UTK EEB announcements blog

Joshua Birkebak earns NSF DDIG grant

2012-03-09T12:47:00.001-05:00

PhD student Joshua Birkebak, a member of the Brandon Matheny lab, was awarded an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (DDIG) for his project, "Systematics, ecology, and evolution of the Clavariaceae (Agricales)".

Public debate on warfare and evolution

2012-02-14T20:40:00.000-05:00

As part of the Darwin Day events, co-sponsored by NIMBioS, there was a public debate about the role of warfare in fostering early social evolution. See below for a link to coverage of the debate, and for the audience vote results.

Public Debate: Was warfare a creative force in early social evolution?

Darwin Day in the press

2012-02-07T11:35:00.000-05:00

Darwin Day Tennessee has been picked up in numerous media outlets. A selection so far:

Darwin Day events begin

2012-02-07T11:33:00.001-05:00

Darwin Day Tennessee has begun its three days of festivities celebrating Darwin and the importance of his theory of evolution for science. The first event is a public outreach table, running over the next three days. There will also be lectures, a discussion, a teacher workshop, and many other events. See the Darwin Day Tennessee website for full information.

PNAS paper on extinction risk

2012-02-07T11:28:00.001-05:00

Alison Boyer, Research Assistant Professor in the UTK EEB department, recently coauthored a paper in PNAS on the drivers and hotspots of extinction risk in marine mammals.

Abstract:
The world's oceans are undergoing profound changes as a result of human activities. However, the consequences of escalating human impacts on marine mammal biodiversity remain poorly understood. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) identifies 25% of marine mammals as at risk of extinction, but the conservation status of nearly 40% of marine mammals remains unknown due to insufficient data. Predictive models of extinction risk are crucial to informing present and future conservation needs, yet such models have not been developed for marine mammals. In this paper, we: (i) used powerful machine-learning and spatial-modeling approaches to understand the intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of marine mammal extinction risk; (ii) used this information to predict risk across all marine mammals, including IUCN “Data Deficient” species; and (iii) conducted a spatially explicit assessment of these results to understand how risk is distributed across the world's oceans. Rate of offspring production was the most important predictor of risk. Additional predictors included taxonomic group, small geographic range area, and small social group size. Although the interaction of both intrinsic and extrinsic variables was important in predicting risk, overall, intrinsic traits were more important than extrinsic variables. In addition to the 32 species already on the IUCN Red List, our model identified 15 more species, suggesting that 37% of all marine mammals are at risk of extinction. Most at-risk species occur in coastal areas and in productive regions of the high seas. We identify 13 global hotspots of risk and show how they overlap with human impacts and Marine Protected Areas.

EEB Newsletter

2012-01-27T16:36:00.004-05:00

The most recent version of the EEB Newsletter has appeared. You can download a PDF, submit items to the editor, or get an email subscription here.

Nature paper on White Nose Syndrome

2011-12-20T10:31:00.001-05:00

Photo from Indiana State University press release

UTK EEB postdoc Justin Boyles recently coauthored a Nature article establishing Geomyces destructans as the infectious agent causing White Nose Syndrome, a disease that destroy entire colonies of bats.

Sanders awarded grant for effect of climate change on ants

2011-10-27T08:30:00.000-04:00

EEB Associate Professor Nate Sanders was recently awarded a $171,286 grant from NSF for studying "The climate cascade: functional and evolutionary consequences of climatic change on species, trait, and genetic diversity in a temperate ant community ". For more information about the grant, go here.

Jaime Call named "Most Courteous Employee"

2011-09-21T10:52:00.001-04:00

Jaime Call, a staff member in the EEB main office, has been named as UTK's most courteous employee for Sept. 2011. Note that UTK has roughly 15,000 employees, so the competition is fierce.

