ANNUAL REPORT: June 1, 2008 – May 31, 2009
(i.e., Summer 2008, AY 2008-2009)
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY
SUNY-ESF
NAME:
I. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES
1. Regular Course Offerings
Credit No. No. of Lab.
Course No. Title Hrs. Students Sections
SUMMER: 513 Adirondack Forest Ecology* 2 13 1
FALL: none
SPRING: 484 Winter Mammalian Ecology 3 18 1
684 Winter Mammalian Ecology 3 2 1
2. Non-Scheduled Course Offerings (e.g., 496, 899, 999)
Credit No.
Course No. Title Hrs. Students
EFB497 UMEB Undergrad Research Problems 1 1
EFB498 Independent Research 2 2
3. Continuing Education and Extension (short courses, workshops, etc.)
4/23/2009 / King's College / Vernal pool residents and ecology5/15/2009 / NY Master Forest Owners (Warren Co. Coop. Extension) / managing woods and waters on private lands for amphibians and reptiles
4. Guest Lecture Activities
Course No. Title No. of Lectures
EFB496 CLBS Wildlife Course (J. Frair) 1
EFB497 UMEB Colloquium 2008 (R. Kimmerer) 1
FTC219(?) Wildlife/Ecology (J. Savage) 1
II. STUDENT ADVISING
A. Number of undergraduates for whom you are the student’s official advisor __0___ and unofficial advisor __0___
B. Graduate Students: (Name, degree sought, starting date, month & year; if a degree was completed, please give
date and full citation for the thesis or dissertation).
MAJOR PROFESSOR
· Kevin Jablonski, MS, August 2007
· Caitlin Snyder, MS, January 2009
CO-MAJOR PROFESSOR
MEMBER, STEERING COMMITTEE (other than those listed above)
· Anna Harrison, MS Stella
· Frank DeSantis, MS Porter
· Matthew Smith, MS Porter
· Jon Cale, MS Castello
CHAIRMAN OR READER ON THESIS EXAMS, ETC.
III. RESEARCH COMPLETED OR UNDERWAY
A. Departmental Research (unsupported, boot-legged; title - % time spent)
1. Adirondack Long-Term Environmental Monitoring Program (ALTEMP) – a variety of monitoring occurring at Huntington Wildlife Forest (ESF Newcomb Campus)
30% time
2. Adirondack Biodiversity Project (ATBI, All-taxa Biodiversity Inventory)
5% time
3. Climate change and phenology in the Adirondacks – lake ice and other signals of changing climate
2% time
4. amphibian population trends and habitat associations in a) vernal pools and b) forested uplands/seeps
B. 1. Grant-supported Research (source, subject, amount - total award and current year, award period starting
and ending dates; list graduate research assistants supported by each grant)
Hai, P.B., S. McNulty, and W. F. Porter. National Science Foundation Field Stations and Marine Labs. $150,000 (est.) 9/2008 start.
Kimmerer, R. and S. McNulty. National Science Foundation Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology Program. Integrating Science and Stewardship in the Adirondacks. $591,925, $150,830. 6/1/06 -5/31/10. Jacqueline Bilello and Jonathan Cale.
Porter, W., S. McNulty and A. Dechen. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, A Risk Assessment of a Chronic Wasting Disease Outbreak in New York, $1,008,190, $162,755, 8/1/05-12/31/08, extended to 2009. Amy Dechen, Matthew Smith and David Williams.
Porter, W. and S. McNulty. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Application of GIS to Resource Inventory for Unit Management Planning, $511,431, $103,897 plus $45,000 for 6 months extension, 6/1/03 – 12/31/08, extended to Aug 6, 2009. Steve Signell, Senior Research Support Specialist.
Snyder, C. Sussman Internship with Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program. Non-native earthworm distribution and abundance along a gradient of recreation intensity: worms, plants and salamanders near boat launches. 5/11-8/14/2009, $5,880. Caitlin Snyder.
Jablonski, K. Sussman Internship with New York Natural Heritage Program. Boreal bird communities and habitat associations. 5/11-8/14/2009, $5,880. Kevin Jablonski.
2. Research Proposals pending (as in B.1., above)
McNulty, S., J. Castello, and S. Teale. The influence of American beech thickets on biodiversity in the northern hardwood forest. Northeastern States Research Cooperative, October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010: $ 34,785
Nyland, R.D., G.G. McGee, M. Dovciak, and S.A. McNulty. Effects of Understory Beech Saplings on Plant Species Diversity and Forest Structure on Protected Lands within New York’s Adirondack Park. Northeastern States Research Cooperative, October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010: $ 42,338
Patrick, D.A. and S.A. McNulty. Assessing biodiversity, forest condition and the effects of management in the Northern Forest: protocol development and field trial in Adirondack Park. Northeastern States Research Cooperative, October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010: $42,768
IV. PUBLICATIONS (Full bibliographic citation, i.e., do not use "with Jones," or "Jones, et al."; please list only
publications published, in press, or actually submitted during this reporting period --- do not list manuscripts in preparation).
