It’s easier being green
As part of my dissertation research, I spent the spring monitoring the development of wood frog eggs. Some of the eggs I brought to the lab, removed from the jelly […]
Quals
Qualifying exams are the written and oral tests PhD students must take to prove that they are experts in their field before embarking on a dissertation. And they are one […]
Urban Evolution
In schools, we are taught that evolution is an imperceptibly slow process, the long and drawn-out ascent from fish to reptiles, reptiles to birds and mammals, mammals to humans (that […]
Field Notes: Early Spring 2018
29 March 2018 My first wood frog of the season, hopping slowly from one snowy bank to the other across the mist-dampened road. This is the first warm night of […]
Replacing wolves on Isle Royale is bad policy and worse science
Overview: Isle Royale is an island in Lake Superior that is designated as a Wilderness Area and managed by the National Park Service. In the 20th century, wolves and moose […]
Book review: Improbable Destinies
Losos, J. 2017. Improbable Destinies: Fate, Chance, and the Future of Evolution. Riverhead Books; New York. Right up front, I have to admit that I was very excited […]
Hardware for hemispherical photos
This is my second technical post on using hemispherical photography for light estimates. My previous post considered the rationale behind hemispherical photography estimation methods. This post will cover hardware, specifically: […]
Tinctorius development
On February 15, 2018 (the day after Valentine’s, no less) my female Dendrobates tinctorius ‘Robertus’ dart frog laid her first clutch of eggs. Of the 7 eggs, only 2 were […]
Hemispherical light estimates
Despite the fact that foresters have been estimating forest canopy characteristics for over a century or more, the techniques and interpretation for these measurements is surprisingly inconsistent. As part of […]
Seasonal canopies
I just discovered this very cool photo comparison tool. I was so excited to use it I pulled out some comparison shots of the vernal pools I study. It might […]