Below is some of the information used in her nomination:

“Jaime is always a huge help in the EEB office. I collaborated with another peer to start the EEB undergraduate club and I don't think that it would have been established if it were not for Jaime Call. She's always energetic and willing to drop everything she is doing just to lend a hand. If anyone is deserving of roses it is definitely Jaime.”
“She is incredibly helpful whether it's your first time in the office or you see her every day. She never brings any personal issues into the workplace and always greets you with a smile no matter what her day has been like.”
“I am a new research faculty member at UT. Jaime Call has been extremely helpful over the past few months as I have moved to UT. She has repeatedly exceeded my expectations and gone out of her way to make sure that my grants, classes, and office were set up correctly. She has recently proved to be even more vital in the workings of the department as a senior member of the office staff has just retired.”
“Jaime is always so helpful with any administrative problems. All of us in EEB are pretty much guaranteed that she'll do all she can to help solve a problem and also do it with a smile.”
“Jaime is the most helpful person in our department. She is always cheerful and willing to help anyone, from undergraduates, to graduate students, to faculty and staff. She goes out of her way to find solutions to problems and does so with a smile. I can't think of anyone more deserving of roses than Jaime!”
“Every time I see Jamie, she always has a smile on her face, and she is always willing to go the extra mile to help out a student or co-worker. I personally cannot think of a better person to receive roses, she truly is an inspiration to me each and every day. Thank you for the consideration.”
“Jaime is one of the best, most efficient and friendly administrative assistants I have ever worked with! Coming from ORNL to UT she was always there for me, answering silly to very difficult questions! Please send the roses to her, she would be so happy!”
“Jaime is always very helpful and friendly whenever you enter the EEB office. She might be juggling a phone call, some computer meltdown, and photocopying tons of papers for a professor, but she always greets you with a smile and gets whatever you need done!”“I can't even begin to expound upon what a pleasure it is to work with Jamie Call. She greets everyone who comes to the EEB department & manages to juggle a million different jobs. She is always happy to help and if she can't figure out your problem, she can point you in the right direction. I see her helping graduate students with submitting NSF grants (and faculty as well), helping undergrads figure out their class schedules & other random problems, ordering equipment, dealing with difficult (and happy) faculty.... She makes my life, and the lives of many in our department and the university, much easier. She also is in charge of fielding email & visits from the public ("I found this in my yard, what it is") -- which are not infrequent. She interacts with us all with good humor and a smile. I know that EEB is lucky to have her as the face of our department & I know the undergraduate students, graduate students, random people wandering by, and people with ecological questions! Our faculty is lucky to have her as a member of our university. Jaime deserves a bigger thank you than we could give her individually -- and I think this award would mean a lot to her.”
“Jaime is the first face you see when you walk into the EEB office every day. She is always happy and cheerful. Throughout my 4 years as a graduate student, Jaime has helped me numerous times even though she isn't required to. She's helped me navigate the University grant system, the graduate school requirements, and my own departmental requirements. I know when I'm having a problem I can go to Jaime for help. She definitely deserves roses.”
“Jaime has been extremely helpful to faculty, post-docs, graduate and undergraduate students in our department. Jaime never hesitates in helping anyone and goes beyond the call of duty to ensure you get what you need.”
“Jaime is always helpful and super cheerful about doing her job. She goes the extra mile to help everyone that comes by her desk.”
“Jaime is always helpful and has a fantastic eye for knowing when you have no idea what you're doing or where to look for things.”
“Jaime is the most friendly and helpful person in the world. She is always ready to help with anything she knows about and help to find answers if she doesn't already know them. She is approachable and a great smiling face for everyone to see as they come into the EEB office. She is a great problem solver and even though she puts up with a lot from people in the department she is always in a good mood.”
“Jaime is always willing to help students that stop by the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department office, no matter what she is working on and no matter what the student needs. She is very knowledgeable about the department and office workings, and if she doesn't know the answer to the problem, she is always quick to find somebody who can help.
In addition to her helpfulness, she's always positive and willing to lend a friendly ear. Jaime is simply an outstandingly positive and necessary part of the EEB department, and she is truly deserving of being recognized by the Positive Recognition Committee.”
“She is one of the best people that I have met. Last year I was traveling overseas and I got one of my bags stolen. In my bag I had my passport and ID. I am an international student, so I needed to get a new visa to come back to the US. She personally takes care of all the paper work to get documentation from UT. Finally, she is always ready to help you, and always with a big smile.”

