Newsletter

Volume 11, Number 4
July - August 1994

Director’s Note

Dr. Clive Jones joined the staff of the Mary
Flagler Cary Arboretum in 1980, and has
extended his research in chemical ecology since
the Institute was founded in 1983. His research
on gypsy moths, the effects of environmental
stress on plants, the snail/lichen/rock ecosystem
in Israel’s Negev Desert and, most recently, his
collaborative study with other EES ecologists
on the interactions among gypsy moths, deer
ticks, oaks and small mammal populations
have led to international recognition. In April,
Dr. Jones was named a Guggenheim Fellow.

Ms. Kathleen Hogan, educational research and
development specialist, joined the lES
Education Program in 1985. She not only has
played a major role in launching many of the
Institute’ secology education programs for
school children , but also conceived, developed
and published an innovative elementary school
science curriculum called Eco-Inquiry . The
curriculum is now available to teachers across
the country, and will contribute to the scientific
literacy of the next generation.

The articles describing the recent achievements
of these two individuals illustrate the far-
ranging impact of our scientific staff

The EES Newsletter is published by the
Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook,
New York. All newsletter correspondence
should be addressed to the editor.

GeneE. Likens, Director
Josephs. Warner, Administrator
Alan R. Berkowitz, Head of Education

Editor: Jill Cadwallader
Printing: Central Press

INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES
Education Program
Box R (Route 44A)

Millbrook, NY 12545-0178
(914) 677-5359

Dr. Jones Named Guggenheim Fellow

The Committee of Selection for the John
Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
has named Institute of Ecosystem Studies
ecologist Dr. Clive G. Jones a 1994
Guggenheim Fellow. Of this year’s 3,157
applicants. Dr. Jones was one of 147 artists,
scientists, and scholars selected for
fellowship awards totaling $4,070,000.

Dr. Jones’ one-year, $28,000 Guggenheim
Fellowship enables him to do research on
the relationships between global environ-
mental change and food quality. The
biochemistry of plant tissues determines the
quality of that plant as food. Any reduction
in the food value of plants can alter food
web structure, with possible effects
reaching even to humans. Plants tend to be
poor food when they contain high concen-
trations of certain chemical compounds
called phenolics and low concentrations of
proteins and amino acids. Dr. Jones is
investigating the effects of environmental
change — for example increases in carbon
dioxide, temperature changes, ultraviolet
radiation, drought, air pollution, soil
acidification, and attack by exotic insects
and pathogens — on the concentration of
phenolic compounds in plants, and thus on
their value as food.

Dr. Jones’ on-going research at the Institute
is in the field of chemical ecology. His
current projects include how plant defense
mechanisms are affected by environmental
stress; rock-eating snails and their impacts
on desert soils; and
interrelationships between
small mammals, gypsy
moth outbreaks, deer
ticks, Lyme disease, and
acorns.

The John Simon
Guggenheim Memorial
Foundation was estab-
lished in 1925 by Mr. and
Mrs. Simon Guggenheim
in memory of their son.

Simon Guggenheim was
U.S. Senator from
Colorado from 1907-1913;
his father, Meyer
Guggenheim, was a
dominant force in the U.S.
mining industry at the turn
of the century. The goal in
establishing the founda-
tion was to add to the
educational, literary,
artistic and scientific
strengths of this country,
and to promote better
international understand-
ing. During its 70 year
history, according to

Guggenheim Foundation President Mr. Joel
Conarroe, the Foundation has granted over
$161 million in fellowships.

The Foundation grants funds to help
Fellows secure a block of time, free from
other duties, in which to pursue their own
scholarly or creative work. Guggenheim
Fellows are appointed on the basis of
unusually distinguished achievement in the
past and exceptional promise for future
accomplishment. The list of 1 994 Fellows
includes poets, novelists, a playwright and a
radio documentary artist, painters, sculp-
tors, photographers, film and video makers,
a choreographer, social scientists and
scholars in the humanities, as well as
physical and biological scientists such as
Dr. Jones.

Dr. Jones, below, is doing a portion of his
fellowship work in England this summer.

