Field Stations Foster Serendipitous Discoveries In Environmental, Biological Sciences
April 15, 2009
North America’s biological field stations have long been home to a rich legacy of research results, scientists say, making them important places for serendipitous discoveries in the biological and environmental sciences.
In a paper published in the April issue of the journal BioScience, researchers affiliated with the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network and other groups state that few people realize the value of the data and specimens held at field stations–until an event such as a disease outbreak or environmental disaster triggers their use.
“At a time when we are reinvesting in our nation’s academic infrastructure, it’s critical that we also invest in one of our greatest treasures–America’s biological field stations,” said William Michener, a biologist at the University of New Mexico and co-author of the paper.
Peter McCartney, program director in NSF’s Division of Biological Infrastructure, agrees. “Support for field stations is an important part of NSF’s overall investments in biological infrastructure,” he said. “They provide scientists with research opportunities, while fostering the regional and continental scale sampling provided through the LTER Network and the National Ecological Observatory Network [NEON].”
The paper, “Biological Field Stations: Research Legacies and Sites for Serendipity,” cites three examples in which major serendipitous discoveries occurred at field stations:
The relationship between the decline and subsequent recovery of bald eagles and the widespread use of organochlorine pesticides, based on monitoring studies at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary near Kempton, Pa.
An understanding of and ability to forecast the spread of Hantavirus and West Nile virus, based on research at the Sevilleta field station near Albuquerque, N.M.
Creation of a new framework for forest ecosystem management, later adopted as policy, based on field studies at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Eugene, Ore. Research on old-growth forests and the importance of their biodiversity led to a far-reaching revision of forest management in the Pacific Northwest.
In their journal paper, the authors identify the underlying factors that contributed to these discoveries, including the interplay between “place” and “serendipity”–being in the right place at the right time.
However, not all unexpected discoveries occurred by chance, they state.
Long-term observation and monitoring programs, field research and experimentation, and synthesis efforts were equally responsible.
“Field stations are to biologists what telescopes are to astronomers, and what research vessels are to oceanographers,” said Michener.
“They’re places where basic biological discoveries are made, such as understanding the spread of human and animal diseases, and of invasive species–and what it takes to sustain the ecosystems in which we live.”
Field stations provide logistical and laboratory facilities, offer secure places for deploying complex instrumentation, and allow for long-term observations of vegetation, animal populations, and soil and climate dynamics, state the authors.
They note that while initial discoveries of emerging pathogens are often made by public health workers and wildlife specialists from state and federal agencies, “established field stations provide the infrastructure, staff, and staying power to understand the life cycles and ecology of invasive or emerging disease vectors and pathogens.”
In the Hantavirus example, long-term rodent studies were conducted for several years for a different purpose, yet provided data for addressing the ecology of this disease-causing virus.
Documentation of the precipitous decline of bald eagles at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary set the stage for Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, changing U.S. policy on use of pesticides like DDT.
(5 facts)
Field science gives scientists reasearch and oppurtunities. Many people do not notice the data at field stations until they get hit with a dangerous disease. The bald eagle population is starting to go back up. Field Stations provide the infracture, staff, and power to understand the life cycles and cytology of invasive or emerging disease vectors and pathogens. Long term rodent studies were accompanied for a few years for a different purpose, yet provided information for adressing the the cytology of a disease causing virus.
1.north america biological field station has been a home for many living things.
2.a paper published in april issued the journal BioScience
3.they had a program going on to save it
4.network and other groups state reliezed that the meaning of that lake was more than they thought.
5.this lake was made bye wild life and publike helth workers
North america’s biological fields have long been home to a rich legacy
North america’s biological fields have long been home to a rich legacy.SCIENTISTS SAY THAT MAKING THEM ARE IMPORTANT PLACES.field stations are to biologists to atronomers.
North America’s biological field locations have been home to rich estate of research results for a long time. This makes them important places for casual discoveries in the biological and environmental sciences. A paper published in April of the journal Bioscience says researchers associated with the National Science Foundation’s Long Term Ecological Research Network and other associations record that few people recognize the amount of data and species at field stations. A biologist at the University of New Mexico, William Michener explains, “At a time when we are reinvesting in our nation’s academic infrastructure, it’s critical that we also invest in one of our greatest treasures-America’s biological field stations.” The certificate of the steep fall of bald eagles at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary got ready for Rachael Carson’s Silent Spring, changing U.S. procedure on use of pesticides like DDT.
North Americas biological field stations have long been home to a rich legacy of research results scientists say making them important places for serendipitous discoveries in the biological and environmental sciences
in their journal paper, the authors identify the underlying factors that contributed to these discoveries, including the interplay between “place” and “serendipity
Today is the last day of August so just for you Mrs.Davis i’m not gonna put up anymore than I need to so you can enjoy the lasts day of the eighth month of the 2009th year that the human race has been keeping track of so far.
1. The endangered bald eagle population is slowly recovereing. Go Birds!
2.North Americas biological field stations have long been home to a rich legacy of research results,go research…knida
3.Studies on old-growth forests and the importance of their biodiversity led to a far-reaching revision of forest management in the Pacific Northwest.