PNAS paper on dispersal and coexistence

2011-09-20T09:44:00.002-04:00

A recent paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Michael Bode, Lance Bode, and UTK EEB assistant professor Paul Armsworth examines a novel mechanism that maintains diversity in patchy habitats. Abstract is below. See the full paper here.

Abstract: The coexistence of multiple species on a smaller number of limiting resources is an enduring ecological paradox. The mechanisms that maintain such biodiversity are of great interest to ecology and of central importance to conservation. We describe and prove a unique and robust mechanism for coexistence: Species that differ only in their dispersal abilities can coexist, if habitat patches are distributed at irregular distances. This mechanism is straightforward and ecologically intuitive, but can nevertheless create complex coexistence patterns that are robust to substantial environmental stochasticity. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is noted for its diversity of reef fish species and its complex arrangement of reef habitat. We demonstrate that this mechanism can allow fish species with different pelagic larval durations to stably coexist in the GBR. Further, coexisting species on the GBR often dominate different subregions, defined primarily by cross-shelf position. Interspecific differences in dispersal ability generate similar coexistence patterns when dispersal is influenced by larval behavior and variable oceanographic conditions. Many marine and terrestrial ecosystems are characterized by patchy habitat distributions and contain coexisting species that have different dispersal abilities. This coexistence mechanism is therefore likely to have ecological relevance beyond reef fish.

Ecology Observatory in Oak Ridge

2011-09-11T22:52:00.000-04:00

The Knoxville News-Sentinel newspaper recently covered the establishment of a UT/ORNL site as one of 20 ecological observatories funded as part of a new $434M national program. See the article here. Members of EEB will be heavily involved in this research.

Paul Ehrlich addresses UT

2011-08-26T09:12:00.000-04:00

Famed ecologist Paul Ehrlich addressed an audience at UT as part of the Baker Center Interdisciplinary Group on Energy and Environmental Policy series. For more information, see this article in UTK's student newspaper, The Daily Beacon.

PNAS paper on complex codon usage patterns

2011-08-19T15:33:00.000-04:00

EEB grad student Premal Shah (now a postdoc in the Plotkin lab at the U. of Pennsylvania) and his adviser, Associate Prof. Mike Gilchrist, recently published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on "Explaining complex codon usage patterns with selection for translational efficiency, mutation bias, and genetic drift."

Abstract: The genetic code is redundant with most amino acids using multiple codons. In many organisms, codon usage is biased toward particular codons. Understanding the adaptive and nonadaptive forces driving the evolution of codon usage bias (CUB) has been an area of intense focus and debate in the fields of molecular and evolutionary biology. However, their relative importance in shaping genomic patterns of CUB remains unsolved. Using a nested model of protein translation and population genetics, we show that observed gene level variation of CUB in Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be explained almost entirely by selection for efficient ribosomal usage, genetic drift, and biased mutation. The correlation between observed codon counts within individual genes and our model predictions is 0.96. Although a variety of factors shape patterns of CUB at the level of individual sites within genes, our results suggest that selection for efficient ribosome usage is a central force in shaping codon usage at the genomic scale. In addition, our model allows direct estimation of codon-specific mutation rates and elongation times and can be readily applied to any organism with high-throughput expression datasets. More generally, we have developed a natural framework for integrating models of molecular processes to population genetics models to quantitatively estimate parameters underlying fundamental biological processes, such a protein translation.

Grant to Matheny for new Fungi of Australia volume

2011-08-19T15:26:00.000-04:00

Brandon Matheny and Neale Bougher (Department of Conservation, Western Australia) have received a grant from the Australian Biological Resources Study, in conjunction with matching funds from the Western Australia Naturalists' Club, Inc., to add a systematic volume to the Fungi of Australia series. The subject of the volume will be the Inocybaceae of Australia, a family of ectomycorrhizal fungi particularly diverse in temperate regions of Australia.