At the Department of Animal and Plant
Sciences, University of Sheffield, he is
working with Professor F. Ian Woodward
and colleagues who have been involved
extensively in global environmental change
research. He is also collaborating with lES
adjunct scientist Professor John H. Lawton
at the Centre for Population Biology,
Imperial College at Silwood Park. Professor
Lawton and colleagues have developed a
controlled environment facility where Dr.
Jones will run a “now versus future
environment” experiment.

Eco-Inquiry Is Published

features classroom-
tested lessons for three
action-packed modules,
each lasting from four to
seven weeks. Teaching
strategies and assess-
ment tools are included
as well. The appendices
are an illustrated Who
Eats What guide, with
habitat and food source
information on over 140
animals representative of
the major geographic
areas in the U.S., and
lists of the materials
< required to do each
I module.

In spring 1 986, Institute of Ecosystem
Studies research and development specialist
Ms. Kathleen Hogan (above) piloted a
science curriculum of her own creation
called Eco-Inquiry. The first schools to
benefit were Millbrook’s Alden Place
Elementary School and Dutchess Day
School.. That fall, she added three elemen-
tary schools in Poughkeepsie and Beacon to
the group, and modified the curriculum
based on feedback from participating
teachers. By the end of 1991, Eco-Inquiry
had been piloted in all Dutchess County
school districts as well as in two school
districts in the Bronx, N.Y. Also in that
year, Ms. Hogan and Dr. Alan Berkowitz,
lES head of education, received a grant
from the National Science Foundation
enabling dissemination of Eco-Inquiry
throughout the United States. In February
1992, the Eco-Inquiry National Dissemina-
tion Team, comprising science center
educators and teachers from around the
U.S., met at the Institute to begin the
dissemination process. And in June 1994,
Eco-Inquiry was published in book form.

Eco-Inquiry: A Guide to Ecological
Learning Experiences for the Upper
Elementary/Middle Grades is now
available from its publishers, the Kendall/
Hunt Publishing Company*. The book

Teachers who participated in the pilot pro-
grams call Eco-Inquiry a “whole science”
curriculum because it makes hands-on
science part of a multi-dimensional learning
experience. The modules focus on food
webs, decomposition and nutrient cycling ...
concepts vital to an understanding of how
ecosystems work. While doing the projects
detailed in “Who Eats What?”, “Decom-
poser Dynamics” and “Cycles — From Rot
to Radishes”, students learn to do science
as scientists do. Working in teams with
other students they plan and carry out
investigations, complete peer reviews and
share their ideas and findings. All the
while, they are learning ecology, discover-
ing how to think creatively and critically,
experiencing the importance of collabora-
tion, and mastering writing and math skills.

Nationwide dissemination of Eco-Inquiry
began two years ago, using an earlier
version of the curriculum. Students in
fifteen states already are benefiting from
this innovative science education program,
and, with publication of the book, dissemi-
nation will proceed even more rapidly. This
summer, Ms. Hogan worked with Eco-
Inquiry teachers in St. Louis and Atlanta,
and in the Hunter/Tannersville and
Windham School Districts in New York’s
Catskill Mountains. This fall, lES educa-

lES Bike-to- Work- Week

Late May witnessed the Institute’s first
participation in National Bicycling Month
with its own Bike- to- Work- Week (BTWW).
lES employees were encouraged to try one
or more bicycle commutes during the week
of 23 May. Riders kept track of their
mileage, and the Institute provided a pizza
lunch for all participants at week’s end.

Participation was good, especially for a
first-time event. Fourteen people turned in
records of biking during the week, and as

many as 15 others also participated; several
rode nearly every day, despite their busy
schedules and the threat of rain.

BTWW was good not only for the riders’
health and fitness but also for the environ-
ment. A conservative estimate of total miles
ridden was 388 miles. At approximately 35
Calories (Cal) expended per bicyclist-mile
(Lowe, 1990), this represented 13,584
bicycling Cal. Automobile energy consump-
tion for the same mileage is estimated at

tors will lead workshops for teachers in
Arizona, Michigan and Oregon.

