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Rants from the Hill: Pleistocene rewilding

By Michael Branch / On September 25th, 2012
In a 2006 article [PDF] in The American Naturalist, a small herd of perfectly respectable conservation biologists advocates a bold ecological restoration project they call “Pleistocene Rewilding.” The concept itself is outrageously wild. First of all, “rewilding” is the process of reintroducing species to ecosystems from which they have been extirpated—usually by that big bully, Homo Notsosapiens.
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Taking the Long View on Toxic Chemicals

By Admin / On September 11th, 2012
Emily Monosson chats with Karen Weintraub of the Boston Globe Karen Weintraub, Q. What do you mean when you say we need to take an “evolutionary perspective” on toxic chemicals?
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The Premium Rush of Field Ecology

By Rafe Sagarin / On September 4th, 2012
I don’t often endorse late-summer-multiplex-popcorn-with-butter-like-topping fare, but Premium Rush is, for what it is, phenomenal.  It’s true, if you watch the trailer, you’ve basically got the whole thing in microcosm, but trust me, it is much better on the big screen.  It’s basically a 91 minute movie, of which about 85 minutes are mad chase scenes of our bike messenger hero Wilee (pronounced “wiley,” like the coyote, and
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The Natural Side of Big Data

By Rafe Sagarin / On August 21st, 2012
“Big Data” is getting big coverage. For example, this recent column in the New York Times that captures the emergence of Big Data as a cultural meme. Usually, people take a primarily a technophilic view of Big Data. The Times article, for example, describes Big Data as, “applying the tools of artificial intelligence, like machine learning, to vast new troves of data beyond that captured in standard databases.
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#ForewordFriday Observation and Ecology

By Jason Leppig / On August 17th, 2012
This week's #forewordFriday comes from two authors that want to expand the methodological toolbox used by ecological scientists, researchers, and students. Come take a look at "how and why direct sensory awareness of the natural world is a bridge to deeper ecological understanding." Enjoy!  
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Benefit of thinning forests for spotted owls is not so clear-cut

By Dominick A. DellaSala / On August 16th, 2012
The July 26 editorial "Logging for spotted owls" dismisses decades of scientific research by touting one new study that suggests "heavy thinning" (aka, clear-cut lite) of forests could benefit spotted owls. Based on a single computer simulation, the new study suggests that intensive logging will magically prevent "catastrophic fires" such as the Biscuit that "wiped out" owls and other wildlife. This is unfounded.
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The Wolverine and the Refrigerator

By Charles C. Chester / On July 30th, 2012
One of Marvel Comics' most popular characters, Wolverine, was born with the genetic mutation allowing him to recover rapidly from any injury. Combine that with the Canadian [sic] government's program to replace his skeleton with the indestructible metal adamantium, and you have one tough character. The character's eponymous creature is also one tough critter, one that thrives in frozen mountain habitats and has been reported to scare off grizzlies from their kills.

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