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News Release
July 31, 2008 Diane Noserale
703-648-4333 703-638-5957 (cell)
dnoseral@xxxxxxxx
USGS Science at Ecological Society of America
Reporters: Aug. 3-8, you can reach the ESA News Room in Milwaukee at
414-908-5081.
The response of ecosystems to climate change, invasive species, the decline
of pollinators, and the success of citizen science are among the topics
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists will discuss with other
scientists, educators, and policy makers from around the world at the 93rd
annual Ecological Society of America meeting, Aug 3-8, at the Midwest
Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee.
What Gets the Bees Buzzing at Indiana Dunes? During the past three decades,
scientists and beekeepers have documented a significant decline in
commercial honeybee populations throughout the continental U.S. These
declines have been attributed to increases in parasites and what is now
known as "colony collapse disorder." The significance of such declines is
clear. Bees, both commercial honeybees and thousands of native bee
species, pollinate many agricultural crops and native plants, adding
billions of dollars of value to our food supply, and playing a key role in
the maintenance of native ecosystems. However, the ecology of native bees
is often poorly documented. To better understand factors affecting native
bee abundance and community composition at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
and surrounding natural areas, USGS ecologist Ralph Grundel examined how
plant diversity, availability of nesting resources, human land use, and
fire history affected the distribution and abundance of more than 160
species of native bees. Ralph Grundel, Session OOS-4-9, Relationship of bee
community composition to floral and nesting resources, habitat structure,
land use, and fire history along an open-forest gradient, Monday, Aug 4,
4:20 pm, Room 202 C.
Drought, Disturbance, and Desert Dust: Whereas most dryland soil surfaces
are stable until disturbed, drought, invasive-dominated ecosystems, fire,
and surface disturbance from off-road vehicles and agriculture, and the
interaction of these factors, can create a large increase in dust
production. Increased dust in the air threatens human health through
diseases such as Valley Fever and asthma, and highway accidents. National
economies have been shut down for days, as in China, Japan, and Iceland.
Deposition of dust on mountain snowpack darkens the surface, increasing
snowmelt by 30 days or more. As temperatures, pumping of shallow aquifers,
human activities, fires, and invasion of exotic annual plants increase in
dryland regions, dust production can be expected to increase as well. The
author will discuss possible future scenarios. Jayne Belnap, Session
OOS-12-5, Implications of disturbance and drought on aeolian processes in
the southwestern US, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 9:20 am, Room 202 A.
More Than 40 Years of Citizen Science: The North American Breeding Bird
Survey (BBS) was established to monitor the status and trends of our
nations' bird populations. Since its inception in 1966, the BBS has grown
to more than 4100 roadside routes throughout the continental U.S., Canada,
and now Mexico with 2008 being the inaugural year there. Relying on a
network of volunteers, the BBS is the primary source of long-term,
large-scale population data for more than 400 bird species. BBS data are
used by wildlife managers and nonprofits to assess avian conservation
priorities. Researchers use BBS data to address myriad ecological and
biogeographical questions. At a cost of roughly $900 per species, the
program is regarded as a model for efficient large scale monitoring
efforts. More than 8600 individuals have participated in the BBS, with 75%
of new recruits returning the following year and remaining with the
program, on average, for 8 years. These volunteers have incredible skills;
they can identify any bird species in their area by sight and by sound.
David J. Ziolkowski, Session SYMP 18-3, Citizen scientists "drive" the
North American Breeding Bird Survey, Thursday, Aug. 7, 8:20 am, Room 104 B.
AND Session OOS-21-1, North American Breeding Bird Survey: 42 years strong
and growing, Thursday, Aug. 7, 1:30 pm, Room 202 B.
Projecting Climate and Invasive Species into the Future: Climate change
and invasive species are distinct and important conservation issues that
need to be addressed with integrated science. Using long term climate
datasets for the US, the authors project potential climate change into the
future to forecast the potential distribution of invasive species under
current climatic conditions and potential climate for around 10 and 25
years in the future based on long-term climatic trends. Catherine
Jarnevich, Session COS-80-7, Short-term climate projections for species
distributions, Thursday, Aug. 7, 10:10 am, Room 103 C.
USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit
www.usgs.gov.
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Links and contacts within this release are valid at the time of
publication.
Diane Noserale
Media Relations, Eastern Region
U.S. Geological Survey
150 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
phone: 703-648-4333
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