Much of the dissemination process is being
done by teachers themselves. In late June,

27 teachers, school science coordinators and
environmental educators, primarily from
New York state, attended an Eco-Inquiry
Leadership Institute to learn how to become
“curriculum leaders”. Led by Ms. Hogan
and Eco-Inquiry project coordinator Ms.
Lisa Morganstem, with workshop sessions
led by lES scientists Drs. Richard Ostfeld
and Richard Pouyat, the three-day institute
prepared participants to offer workshops for
teachers in their own regions during the
coming school year. The potential exists for
over 300 new teachers of Eco-Inquiry
resulting from this one workshop alone.

What is the future of the Eco-Inquiry
dissemination process? While the book’s
publisher will be marketing the curriculum
to a national audience. Institute staff will
continue to make informational presenta-
tions at meetings around the country. Eco-
Inquiry staff also will lead intensive staff
development workshops to help educators
learn to use Eco-Inquiry ’s innovative
strategies to their maximum potential.

“I think this is the best curriculum I have
ever seen to integrate a subject, detail,
motivation, teaching theory, techniques,
workplace skills, resources, student
responsibility, cooperative work, everything
in ONE package. WOW! ! WELL DONE!!”
wrote Dr. Betty J. Eidemiller, a professor at
Lamar University in Orange, Texas when
she was introduced to the Eco-Inquiry guide
at a meeting in July. Schools across the
country adopting Eco-Inquiry will have the
chance to hear similar reactions from their
teachers.

* Eco-Inquiry: A Guide to Ecological Learning
Experiences for the Upper Elementary/Middle
Grades, ISBN: 0-8403-9584-1, Cost: $36.95;
available from: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co.,
4050 Westmark Drive, Dubuque, Iowa 52002.
Telephone: 800/228-0810

19.4 gallons (at 20 miles per gallon), or
721,866 Cal (1,860 Cal per car-mile; Lowe,
1 990). Institute BTWW organizers Dr.
Karin Limburg and Mr. Ray Winchcombe
estimate that EES riders reduced the output
of COj to the atmosphere by 142 kilograms,
as well. Pizza-powered bicycling (or
bicycling powered by any food, for that
matter) clearly is more efficient, and less
polluting, than driving.

BTWW raised consciousness about biking

Science on the Verge: Cary Fellow Studies Forest Edges

Ecologists recognize that forest edges —
the areas between field and forest and
extending a short distance into both — can
be likened to delicate membranes that
separate parts of the landscape. They know,
too, that edges have specific temperature,
light and moisture conditions, and a special
assemblage of plants and animals living
there. Human activity is one of the most
significant influences on the creation of
edges in contemporary landscapes. By
cutting trees and creating new edges,
humans disrupt native forests. This
disturbance, in turn, invites invasion by
exotic plants and animals that may have a
negative influence on the native species.

The relevance of the ecology of edges was
first recognized in tropical forests, where
the destruction of trees wreaked havoc on
edge ecosystems. Ecologists now realize the
importance of developing an understanding
of other forest edges, to increase knowledge
about how human activities are affecting
the landscape and its living community. It
is this research that 1994 Cary Summer
Fellow Dr. Ramiro Bustamante is doing
during a three-month stay at the Institute.

Dr. Bustamante is an ecologist on the
Faculty of Sciences at the University of
Chile in Santiago. When he arrived at the
Institute in June, he selected edge sites for
study at three locations — near the
greenhouse, on one of the Cannoo Hills,
and near the Gifford House alongside one of
the nature trails — and set up transects
extending 100 meters (328 feet) from the
edge into the forest interior and 15-m
(49 ft.) from the edge into the open field.

His objective is to learn more about the
dynamics of forest patches, to see if they are
growing or shrinking, or are in a steady
state. Along these 115 meter-long transects
he is collecting data to help evaluate the
effects of seed predation on the stability of
forest patches.

Natural regeneration of forests occurs
primarily by successful seed sprouting and
growth. When studying the dynamics of

forest patches, then, seed preda-
tion by birds, small mammals and
other animals is especially
relevant. Dr. Bustamante is
planting seeds of four tree species
— Acer rubrum (red maple),
Quercus rubra (northern red oak),
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
and Ailanthus altissima (ailan-
thus, or tree-of-heaven) — along
the 115 meter- long transects at his
research sites, and measuring seed
predation over a two-week period.
(At that point, he will remove all
remaining experimental plantings
so as not to change normal growth
patterns along the forest edges.)

