About the Lab
The key to learning is play.
Scientists spend a lot of time thinking about what we don't know, and how we are wrong.
(Falsifying hypotheses, hitting analytical roadblocks)
If you think of this as work, you'll become exhausted quickly.
If you instead frame science as the play necessary to prepare us for the serious work of understanding the world,
(similar to a child's play forming skills in communication, and hand-eye coordination)
things become a lot more fun
(and the science is better, too)
Please scroll on for some fun pictures and resources to perhaps aid you on your ecological journey
For resources specifically in community ecology, check out the "more" tab above
How to....
How to write a scientific abstract
How to write an annotated bibliography
Why to use a citation manager
How to craft an 'elevator pitch'
One way to make scientific posters (there are others)
One way to make a CV for the wildlife/nat resources field (there are others)
Resources from other researchers that I think are highly useful for current grad students or folks interested in graduate school:
Dr. Dan Bolnick's lab values
Dr. Richard McElreath's PhD template
Dr. Holly Jones's Lab Manual
List of job resources, journals, and open datasets in "resources" section of Dr. Jesse Alston's lab website
For students looking to get a more solid background in Rangeland management and ecology - SRM RSEC Teaching Materials
Resources for new (undergrad or early grad) researchers in the lab
how_to_start_a_research_project.docx
Rangeland biodiversity lab expectations
Books:
How to do ecology
Primer in Ecological Statistics
"Necessary" reading (in my opinion):
A Sand County Almanac, and other writings-A. Leopold
Homage To Santa Rosalia; or, why are there so many kinds of animals (Article) - G.E. Hutchinson ("concluding remarks" is great too!)
Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution (Article) - T. Dobzhansky
Hyperion Cantos- D. Simmons
The singing life of birds - D. Kroodsma
Population ecology of some warblers of Northeastern coniferous forests (Article)- R.H. MacArthur
The Meadow - J. Galvin
Omnivore's Dilemma - M. Palin
The Overstory - R. Powers
The Prophet - K. Gibran
Braiding Sweetgrass - Robin Kimmerer
The word for world is forest - U.K. le Guin
Ishmael - D. Quinn
Children of Time -A. Tchaikovsky
Geographical Ecology - R. MacArthur
A framework for Community Ecology - Keddy and Laughlin 2022
Song of the Dodo - David Quammen
Prodigal Summer - Barbara Kingsolver
Specifically in range/grasslands:
Embracing Complexity and Humility in Rangeland Science - L. Porensky, Rangelands, 2021
The Politics of Scale: A History of Rangeland Science - N. Sayre
Restoring heterogeneity on rangelands: Ecosystem management based on evolutionary grazing patterns - Fuhlendorf and Engle 2001
Prairie Conservation: Preserving North America's Most Endangered Ecosystem - Sampson and Knopf
Specifically about prairie dogs
Conservation of the black-tailed prairie dog (Hoogland, 2005) (other book as well!)
https://wildtexashistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/biologicalsurvey25bail.pdf
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3830449#metadata_info_tab_contents
https://www.kshs.org/p/historical-encounter-and-accounts-of-the-plains-prairie-dog/13013
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing, than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance - e.e. cummings
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