NEON construction to begin

2011-07-29T11:11:00.000-04:00

Funds have been released for the construction of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) as of Aug. 2011. See this press release. From the release: "NEON plans to build 62 sites across the U.S., utilizing cutting-edge technology that will gather and synthesize continental-scale data over 30 years on the impacts of climate change, land use change and invasive species on natural resources and biodiversity. Such information will support the ability to understand and predict environmental change on regional and continental scales."

There are two NEON sites near UTK: a core site at Walker Branch site at Oak Ridge, and a relocatable site in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are several other sites within a day's drive of campus.

ORNL summer research includes EEB alumni

2011-07-28T11:48:00.000-04:00

Two UTK EEB alumni are involved in work at Oak Ridge National Labs this summer on the effect of rising carbon dioxide levels on plant growth. Colleen Iversen was a graduate student in EEB and is now an ecoysystem ecologist at ORNL, while Lauren Breza was an EEB undergrad. Both worked in Aimee Classen's lab while at UT.

See WBIR's story about this work here.

PhD student Melissa Cregger receives DOE award

2011-07-20T22:21:00.001-04:00

Melissa Cregger, a PhD student in the Aimee Classen lab, was just awarded the 2011 Marvin L. Wesely Award from the Department of Energy. The award was established in honor of the late Dr. Marvin L. Wesely, Argonne National Laboratory senior meteorologist and chief scientist of the DOE Atmospheric Chemistry Program, who died Jan. 20, 2003 from heart cancer (see pdf). The Marvin L. Wesely Fellowship is awarded to the Graduate Research Environmental Fellow (GREF) who has made the best use of their DOE mentor and facilities in improving the quality of his/her research efforts. The award is given for a one-year period to a current GREF fellow who has been supported to do global change research as part of the Global Change Education Program.

Remembering Hal DeSelm

2011-07-13T12:41:00.001-04:00

Our esteemed colleague Hal DeSelm died July 12 at 7pm. Hal’s wife of 63 years, Bee, and their daughter Diane were with him.

The obituary and guestbook are here.

A memorial service is being held this Sunday, July 17 at 3pm at Tennessee Valley Unitarian and Universalist Church on Kingston Pike.

Condolences to Bee and their family.

Bat grant to Jennifer Krauel

2011-07-05T16:05:00.001-04:00

Jennifer Krauel, a PhD student of Gary McCracken, recently got an award from Bat Conservation International for studying "Fall migration of Tadarida brasiliensis and their agricultural insect prey".

Postdoc in biodiversity conservation with Armsworth

2011-07-05T12:02:00.001-04:00

A postdoctoral position is available in Paul Armsworth’s research group at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (web.utk.edu/~parmswor).

The post-doc will participate in an ongoing, interdisciplinary research project that aims to determine the relative effectiveness of different conservation investment strategies in contrasting ecological and socioeconomic contexts. The post-doc will help collate and analyze spatial data on conservation investment patterns in the US. This work involves extensive interactions with conservation practitioners and will provide the individual with experience of a range of interdisciplinary techniques and approaches relevant to conservation science.

Our research group is part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at UT-Knoxville that is a highly interactive and integrative group of faculty, post-docs and fellows and students (http://eeb.bio.utk.edu). UT-Knoxville is a vibrant campus located in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains and has recently become the home to the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (http://www.nimbios.org) with which our research group has a close association.

Applicants for the position should have a PhD in a relevant discipline, strong quantitative skills, and proficiency in English. In addition, experience with GIS and analysis of spatial ecological data would be advantageous. Funds are available to support this position for one year. The position is immediately available and the search will continue until the position is filled. To apply, please submit by email a CV, a brief covering letter, one or two exemplars of your research (e.g. papers, manuscripts or thesis chapters), and the names and contact information for two references to Paul Armsworth (p.armsworth@utk.edu).