Before doing the seed predation
experiments. Dr. Bustamante set
up a transect to learn about the
abiotic environment of the forest
edge. At 5-m (16 ft.) intervals, he
first measured temperature
changes with thermometers that
record the daily minimum and
maximum. He is measuring soil
humidity, soil temperature,
relative humidity and solar
radiation at each point as well,
and also is studying the response
of vegetation to edges by
measuring seedling abundance.

*

Dr. Ramiro Bustamante, 1994 Cary Fellow, studies the
environmentally sensitive edges where forests and fields
meet.

In Chile, edges often separate native forests
from exotic plantations where trees are
grown for commercial harvest. Pinus
radiata (the Monterey pine) is one such
tree. With efficient dispersal and rapidly
growing seedlings, it is invading the native
forests. When he returns to Santiago, Dr.
Bustamante hopes to apply findings from
his edge research at the Institute to undesir-
able invasions by exotic species in Chilean
forests.

The Cary Summer Fellowship is an annual
award enabling visiting scientists to do
research at the Institute. Funds for the

award are provided by the Mary Flagler
Cary Charitable Trust, and enable Cary
Fellows to pursue intensive studies, free
from academic responsibilities. The
scientists ’ work contributes to the
Institute’s program as well as to their own
ongoing teaching and/or research
programs. Dr. Bustamante is the Institute ’s
1 8th Cary Fellow.

In addition to doing research at the
University of Chile, Dr. Bustamante
teaches ecology and environmental science
to primary and high school teachers. While
at the Institute he met with Dr. Alan
Berkowitz, lES head of education, and Ms.
Kathleen Hogan (see page 2) to learn
about their work in the field of ecology
education.

at lES. The organizers hope that more
people will try an occasional bike ride to
run an errand, go to work or just have fun.

Reference: Lowe, M.D. 1990. “Pedaling into the
Future”. In State of the World 1990, WorldWatch
Institute, Washington, D.C.

lES BTWW bikers included, 1. to r.: Joe Warner,
Kathie Weathers, David Fischer, Gay Hanson,
Joe Boyer, Peter Groffman, Alan Berkowitz,
Catherine Corey, Jill Cadwallader and BTWW
organizers Karin Limburg & Ray Winchcombe.

CONTINUING EDUCATION
Fall semester catalogues are available from the
Gifford House. Among the 43 courses, workshops
and excursions offered are:

Landscape Design

Sept. 19 (8 sessions): Principles of Landscape
Design

Sept. 19 (6 sessions): Ecological Landscape
Design: Successful Design with Native Plants
Oct. 22: Residential Landscape Design Clinic

Gardening

Sept. 17 (6 sessions): Plants for the Landscape:
Herbaceous Perennials
Oct. 2: Reflections of Nature: Japanese Stone
Concepts for the American Garden
Oct. 15: Introduction to Orchids

Natural Science Illustration
Sept. 22 (6 sessions): Drawing I
Nov. 5 and/or Nov. 6: Drawing in the Greenhouse
Biology and Earth Science
Sept. 1 7 (4 sessions) : Tree & Shrub Identification
Sept. 24: Walking on Water: An Aquifer
Experience

Oct. 1 : Mammals in Your Schoolyard and
Beyond: A Course for Elementary School
Teachers

Oct. 1 6 (4 sessions): Plant Communities and
Indicators

Workshops

Sept. 24: Pond Management and Restoration
Nov. 5: Careers in Horticulture

Ecological Excursions and Garden Tours
Sept. 10: Wetland Ecology from a Canoe
Oct. 1 ; Noah’s Garden: An Ecological Model for
Transforming the Suburban Landscape
Oct. 5: Caprilands Herb Farm
Natural Crafts

Oct. 1 : Wicker Basket with Dried Flowers
Oct. 29: Grapevine and Bittersweet Wreath

The EES Continuing Education Program office has a
new telephone number. Call 914/677-9643 for
information on certificate programs or individual
offerings, or to register.