4. Long-term rodent studies provided data for addressing the ecology of a disease-causing virus.Go Rats!!!
5.Field stations provide logistical and laboratory facilities, offer secure places for deploying complex instrumentation, and allow for long-term observations of vegetation, animal populations, and soil and climate dynamics.
This article is about field stations fostering serendipitous discoveries in environmental, biological sciences. Biological field stations in North America are home to research results, which makes them places for serendipitous discoveries in biological and environmental sciences. Few people acknowledge the value of data held at field stations until an event like disease outbreak require their use. The decline in bald eagle recovery and the big use of organochlorine pesticides is an example of serendipitous discovery at field stations at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary near Kempton, Pa. Field stations give logistical and lab facilities, offer places for instrumentation, and allow observations of vegetation, animal populations, and dynamics on soil and climate. The decline of bald eagles at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary prepare Rachel Carson’s policy on pesticide use like DDT.
1.the lake was made by wild life
2.few people realize the data and thevalue of the lake
3.the bale eagle pouplation is back up to where it was
4.the lake provides research for viruses
5.field science give reachers a chance to study wild life
1 field scientests give reachers a chance to study wild life
2 field stations provide the infrature and staff and power to under stand the life cycles.
3 the lake provides reacharch for virusees.
4 not everyony notices the value of the lake and its importances.
5Most people do not notice the field stations until they catch a deses.
1. Studies on old-growth forests and the importance of their biodiversity led to a far-reaching revision of forest management in the Pacific Northwest.
2. North America’s biological field locations have been home to rich estate of research results for a long time.
3. Field stations provide the infrature and staff and power to under stand the life cycles.
4. Field stations provide logistical and laboratory facilities, offer secure places for deploying complex instrumentation
5. It allows for long-term observations of vegetation, animal populations, and soil and climate dynamics.
This article is about field stations fostering serendipitous discoveries in environmental, biological sciences. Biological field stations in North America are home to research results, which makes them places for serendipitous discoveries in biological and environmental sciences. Few people acknowledge the value of data held at field stations until an event like disease outbreak require their use. The decline in bald eagle recovery and the big use of organochlorine pesticides is an example of serendipitous discovery at field stations at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary near Kempton, Pa. Field stations give logistical and lab facilities, offer places for instrumentation, and allow observations of vegetation, animal populations, and dynamics on soil and climate. The decline of bald eagles at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary prepare Rachel Carson’s policy on pesticide use like DDT.
1.)There is alot of wildlife in the biological field.
2.)The field supports wildlife.
3.)The bald eagle is becoming less rare in the field.
4.)There is a lake in the center.
5.)Reasearchers have a chance to study wildlife.
~North America’s biological feild stations have long been home to a rich legacy of research results for many years.
~Field stations are to biologists what telescopes are to astronomers.
~It gives researchers the chance to study wildlife.
~There is a lot of wildlife there.
~Field stations provide logistical and laboratory facilities.
1.Field satations foster sependipitous discovries in eviromental studies
2.North America biological statious have long been home to a legancy of reasearch results.
3.Scientists say making important places for discoveries is what they need to do.
4.people have now relizes the importance of data studies.
5.The relationship between the delica & recovery of bald eagles & widespread has been discovered.
5.Scientist’s work has been improving greatly.
1.north america biological field station has been a home for many living things.
2.It gives researchers the chance to study wildlife.
3.the bale eagle pouplation is back up to where it was.
4.Long-term rodent studies provided data for addressing the ecology of a disease-causing virus.
5.Long-term rodent studies provided data for addressing the ecology of a disease-causing virus.
North America’s biological field stations have been providing alot of results. They are very important to us. Alot of people not relize the data that field stations ive us until they get hit with a dangerous disease. The bald eagle population is starting to go up. For a long term there was a studies of rodents providing data for addressing the ecology of a disease-causing virus.Scientist’s work has been improving greatly
1. Biological stations are important in discoveries.
2. Many people realize the meaning of the data at many field stations.
3.Field sations offer many facilities.
4. Emerging pathogens are made by many health workers.
5. Most Biologists use field stations.
1. North America’s biological field stations have long been home to a rich legacy of research results.
2. Network and other groups state that few people realize the value of the data and specimens held at field stations.
3. Until an event such as a disease outbreak or environmental disaster triggers their use.
4. It’s critical that we invest in one of our greatest treasures.
5. The relationship between the decline and subsequent recovery of bald eagles and the widespread use of organochlorine pesticides.
1. North America’s biological field stations have long been home to a rich legacy of research results.
2. Network and other groups state that few people realize the value of the data and specimens held at field stations.
3. At a time when we are reinvesting in our nation’s academic infrastructure, it’s critical that we also invest in one of our greatest treasures.
4. Support for field stations is an important part of NSF’s overall investments in biological infrastructure.
5. The relationship between the decline and subsequent recovery of bald eagles and the widespread use of organochlorine pesticides.