NIMBioS postdocs

2011-06-22T14:27:00.000-04:00

Call for Postdoctoral Fellowship Applications at NIMBioS

The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), located at the Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, is currently accepting applications for postdoctoral scholarship at the interface between mathematics and biology. Highest priority will be given to those with explicit plans to develop their ability to effectively carry on research across these fields. We are particularly interested in requests to support research that integrates diverse fields, requires synthesis at multiple scales, and/or makes use of or requires development of new mathematical/computational approaches. NIMBioS Postdoctoral Fellows are chosen based upon indications that the applicant's research plans are consistent with the mission of NIMBioS, the applicant has the demonstrated ability to carry out the proposed research, and the opportunities provided through NIMBioS will enhance the capacity for the research to be completed in an efficient and timely manner. For additional information on NIMBioS, visit www.nimbios.org. Support: annual stipend of $51,000, full University of Tennessee employee fringe benefits, and an annual travel allowance of $2,000. Requests for Support: Submit a brief project description, references, and CV following the guidelines available at http://www.nimbios.org/postdocs/ to Dr. Chris Welsh at cwelsh@utk.edu. Deadline: NIMBioS postdoctoral requests for support are reviewed three times per year, and the selected researchers are offered positions at NIMBioS where they conduct research that is mostly self-directed. The deadline for activities beginning in early 2012 is Sept. 1, 2011. All letters of recommendation should be submitted before the request deadline.

EEB awards (summary)

2011-05-09T10:44:00.002-04:00

EEB had its annual awards ceremony on Friday, May 6, 2011. Past EEB outstanding undergrad Jessica Welch took photos; department head Gary McCracken modified trophies for the recipients. Here are links to all the relevant posts:

Excellence in progress towards degree

2011-05-09T10:32:00.000-04:00

The awards for excellence in progress towards a degree went to Romina Dimarco [not pictured], Mark Genung, and Katie Stuble.

Outstanding student paper award

2011-05-09T10:27:00.000-04:00

The award for outstanding student paper went to Emmi Felker-Quinn.

Jim Tanner award for outstanding dissertation

2011-05-09T10:20:00.001-04:00

The Jim Tanner award for outstanding dissertation was given to Premal Shah. One of Premal's dissertation chapters (coauthored with advisor Michael Gilchrist) will be appearing in a future issue of PNAS.

Biology GTA award

2011-05-09T10:16:00.001-04:00

The award for a biology GTA was given to Lauren Wilmoth for her teaching and leadership as a teaching assistant in biology classes.

Cokinnius grad student awards

2011-05-09T10:10:00.000-04:00

This year's recipients of the Cokinnius grad student awards were Melissa Cregger and Phillip Hollingsworth.

Outstanding teaching award

2011-05-09T10:08:00.001-04:00

The outstanding teaching award was named the Sandy Echternacht award in recognition of his many years of excellent teaching here. This year's recipient was Mackenzie Taylor.

Outstanding EEB undergraduate

2011-05-09T10:04:00.002-04:00

The award for outstanding EEB undergraduate went to Lauren Breza. Lauren started research at UTK just after high school, and worked in the Boake, Sanders, and, most recently, Classen labs.

Gary McCracken took pains to note that competition for this award was intense this year, with several other excellent nominees, especially Sarah Wood, Matt Letre, and Heather Tran, all graduating this spring.

Science alliance awards

2011-05-09T10:00:00.003-04:00

The UT-ORNL Science Alliance gives awards to outstanding graduate students. This year, half the awards to biologists across three UTK biology departments went to EEB graduate students: Emily Austin, Matt Niemiller, and Graham Reynolds.

Staff awards

2011-05-09T09:53:00.000-04:00

Staff members Marva Anderson, Jaime Call, Pearl Kirkland-Smith, Cheryl Lynn, and Anne Mintz all received awards for their service to the department.

