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Ecology and COVID-19

Ecology and COVID-19 #5: Coronavirus, Human Hubris, and Life in the Coevolving Biosphere

This blogpost originally appeared on the website for Bruce Byers Consulting. by Bruce Byers The novel coronavirus is holding up a mirror for our species, giving us an opportunity to consider our place in the evolution of life on Earth and question our anthropocentrism. What I’ve missed during this pandemic and shutdown of our usual social and economic life is…

Ecology and COVID #4: Leveraging the liabilities of virtual collaboration

by Benjamin S. Halpern1,2, Julien Brun1, Amber Budden1, Marty Downs1, Carrie V. Kappel1, and Julia S. Stewart Lowndes1 1National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 2Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA When the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) started shutting down its research labs on March…

Ecology and COVID #3: Can Technology Fill the Coronavirus Data Gap?

by National Ecological Observatory Network When humans can’t get to the field for ecological research, could the robots take over? When humans can’t get to the field for ecological research, could the robots take over? COVID-19 has limited the ability of ecologists to get to the field to collect samples and check instruments in many parts of the world. While…

Ecology and COVID #2: Evolutionary Biology and Questions Regarding the Coronavirus

by Jorge V. Crisci (Universidad Nacional de la La Plata, Argentina) and Tod F. Stuessy (Ohio State University, USA) The great German physicist Werner Heisenberg remarked that nature does not reveal itself directly but only through questions we ask about it. This is true for questions we have with the tragic pandemic of COVID-19. In the last 17 years, coronaviruses,…

Ecology and COVID-19 #1: To go or not to go (in the field)?

By Martha Downs, Frank Davis, Jenn Caselle, Julien Brun, and Kristen Weiss Like marine fog that blankets one community while leaving a nearby neighborhood in sunshine, COVID 19 crept up on us at an uneven pace. In California, awareness and action to halt its spread came quickly, with in-person instruction at UC Santa Barbara, where the LTER Network Office is…

COP16 Dispatch: Week 2 From the Classroom to the Conference Floor, A Student’s Journey in Biodiversity Diplomacy

At COP16, Alexa Theodoropoulos balanced schoolwork with engaging in key biodiversity discussions. She witnessed the urgency of action and the crucial role of youth in shaping global commitments. While progress was made, she emphasizes that accountability is essential and that students have a responsibility to ensure these goals lead to real change.

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COP16 Dispatch: Week 2 Open Source and LLMs, Reflections from the Back Row of COP16

Cristian Román shares unique insights from attending COP16 in Cali, Colombia, exploring the interplay of science, policy, and equity. Highlights include challenges with proprietary biodiversity tools, ethical concerns surrounding AI in policy compliance, and academia’s role in negotiations, raising critical questions about accessibility, collaboration, and power dynamics.

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COP16 Dispatch: Week 2 How Does Science Participate in the Biodiversity Convention? The Case of Invasive Species at COP16

At COP16 in Cali, October 2024, Alejandra Osejo-Varona, PhD Candidate in Anthropology at Rice University, shares insights on how scientists and decision-makers collaborated to address invasive alien species (IAS). The conference presented scientific tools and assessments, such as the IPBES report and IUCN toolkit, to guide the implementation of Target 6 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

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COP16 Dispatch: Week 1 From the talk to the World, Women Scientists Discuss Citizen Science

Women scientists and community leaders are reshaping conservation through citizen science, integrating Indigenous knowledge, and advocating for policy change. At COP16-Columbia, Cindy Julianty and Tanya Majdumar showcased how grassroots initiatives led by women empower local communities, preserve biodiversity, and ensure sustainable conservation efforts. Their stories highlight resilience, innovation, and a call for global action.

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