A. Refereed Publications
Signell, S., B. Zuckerberg, S. McNulty, and W. Porter. 2008. Development of an Adirondack Ecosystem Model. Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies 15:13-17.
Stager, J.C., S. McNulty, C. Beier, and J. Chiarenzelli. In Press. Historical patterns and effects of changes in Adirondack climates since the early 20th century. Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies.
B. Non-refereed Publications
Allen, E., R. Curran, S.. Halasz, J. Barge, S. McNulty, A. Keal, and M. Glennon. 2009. Adirondack GIS: Resources, Wilderness, and Management. Marguerite Madden, ed. Pages 1135-1168 in the ASPRS Manual of Geographic Information Systems. American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Bethesda, MD. 1352pp.
C. Papers Presented at Science Meetings (give title, date, occasion, and location)
Signell, S.A., S.A. McNulty, and W.F. Porter. Establishing a relational database for the Adirondack Region. Adirondack Research Consortium, May 21, 2009, Lake Placid, NY.
D. Public Service Presentations (lectures, seminars, etc. to and for the public; give group or occasion, date(s), and
attendance)
6/18/2008 / Ukranian tour group, HWF / Intro to research and programs at AEC / 207/17/2008 / Huntington Lecture Series, VIC / Beech nuts' importance to wildlife / 20
9/6/2008 / Teddy Roosevelt Days Ecology Hike, HWF / hike around Arbutus Lake / 32
5/9/2009 / Adirondack Landowners' Association / how does AEC help Adirondack landowners? / 30
8/4/2008 / Conservation Fund Advisory Board, HWF / Intro to research and programs at AEC / 25
11/18/2009 / Adirondack GIS User's Group / presentation on database and GIS use in Adirondack land use planning / 25
V. PUBLIC SERVICE
A. Funded Service (include consulting activities)
1. Government Agencies (Federal, State, Local):
none
2. Industrial and Commercial Groups, etc.
none
B. Unfunded Service to Governmental Agencies, Public Interest Groups, etc.
VI. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A. Professional Honors and Awards (for teaching, research, outreach, etc.)
B. 1. Activities in Professional Organizations (offices held, service as chairman, member, participant or consultant)
Adirondack Research Consortium Board Member (2009-2012)
2. Professional Society Membership
Adirondack GIS User’s Group
Ecological Society of America
Society of Conservation Biology
The Wildlife Society
3. Other Professional Activities
a. Editorial activity
Journal (s) Responsibility
Other (books, symposia, etc.)
b. Reviewer
Journal(s) No. of manuscripts
Journal of Wildlife Management 2
Agency No. of proposals
Other
c. Participation (workshops, symposia, etc.)
Name of workshop, etc. Date Place
NSF Undergraduate Research Mentoring (UMEB) October 2008 Arlington, VA
C. Further Education/Re-training Undertaken, Leaves, Workshops, etc.
D. Foreign Travel (Where, When, Purpose)
VII. ADMINISTRATIVE AND SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES (include committee participation)
A. Department-level
Editor of AEC newsletter, the Spruce Moose
Helped organize Dudley Raynal celebration and plaque presented at ESF/National Atmospheric Deposition Program meeting in Oct 2008
B. College-level
Council for Geospatial Modeling and Analysis (CGMA)
Organizer, Huntington Lecture Series
C. University-wide, including Research Foundation
Served on search committee for Center for Adirondack Biodiversity director (extra-university)
VIII. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD, ESPECIALLY THOSE MOST NOTEWORTHY AND RELATIVE TO THE COLLEGE’S AND DEPARTMENT’S MISSION. One paragraph on each of the following would be most helpful: this past year, what have you done for our students, department/college, and self professionally? NOTE: The information in this section (along with the supporting specific information elsewhere in this report) should be your strongest case for being considered for a discretionary raise, which I’ll continue to award based on your contributions to the department and college this reporting period.