Marva Anderson receiving an envelope from Dept. Head Gary McCracken

Jaime Call receiving an envelope from Dept. Head Gary McCracken

Cheryl Lynn receiving an envelope from Dept. Head Gary McCracken

Other greenhouse damaged

2011-04-29T09:43:00.001-04:00

The remaining greenhouse has had many of its windows broken, apparently through hail or wind from the storms of April 27. There was no loss of human life. Below is a photo of that damage, which also shows the cleanup of the the first destroyed greenhouse.

Greenhouse destroyed

2011-04-26T12:19:00.001-04:00

Fred Norris Greenhouse 4, attached to the Hesler building, was destroyed in a windstorm on April 25. Below are photos of the damage. There is a local news story and video here. The other greenhouses appear undamaged. No response plan has been announced yet.

Wildflower pilgrimage begins

2011-04-26T00:25:00.006-04:00

The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is an annual five-day event in Great Smoky Mountains National Park consisting of a variety of wildflower, fauna, and natural history walks, motorcades, photographic tours, art classes, and indoor seminars. Most programs are outdoors in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, while indoor offerings are held in various venues throughout Gatlinburg, TN. Many UTK faculty, staff, and students participate in and organize these events.

Mariano Rodriguez-Cabal awarded NSF DDIG fellowship for work on invasion ecology in Patagonia

2011-04-19T10:29:00.001-04:00

EEB grad student Mariano Rodriguez-Cabal was just awarded an NSF DDIG fellowship for his PhD work on invasion ecology in Patagonia:

DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Direct and indirect effects of invasive species on plant-seed disperser mutualisms.

Many plants rely on fruit-eating animals to disperse their seeds. This interaction benefits both the plant and the animal and is therefore termed a mutualism. Because seed dispersal can determine the abundance and range of the plant, seed dispersal mutualisms can benefit other species that use the plant for food or shelter and thus affect patterns of biodiversity across the landscape. The introduction by humans of new species into a habitat can disrupt seed dispersal mutualisms, but we know little about such disruptions may affect other, interrelated species. This project will test the larger ecological effects of disruption of an important seed dispersal mutualism in the northern temperate forests of Patagonia in Argentina. The mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus is the sole winter nectar source for the hummingbird Sephanoides sephaniodes, which remains in the region year-round and is in turn responsible for the pollination of nearly 20% of the endemic woody flora in the region. The seeds of the mistletoe are dispersed exclusively by the marsupial Dromiciops gliroides. After passing through the gut of the marsupial, most of the defecated seeds stick to branches of maqui, Aristotelia chilensis, the most abundant understory shrub in the forest and the most common host for the mistletoe. Because of these close ecological relationships, exotic species that reduce the density of maqui could also reduce the abundances of the mistletoe, the hummingbird, and the marsupial, changing the forest as a whole. This project will test the effects of the exotic wasp Vespula germanica and of exotic ungulates on maqui populations and on the linked species in the forest.

Conservation of biological diversity is important to human society, and one of the major threats to biodiversity are the accidental and intentional introductions of new species around the world by humans. This research will further our understanding of how introduced species can affect biodiversity and help guide management to conserve diversity. The research will also strengthen international scientific collaboration and training.

Grad student Melissa Cregger invited to climate change colloquium

2011-04-18T11:23:00.000-04:00

Classen lab graduate student Melissa Cregger was one of only a few graduate students invited to attend the National Academy of Sciences, Arthur M Sackler Colloquium on climate change in Washington, DC.

Undergrad summer research

2011-04-18T11:20:00.000-04:00

EEB undergraduate Heather Tran will be an REU student at the Sevilleta LTER this summer.

Undergrad Sarah Wood received a $4500 scholarship to work at the Rocky Mountain Biological lab (RMBL).

EEB undergrads in science writing workshop with Nature editor

2011-04-18T11:18:00.000-04:00

EEB undergraduates Sarah Wood, Danny Lusk, and Alix Pfennigwerth were invited to attend a science writing workshop with 'Nature' Magazine Editor M. Mitchell Waldrop.

Incoming Classen lab student

2011-04-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

Relena Ribbons will join the department as a PhD student in the Classen lab this fall and was awarded a Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education (CIRE) fellowship.

