Major Revisions

Grace, Jon, and Jeff tackle a recent paper in Ecology (Pillai and Gouhier, 2019) that claims that the "positive" effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning is vastly overstated. The gang talk about the background and context of the paper, including neutral theory, competitive exclusion, and complementarity, while also revisiting some classic ecology work from Tilman and Huston. Also, March Mammal Madness is coming soon!

Jeff sits down with Rob Nowicki to talk about how the scope of ecological research has changed over that past few decades, the differences between marine ecology and biology, living in the Florida Keys, and what life is like in the field when your field is the deep blue sea.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff bid a not-so-fond farewell to 2018. The gang talk about their favorite papers of the year, science low-lights, and their podcast resolutions for the upcoming year. And, to wrap up the year, we return with America's favorite game, five questions. What would your lab mascot be? What are the sounds of owls mating? Have you seen Twin Peaks? Also, Jeff learns about the limnology challenge he has to face and everyone learns what the 2019 Major Revisions stickers are going to look like!

Dr. Ben Cook from NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies joins us on the show to talk about drought, the climate system, working across scales/disciplines, how we think about hazards, and his soon-to-be-released book. Ben is a climate scientist who is broadly interested in land surface and climate system interactions with a focus on drought. This show was recorded live at the 2018 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in Washington, DC.

We welcome Dr. Kyla Dahlin from Michigan State University to the show. Kyla's research aims to better understand and quantify ecosystem processes and disturbance responses through the application of emerging technologies, including air- and space-borne remote sensing, spatial statistics, and process-based modeling. We also talk about kids, life, and giant slingshots. This episode was recorded at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in Washington, DC 2018.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff continue the discussion about the NSF proposal process including ad hoc reviews, what panels are like, and how to prepare what you need in order to get funded. The gang also take stock of what their science wishlist is for the holidays including imaginary dataset, magical equipment, and the most fantastic of all . . . time to do what needs to get done. Also, the joys of winter fieldwork and olive juice.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff celebrate two years of podcasting with a mailbag episode where we answer a slew of emails, questions, and follow-ups from the last few weeks on air including crowdfunding science, grants for early career folks, and why we don't talk about more classical ecology papers. Also, hot pockets.

Jon and Jeff ask the age old question, when do the statistics get so wonky you call in the quants? The gang minus one talk about the trade-offs between learning new, powerful techniques and just collaborating with folks who have already climbed that mountain (e.g. statisticians and quantitative ecologists). Also, old car or new car? Doom metal or screamo? Did you know we are the world's leading ecology podcast? So much and more on this episode of Major Revisions!

Grace, Jon, and Jeff give a primer on the funding mechanisms at the National Science Foundation (NSF) as well as recent changes that we are all thinking about it. The gang also lament poison ivy and chiggers while delivering a stern warning about Benadryl. Be careful out there!

Jon and Jeff interview Atticus Stovall of the University of Virginia, a lidar guru and all-around nice person, live from the top of a mountain at the University of Tennessee Biological Station near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Atticus gives his thoughts on forest ecology and solar induced fluorescence as well as telling some stories about traveling to Toolik, New Mexico, and many place in between. The gang also establish Combos as the null model for gas station snack food.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about a recent paper in Nature E & E on how sampling bias affects science and policy. The gang also tally the results of last year's Impact Factor draft (and it's not that close). Jon gets a Twitter handle he will never use, we come up with several great spin-off podcast ideas, there are lots of bugs, and of course life, the universe, and everything else.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about the new Resources page on the Major Revisions website as well as their own thoughts about what helped them get to where they are, at least the practical aspects. Lots of North Woods references, talk about Gluten-free food, and greatly over-due World Cup banter.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about their favorite scientists from any form of fiction . . .with some big surprises. They also cover who they don't like so much, fewer surprises there. Also, grocery stores. To an alarming degree.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about recent op-eds in Nature and Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment on the culture of science and ecology in particular. How do we build strong lab culture? How do we think about and do science in the 21st Century? Is the underlying culture of science at risk? Also, Jeff's car was eaten by rats and we talk MDPI journals and how you can publish multiple OA articles for free, if they are well-prepared.

In episode 38 we welcome Brady Hardiman to the show! Brady is an Assistant Professor of Urban Ecology in the department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University (Go Boilermakers!). We talk about urban ecology, macrosystems, time management, mentorship, being a new professor, and setting up a lab and creating a positive and supportive atmosphere.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about the Gleason, 1926 classic, "The individualistic concept of the plant association" a real barn-burner of a piece that forms one of the foundational pieces of community ecology--despite its controversial reception at the time. The group also chat up the first part of the Dynamic Ecology controversial ideas in ecology piece, why Jeff is a terrible biologist, and talk trash about Kant.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff keep the classics in ecology series going, this time with Raymond L. Lindeman's 1942 piece, "The Trophic-Dynamic Aspect of Ecology." This seminal piece not only codified the idea of the ecosystem, but features the famous (infamous?) ooze diagram. The gang also lament March Mammal Madness and the ups and downs of spring time.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff kick off a series delving into classic papers in ecology, leading off with P. A. P. Moran's classic paper "The statistical analysis of the Canadian Lynx Cycle II: Synchronization and Meteorology" which helped to launch the concept of spatial synchrony, fluctuations that are correlated through time across two ore more locations, a fundamental aspect of population ecology. The gang also talk about March Mammal Madness (#2018MMM) and their picks this year and how few of the actual animals they know.

We talk to Caitlin MacKenzie, a postdoc at the University of Maine, about taking sediment cores from frozen lakes in Maine, what it's like to put together and deliver a TEDx talk on an 19th century botanist, surviving the snowscape she calls home, and conservation, phenology, and ecology in New England.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff jump into the murky and oddly shaped pool that is the world of the graduate school interview. We also go on a journey to find out what happened to Grace's phone, how scientists find love, and the only five hobbies graduate students are allowed to have. Jeff and Grace also bond over their love of Otterbox.