Students: At multiple levels, I serve students: primarily from ESF but many from other institutions studying at the AEC. I have grown my graduate advising capacity with the addition of a third MS student to arrive this summer. I am pleased to share my experience with graduate students and enjoy the challenges of mentoring at that level and producing both sound scientific studies and future career biologists. Turning to undergraduates, the UMEB program (NSF funded, with Robin Kimmerer) continues to improve and gain recognition regionally and nationally. This program has been a huge success: getting undergraduates excited about research and motivated to conduct independent work, to connecting them with mentors in environmental biology fields and working on real-world issues, to helping them shape their futures. In addition to writing the grant proposal, coordinating summer research at AEC, overseeing a graduate TA, and mentoring some of the students directly, I am very proud to co-lead this strong program that will produce future scientists and, more importantly, future thinkers.
Department/College: Two areas where my work has contributed to the mission of the department and college: visibility and collaboration deserve special mention.
1. I have continued to raise ESF’s visibility and credibility through a variety of means. These include:
· Raising the level of dialog about data sharing and informing decisionmaking in the Adirondacks via the UMP-GIS project. Originally focused on state Forest Preserve land planning, we have increasingly expanded our spatial analyses and tools to include all Adirondack lands and beyond for stewardship and land use planning. Organizations such as DOT, DEC, NY Natural Heritage Program, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, and others routinely confer with me/AEC to collaborate on problem-solving. Now that I will serve on the Adirondack Research Consortium board, I have an opportunity to bring more attention to information sharing and more effective policy generation
· The Spruce Moose, AEC’s newsletter, continues to flourish. It is printed in full color and now reaches well over 1,000 alumni and college partners, keeping them informed of developments and opportunities to stay involved with ESF. We get many compliments and comments on the activities of AEC/ESF from newsletter readers and between the print and online versions can reach
· Keeping in touch with alumni and “friends” of Huntington Wildlife Forest. In the past year, I was a key player in creating Facebook groups for both HWF and the ESF UMEB program, so that students and colleagues could keep up to date on events and stay in touch with the college and each other. As social networking continues to expand on the internet, and as our graduates use these tools to stay connected, to maintain a vital alumni network, we must as well.
2. I also have worked hard to collaborate with colleagues at ESF as well as those at other institutions. The Adirondack Biodiversity Project (ATBI), which I continue to be involved with, has a coordinator housed at the Center for Adirondack Biodiversity, located at Paul Smiths College (the director is an ESF post-doc, David Patrick). This citizen science initiative has brought many partners together and continues to grow. David and I have forged many plans together for improving research and involvement of citizens in science in the Adirondacks. I have also worked to develop research projects and/or publications with faculty in EFB, other departments, institutions, and agencies which should continue to bear fruit into the future.
Self: Becoming sole advisor to graduate students might be the largest growth I experienced this year. I am now overseeing a greater number of grad and undergrad students which required some shifts in allocation of energy and learning to navigate college policies and timelines. I have assumed a supervisory role for the AEC TA which will help develop my mentoring and administrative capacity. Over the next several months, I intend to work with other faculty and staff to design a robust program for the TA. This will include clear expectations and outcomes and will be beneficial to both the graduate student and to AEC programming.
IX. A. FUTURE PLANS, AMBITIONS, AND POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR YOUR OWN
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE PROGRAM IN
ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY (brief summary)
I look forward to serving on the Adirondack Research Consortium board and providing a venue for students and researchers to share information with each other and municipal/environmental resource managers. I plan to continue taking on more graduate student advising. I would love to expand the current UMEB program to accommodate more students, both within a given year as well as for future years; I will work with Robin Kimmerer to extend the NSF grant and desire to work with other faculty to find additional sources of funding. I hope to renew the GIS support of land planning (UMP-GIS project with DEC and Adirondack Research Consortium) to include a regional spatially-enabled database on the web. I will advance forest health and ecological research opportunities and continue to produce scientific papers for technical and lay audiences. I am still entertaining ideas for a PhD program to begin in the near future but have not yet settled on a project that inspires me enough to take the plunge.
B. PROJECTED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT YEAR
1. Summer 2009
a. Course(s) to be offered
same as current year
b. Proposed research activity
§ Adirondack Biodiversity Project – secure funding
§ Beech Bark Disease – secure funding
§ Boreal bird detection and habitat association
§ White-tailed deer movement/behavior and disease risk assessment
§ ALTEMP projects (various, including: terrestrial salamanders, vernal pool amphibian reproduction and survival, songbird survey, phenology, seed survey, beaver colony survey)
§ Advise UMEB student research
§ Conduct sampling and project management for Adirondack Biodiversity Project
§ Summarize and report on several ongoing research projects, including Beech Bark Disease/beechnut production and amphibian population trends/habitat use
c. University, professional society, and public service
potentially offer a co-taught course (with Beier and others)
Co-coordinate ATBI; contribute to Org. of Biological Field Stations, National Phenology Network, Northeast Regional Mast Survey, Northeastern Vernal Pool Working Group, Adirondack Research Consortium among others