Honorable mention for NSF GRFP proposal

2011-04-18T11:15:00.000-04:00

Classen lab student Jessica Bryant was awarded an honorable mention for her NSF GRFP proposal.

American Association of University Women postdoc fellowship to Lara Souza

2011-04-18T11:13:00.000-04:00

Classen lab postdoc Lara Souza was recently awarded an American Association of University Women (AAUW) post doc fellowship.

Grad student book editors interview

2011-04-14T08:05:00.001-04:00

EEB grad students Matt Niemiller and R. Graham Reynolds are editors of the new book Amphibians of Tennessee. See an interview with them about their book at http://www.knoxivi.com/ut_press .

Phi Kappa Phi award winners at EUReCA

2011-04-12T10:28:00.002-04:00

Assistant Professor Brandon Matheny sponsored two undergraduates, Pawel Kosentka (biochemistry concentration) and Sarah Sprague (psychology major), in an undergraduate research project that examined the evolution of fungal toxins in the mushroom family Inocybaceae. This work was also performed in collaboration with Dr. Shawn Campagna and Amanda May in the Chemistry Department. Pawel and Sarah's research was featured at the Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement, also known as EUReCA. Of the 187 presentations, Pawel and Sarah's poster won one of three Phi Kappa Phi awards. See http://research.utk.edu/eureca/winners_11.shtml for more information.

Science article on economic importance of bats

2011-04-01T09:50:00.000-04:00

Bats in North America are under a two-pronged attack but they are not the only victim – so is the U.S. economy. Gary McCracken, head of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, along with lead author Justin Boyles of the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and coauthors Paul Cryan of the U.S. Geological Survey and Thomas Kunz of Boston University, analyzed the economic impact of the loss of bats in North America in agriculture and found it to be in the $3.7 to $53 billion a year range. This was published in the April 1 edition of Science.

Since 2006, more than a million bats have died due to a fungal disease called White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). At the same time, several migratory tree-dwelling species are being killed in unprecedented numbers by wind turbines. This hurts the economy because bats’ diet of pest insects reduces the damage the insects cause to crops and decreases the need for pesticides.

In fact, the researchers estimate the value of bats to the agricultural industry is roughly $22.9 billion a year, with the extremes ranging as low as $3.7 and $53 billion a year.

“These estimates include the reduced costs of pesticide applications that are not needed to suppress the insects consumed by bats. However, they do not include the downstream impacts of pesticides on humans, domestic and wild animals and our environment,” said McCracken. “Without bats, crop yields are affected. Pesticide applications go up. Even if our estimates were quartered, they clearly show how bats have enormous potential to influence the economics of agriculture and forestry.”

According to the researchers, a single colony of 150 big brown bats in Indiana eat nearly 1.3 million insects a year — insects that could potentially be damaging to crops.

WNS infects the skin of bats while they hibernate. Some species such as the little brown bat are likely to go extinct in parts of North America. The disease has quickly spread from Canada to Tennessee, Missouri and Oklahoma and actions to slow or stop it have proven unsuccessful.

It is unknown how many bats have died due to wind turbines, but the scientists estimate by 2020, wind turbines will have killed 33,000 to 111,000 annually in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands alone. Why migratory tree-dwelling species are drawn to the turbines remains a mystery.

Due to the economic and ecological importance, the researchers urge policy-makers to avoid a wait-and-see approach to the issue of widespread declines of bat populations.

“Not acting is not an option because the life histories of these flying, nocturnal mammals — characterized by long generation times and low reproductive rates — mean that population recovery is unlikely for decades or even centuries, if at all,” said McCracken.

According to McCracken, solutions will only be fueled in the next few years by increased awareness of the benefits of insectivorous bats among the public, policymakers and scientists.

Phyloseminar on "Making comparative methods as easy as ABC"

2011-03-25T10:40:00.002-04:00

Faculty member Brian O'Meara is giving a phyloseminar on March 30 at 2 pm eastern on "Making comparative methods as easy as ABC" based on work by him and postdoc Barb Banbury. A phyloseminar is a seminar delivered online virtually -- people around the world can log in to watch and ask questions. For more information, see http://phyloseminar.org/.

