “De Werelt” (Netherlands). Patrick Jansen, Marielos Pena Carlos and I (William Gosling) are organizing a broad session on “Tropical Ecology” (talks and posters most welcome!). Please contact us directly as soon as possible if you would like to contribute to this session (EXTENDED deadline 18 December 2018).
Session abstract: This session deals with studies focused on tropical ecosystems, including terrestrial as well as marine systems. We particularly welcome talks focused on explaining the extraordinary high biodiversity, or on understanding anthropogenic impacts on this diversity.
To submit your paper please send us the following information:
- Your full name and those of co-authors to be listed in the programme
- Your affiliation (institute + group/department)
- The title of the presentation
- A short abstract of the presentation that you propose to give (MAX. 200 WORDS)
Job: Theoretical Ecology
The Institute for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Dynamics (University of Amsterdam) is currently looking for an theoretical ecologist. The position will be based in the Department of Theoretical & Computational Ecology and will be at the Assistant or Associate Professor level.
Closing date: 3 January 2019
For further details on the position and how to apply click here.
Scientific Methods in Archaeology
Over the last two weeks I have been giving my lectures at the VU Amsterdam “Scientific Methods in Archaeology” bachelor program. In my lectures we think about how to detect past environmental change with particular reference to tracking past human activities. As part of our exploration of past human-environment-climate interactions each student is asked to choose a scientific article, summerise it, and we then discuss it in class. The three papers sected this year covered the Neolithic of the Netherlands (Weijdema et al., 2011), a overview of Mediterranean and north African cultural adaptations to drough events during the Holocene (Mercuri et al., 2011), and an exploration of the role of humans in mega-faunal extinctions in South America (Villavicencio et al., 2015). All papers provided interesting points of discussion and an opportunity to think about different aspects of how we investigate past environmental and societal change.
Read the full student summaries below.
Vegetation and climate evolution during the Last Glaciation at Tengchong in Yunnan Province, Southwest China
Zhang, J., Xu, H., Gosling, W.D., Lan, J., Dodson, J., Lu, F., Yu, K., Sheng, E. & Liu, B. (2018) Vegetation and climate evolution during the Last Glaciation at Tengchong in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.11.008
Environments Through Time paper presentations
The 2018 edition of the University of Amsterdam masters course “Environments Through Time” is now up and running. The course sits at the interface between ecology, physical geography and archaeology and seeks to provide students with a better understanding of how long-term (>100’s years) datasets can provide insights in to past environmental change.
In the first week of the course the students had to present their ‘favourite’ paper in just three (3) minutes! Quite a challenge and lots of fun. This years selection of papers themed around:
- mega-fauna extinctions (Bakker et al., 2016; Gill et al., 2009; van der Kaars et al., 2017),
- impacts of human land use practices (Bitusik et al., 2018; Carson et al., 2014; Chepstow-Lusty et al., 2009; Gauthier et al., 2010; Tisdall et al., 2018), and
- climatic drivers of vegetation change (Haug et al., 2001; Tierney et al., 2017; Tudhope et al., 2001).
For full list of papers presented see below.
In the second and third weeks (now ongoing) students get to deconstruct published chronologies and conduct time series analsis of multi-proxy datasets. Data for these excercises is frequently is extracted from databases such as Neotoma, Pangea, NOAA – paleoclimatology datasets database and the Global Charcoal Database – which shows the importance of these open access databases for developing effective research led eductation, as well as pushing forward to frontiers of research.
Environments Through Time is taught in English, delivered by myself (William Gosling), Crystal McMichael and Milan Tunissen van Manen and currently has 31 registered students from MSc Biological Sciences and MSc Earth Sciences degrees.
Full list of papers presented by students on the Environments Through Time course in 2018 Read More
The Palynology Specialist Group Meeting
Where: Linnean Society of London
When: 22 November 2018
Organizer: Dr. Barry Lomax (University of Nottingham)
For full program click link: LinnSoc-Palynology2018
Advances in tropical research symposium
Treub Maatschappij – Society for the Advancement of Research in the Tropics &
The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam…
…invites you to join this symposium.
Date: 15 November 2018
Location: Amsterdam Science Park
Programme
13.30-13.45: Welcome
13.45-14.15: Dr Robert-Jan Wille
History Department, Utrecht University
Dutch colonial science in the age of Melchior Treub: evolution, development and symbiosis as political and scientific themes in the late nineteenth century
Job: Research Fellow in Palaeoecology (Amazonia)
University of St Andrews
School of Geography and Sustainable Development
Research Fellow in Palaeoecology (Amazonia) – AR2146HM
Working with: Dr. Ian Lawson and Dr. Katy Roucoux
Main purpose: Based at St Andrews, the PDRA will play an important role in a NERC-funded project working on the distribution and dynamics of peat-forming ecosystems in Amazonia. The post-holder will be required to undertake palaeoenvironmental research (including fieldwork, lab analyses, data analysis and write-up) in order to reconstruct the developmental history of the palm swamps, pole forests, and ‘open peatlands’ over the course of the Holocene. Some technical support for routine laboratory tasks will be available.
Deadline: 31 October 2018
For further information click here.
Variability in modern pollen rain from moist and wet tropical forest plots in Ghana, West Africa
Open access:
Julier, A.C.M., Jardine, P.E., Adu-Bredu, S., Coe, A.L., Fraser, W.T., Lomax, B.H., Malhi, Y., Moore, S. & Gosling, W.D. (2018) Variability in modern pollen rain from moist and wet tropical forest plots in Ghana, West Africa. Grana. DOI: 10.1080/00173134.2018.1510027
Palynologendagen 2018
I am delighted to be taking part in this years Palynologendagen (Palynology days) organised by the Palynologische Kring (Dutch Society for Palynology)
Location: Van Waddenplaat to the Drents Plateau
Date: 11-12 October 2018
For full program… Read More
Geological and climatic influences on mountain biodiversity
Antonelli, A., Kissling, W.D., Flantua, S.G.A., Bermúdez, M.A., Mulch, A., Muellner-Riehl, A.N., Kreft, H., Linder, H.P., Badgley, C., Fjeldså, J., Fritz, S.A., Rahbek, C., Herman, F., Hooghiemstra, H. & Hoorn, C. (2018) Geological and climatic influences on mountain biodiversity. Nature Geoscience, 11, 718-725. DOI: 10.1038/s41561-018-0236-z
Palaeoecology in Dutch…
Delighted to do an interview for Folia.nl recently. Discussions commenced around my contribution to the recent publication Nolan et al. (2018) and ranged onto various issues in palaeoecology. The resulting article (in Dutch) can be read on the Folia web site: ‘Toen het één of twéé graden warmer was, liepen hier nijlpaarden en apen’