Calendar

SUNDAY ECOLOGY PROGRAMS
Free public programs are held on the first and third
Sunday of each month, except over holiday weekends.
Programs begin at 2 p.m. at the Gifford House on
Route 44A unless otherwise noted. Last-minute
schedule changes are sometimes unavoidable, so call
914/677-5359 to confirm the day’s topic:

Sept. 4: Labor Day weekend — no program
Sept. 17: Call the number above for information
Oct. 2: The Community in Transition: Fall in the
Fields, a walk led by Dr. Steward Pickett
Oct. 16: Field Tour of the Property and Selected
Ecological Research Projects, a walk led by
Mr. Raymond Winchcombe
Nov. 6: Tour of the Institute’s Laboratories,
led by Dr. Kathleen Weathers

• In case of poor weather, call 677-5358 after
1 p.m. to learn the status of the day’s program. For
outdoor programs, wear long pants tucked into
socks and sturdy waterproof shoes.

lES SEMINARS

The Institute’ s program of scientific seminars
features presentations by visiting scientists. Beginning
in mid-September, free seminars are held each Friday
at 3:30 p.m. at the Plant Science Building.

Sept. 16: When Does a Disturbance Matter?
Catastrophic Natural Perturbations and Invis-
ible Human Perturbations in a New England
Forest, by Dr. Richard Bowden, Allegheny College
Sept. 23: Sphagna as Environmental Manipula-
tors, by Dr. Nico van Breemen, Agricultural
University, The Netherlands
Sept. 30: Groundwater/Surface Water Interac-
tions in Streams, by Dr. Clifford N. Dahm,

Univ. of New Mexico

Oct. 7; Impact of Pathogens on Spatial Patterns of
Seedling Recruitment in Tropical Forests, by
Dr. Carol K. Augspurger, Univ. of Illinois-Urbana
Oct. 14: Topic: Vole behavior, by Dr. Betty
McGuire, Univ. of Massachusetts
Oct. 21 : Speaker: Dr. Paul A. Keddy, Univ. of
Ottawa

GREENHOUSE

The lES greenhouse is a year-round tropical plant
paradise as well as a site for controlled environmental
research. The greenhouse is open until 4:00 p.m.
daily except public holidays. Admission is by free
permit from the Gifford House.

lES GIFT AND PLANT SHOP
New in the Shop!! Gardening books by lES
instructors: Waterscaping, by Judy Glattstein; The
Perennial Garden (paperback), by Fred McGourty ;
Perennial Gardening, by Mike Ruggiero ...

For children: “Garbage” Gardens; pond, stream,
meadow and forest puzzles; Look Closerhooks
Fall Perennial Sale: Saturday, October 1, 10 a.m. -
3 p.m. — divisions from the lES display gardens
Senior Citizens Days: On Wednesdays, senior
citizens receive a 10% discount (except sale items).

HOURS

Summer hours: May 1 - September 30
Closed on public holidays.

Public attractions are open Mon. - Sat., 9 a.m. -
6 p.m. & Sun. 1-6 p.m. (Note: The Greenhouse and
Plant Science Building close at 4 p.m.)

The lES Gift and Plant Shop is open Mon..- Sat.,

1 1a.m. - 5 p.m. & Sun. 1-5 p.m. (The shop is closed
weekdays from 1 - 1:30 p.m.)

• All visitors must pick up a free permit at the
Gifford House Visitor and Education Center on
Route 44Afor access to lES public attractions.
Permits are available until 5:00 p.m. daily.

MEMBERSHIP

Become a member of the Institute of Ecosystem
Studies. Benefits include a member's rate for EES
courses and excursions, a 10% discount on Gift Shop
purchases, a free subscription to the lES Newsletter,
and participation in a reciprocal admissions program,
with benefits at over 100 nature centers, forest
preserves, gardens and conservatories in the U. S . and
Canada. Individual membership is $30; family
membership is $40. For information on memberships ,
call Ms. Janice Claiborne at 914/677-5343.

For general information, call the lES Education Program Office at the Gifford House Visitor and Education Center:

914/677-5359 weekdays from 8:30 - 4:30.

INSTITUTE OF
ECOSYSTEM STUDIES
Education Program
Box R

Millbrook, New York 12545-0178

Newsletter

Volume 11, Number 4
July - August 1994

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