Update: The seminar is over. You can see a recording at http://phyloseminar.org/recorded.html and the slides at http://www.brianomeara.info/talks.

Fellowship to study fleshy fungi

2011-02-22T11:38:00.001-05:00

Brandon Matheny received a Carlos C. Campbell Fellowship from the Great Smoky Mountains Conservation Association to document fleshy fungi from the Smokies and southern Appalachians.

EEB Newsletter

2011-02-08T12:35:00.000-05:00

The first issue of the new EEB newsletter has now appeared. You can download the PDF or email eebnews@utk.edu for more information.

UT EEB undergraduate at STEM Education Research Conference

2011-02-03T10:16:00.000-05:00

Sarah Wood, an EEB sophomore, was one of 9 undergrads from across the state of TN selected to present a poster and attend the MTSU 5th annual STEM Education Research Conference Funded by Tennessee Space Grant and MTSU. For more information see this article in the Tennessean.

UT EEB undergraduate teaches science on the National Mall

2011-01-29T00:06:00.001-05:00

UTK EEB undergraduate Sarah Jeanne Wood recently participated in a 2-day Science Expo on the National Mall, where half a million people came to learn about science and engineering. Sarah presented on her research on intraspecific variation in Solidago, done in collaboration with postdoc Lara Souza and EEB assistant professor Aimée Classen. For a detailed story, please see this article from UTK's Arts and Sciences magazine, Higher Ground.

REU supplement to Matheny grant

2011-01-24T10:24:00.000-05:00

Brandon Matheny has gotten a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant from the NSF for his existing grant for a revision of Australian species of Inocybaceae. Quoting from the NSF REU site, "The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program."

Grad student Joshua Birkebak receives award for taxonomy

2011-01-23T16:10:00.000-05:00

PhD student Joshua Birkebak of the Matheny Lab received a Ben Woo Scholarship Award from the Puget Sound Mycological Society to revise species of Clavariaceae from the Pacific Northwest.

Grad student Mackenzie Taylor to become assistant prof. at Creighton U.

2011-01-20T13:32:00.000-05:00

Mackenzie Taylor, a PhD student in Joe Williams' lab, is off to an assistant professorship at Creighton University directly from grad school. Mackenzie studies evolution of the progamic phase in water lilies (the stage between pollination and fertilization).

Boyer Science paper

2010-11-29T10:33:00.000-05:00

Alison Boyer, a new Research Assistant Professor in EEB, just published a paper in last week's issue of Science.

The Evolution of Maximum Body Size of Terrestrial Mammals
Felisa A. Smith, Alison G. Boyer, James H. Brown, Daniel P. Costa, Tamar Dayan,
S. K. Morgan Ernest, Alistair R. Evans, Mikael Fortelius, John L. Gittleman,
Marcus J. Hamilton, Larisa E. Harding, Kari Lintulaakso, S. Kathleen Lyons,
Christy McCain, Jordan G. Okie, Juha J. Saarinen, Richard M. Sibly, Patrick R. Stephens, Jessica Theodor, Mark D. Uhen
Science 330, 1216 (2010);
DOI: 10.1126/science.1194830

Abstract:
The extinction of dinosaurs at the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary was the seminal event that opened the door for the subsequent diversification of terrestrial mammals. Our compilation of maximum body size at the ordinal level by sub-epoch shows a near-exponential increase after the K/Pg. On each continent, the maximum size of mammals leveled off after 40 million years ago and thereafter remained approximately constant. There was remarkable congruence in the rate, trajectory, and upper limit across continents, orders, and trophic guilds, despite differences in geological and climatic history, turnover of lineages, and ecological variation. Our analysis suggests that although the primary driver for the evolution of giant mammals was diversification to fill ecological niches, environmental temperature and land area may have ultimately constrained the maximum size achieved.