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, a postdoctoral researcher at the Mote Marine Lab, 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 ive 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.