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SPECIAL EDITION
July 29, 1998
FROM THE DESERT TO THE CITY
FOCUS ON ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH
NSF HIGHLIGHTS AT AIBS/ESA CONFERENCE
The National Science Foundation supports many fields of research in
the biological and ecological sciences. Much of this research directly
relates to widespread issues and public concerns; for example, toxic microorganisms
at the beach, ecological restoration in cities, and flowers in the backyard.
The following tips highlight NSF-sponsored research presented at this
year's American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS)/Ecological Society
of America (ESA) conference in Baltimore, Maryland, August 3-7. For more
information, contact Greg Lester,
(703) 292-8070.
Editor: Cheryl Dybas
Contents of this News Tip:
In 1980, NSF began the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program
to provide ecologists with a broad means of sharing information.
Among the 21 NSF-funded sites across North America and Antarctica are
two new urban LTERs in Baltimore, Maryland, and Phoenix, Arizona. Scientists
at urban LTER sites study how ecosystems react to the decisions people
make, and how those reactions affect people.
At this year's AIBS/ESA conference, Nancy Grimm and Charles Redman
of the Phoenix LTER site will review the current state of these urban
ecosystems.
"In few places is this study more relevant than in Phoenix, where an
expanding populace continually carves further into the desert," said Redman. "Increasingly,
communities are recognizing the value of restoring the environment in
terms of economy and quality of life."
Urban planners and developers hope to spur commerce and tourism by
restoring portions of previously dammed waterways to create parks and
resorts. Grimm and Redman will discuss the potential impact of such restoration
to the ecology of Phoenix, and its place in urban
planning.
(AIBS/ESA Session ESA-11.5: Wednesday, August 5, 10:15 -10:50 a.m.)
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The interaction of science and public policy during last summer's outbreak
of pfiesteria on Maryland's Eastern Shore will be examined in a roundtable
discussion Aug. 3 at the AIBS/ESA conference in
Baltimore.
Pfiesteria, a variety of single-celled creatures known as dinoflagellates,
produces toxic substances lethal to fish and dangerous to humans. Panelists
will review what they have learned from last year's outbreak and how that
information may affect future
efforts in environmental management.
"Pfiesteria has likely been in this region for a long time," said JoAnne
Burkholder, an NSF-funded researcher on the panel. "But experiments indicate
that human influences, such as pollution and wetland destruction, have
slowly shifted the environment to encourage pfiesteria's fish-killing
activity."
In addition to the ecological impact of last summer's incident, panelists
will also discuss the ways media attention affected public
perception.
(AIBS/ESA Session DIS1: Monday, August 3, from 9:00 a.m. - noon)
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Flowering plants may look beautiful, but like all other plants, they
struggle to persevere.
Erik Nilsen, director of NSF's ecological and evolutionary physiology
program, studies the rugged lives of rhododendron, a genera of flowering
plants that thrives in a variety of natural environments - and in many
backyards. Nilsen's presentation at the AIBS/ESA meeting will review his
findings on how rhododendron survive in harsh climates and beat the competition
for a good patch of soil.
Typically, West Coast rhododendron must tolerate periodic droughts,
while their eastern counterparts must confront frequent bouts of freezing
and thawing. Using data from NSF's Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER)
sites in North Carolina and Oregon, Nilsen compared how related plants
succeed in the wild, despite constraints to their ability to transport
water up their stems. This is critical for the
plants' survival.
In a separate study, Nilsen examined how the species rhododendron maximum
flourishes in southern hardwood forests by starving out the seedlings
of canopy trees like oaks and hemlocks. "These plants actually prevent
young trees from forming a relationship with fungi," explained Nilsen. "Consequently,
the seedlings cannot absorb enough
water and nutrients to survive."
(AIBS/ESA Session 31.4: Wednesday, August 5, 1:45 - 2:00 p.m.)
Poster Sessions 10.8 & 10.24: Tuesday, August 4, (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)
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