Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment最新文献

{"title":"A field station's recipe for impactful science","authors":"Aaron S David, Sahas Barve, Elizabeth H Boughton, Joshua H Daskin, Hilary M Swain","doi":"10.1002/fee.2833","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2833","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As society navigates unprecedented global change, we need science-backed solutions to confront compounding ecological crises. While we ecologists often intend to do impactful science that addresses these crises, too often we are guilty of “hoping”, rather than “planning”, for impact. Within ecologically minded institutions, having planned impacts increases the likelihood of success and starts with a well-defined <i>mission</i>, which states the organization's purpose and guides its activities. Mission-oriented science can influence agency policy, shape sustainable land-use planning, guide management best practices, train future scientists, and more. However, the challenge is to build from mission-oriented science to maximize impact. Here, we identify three key ingredients of a recipe for achieving impact: (1) <i>synergistic science</i>, (2) <i>knowledge of place</i>, and (3) <i>bridging to partners</i>. Although grounded in our experiences at Archbold Biological Station, a nonprofit field station in south-central Florida, and in our collective knowledge of similar stations, we believe these ingredients are broadly applicable across scientific institutions.</p><p><i>Synergistic science</i> refers to teams of researchers working together toward an institution's mission. Simply put, complex environmental challenges require diverse teams to address them holistically. For example, Archbold's fire management plan is based on decades of our own science across taxa, providing a comprehensive framework for balancing the fire needs of multiple organisms, and, to date, resulting in >350 prescribed burns of an endangered scrub ecosystem. Synergistic science may be interdisciplinary or emerge from participation in formal research networks (eg USDA's Long-Term Agroecosystem Research [LTAR] network). For instance, testing strategies for sustainable agroecosystems required synthesizing data collected by 18 researchers from 53 long-term co-located studies of biodiversity, water quality, soils, and greenhouse gases at Archbold’s Buck Island Ranch (Nat Commun 2023).</p><p><i>Knowledge of place</i> refers to a deep understanding of local or regional ecosystems, biota, and processes, and to being a trusted information source among key stakeholders in governmental, academic, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors (Univ. of Chicago Press 2010). Solutions to large-scale environmental challenges arise from local actions based on knowledge of place. Developing knowledge of place is often not straightforward and may require lengthy engagement to build relevant expertise, resources, datasets, and partnerships. Ultimately, knowledge of place allows organizations a seat at the table in decision making; in our case, such knowledge allows staff to engage closely with county planners on policies supporting prescribed fire, establishing conservation areas, and avoiding development sprawl.</p><p><i>Bridging to partners</i> refers to how the organization works with other, mission-","PeriodicalId":171,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fee.2833","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143111292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wolves and human-caused mortality—a reply to Cassidy et al.","authors":"Danny Caudill, Joshua H Schmidt, Graham G Frye, Elaine D Gallenberg, Gretchen Caudill, Jerrold L Belant","doi":"10.1002/fee.2830","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2830","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cassidy <i>et al</i>. (<span>2023</span>) evaluated the effect of mortality on aspects of gray wolf (<i>Canis lupus</i>) demography, concluding that “…human activities can have major negative effects on the biological processes…”. We agree that the effects of human-caused mortalities on wildlife are of broad interest (eg Caudill <i>et al</i>. <span>2017</span>; Schmidt <i>et al</i>. <span>2017</span>; Frye <i>et al</i>. <span>2022</span>). However, we contend Cassidy <i>et al</i>.'s study has shortcomings with regard to its data, design, biological inference, and statistical interpretation.</p><p>Although potentially resolvable, Cassidy <i>et al</i>.'s data contain inconsistencies and are sparse across covariate values (as detailed in Data S1, available at https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2302764), leading to uncertainty in the reliability and generalizability of their results. For example, missing covariate values resulted in the misapplication of model selection procedures and the exclusion of nearly all data from Voyageurs National Park from some models. Furthermore, the random effects were inappropriately structured and unstable, potentially because one site (Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve; YUCH) contained all observations of human-caused mortalities of >4 wolves and most observations of ≥2 leaders lost. Cassidy <i>et al</i>.'s results were also disproportionately influenced by YUCH (Data S1). Moreover, wolf harvest legally occurs within portions of Denali National Park and Preserve and YUCH, and about 62% of mortalities observed in YUCH were attributable to lethal control programs in the surrounding area (~25% of mortalities in the entire dataset were attributed to lethal control). Hence, inference on harvest and wolf control in general (eg transboundary management) is ambiguous. Instead, the results of Cassidy <i>et al</i>. may reflect the previously documented negative impact on wolf demography from a specific lethal management action conducted adjacent to YUCH (Schmidt <i>et al</i>. <span>2017</span>).</p><p>The most critical limitation within Cassidy <i>et al</i>. is the study design. To provide reliable inference, a design must adequately exclude alternate hypotheses (ie Platt <span>1964</span>). A design focused on any subset of mortality types in isolation could represent an a priori false null hypothesis because mortality in general could be negatively related to pack demography. The mixed logistic regression models in Cassidy <i>et al</i>. compared a group of packs in which human-caused mortality was observed (along with an unknown level of natural mortality) to a “contaminated” control group of packs in which human-caused mortality was not observed (but which also experienced unknown levels of natural mortality and human-caused mortality of non-collared pack members). This design cannot exclude the alternate hypothesis that any type of mortality (including natural mortality) could have caused the obser","PeriodicalId":171,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fee.2830","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143117025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can AI interpretation increase inclusivity?","authors":"Heather Fair, Osmary A Medina-Báez, Barbara J Spiecker, Qingyu Gan, Yan Yin “Jenny” Cheung, Elvira D'Bastiani, Gregory R Goldsmith","doi":"10.1002/fee.2821","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2821","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This was expressed by a speaker at the 2024 Ecological Society of America's (ESA's) Annual Meeting, where we conducted an experimental special session (<i>SS 31 - Towards Equity in the Communication of Science: Harnessing the Power of AI for an Inclusive Tomorrow</i>) to evaluate artificial intelligence (AI) interpretation of scientific talks by native speakers of Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish into real-time running English captions.</p><p>One fundamental value of the ESA is to “[provide] the community of ecologists of diverse backgrounds, heritage, and career paths with a supportive home that advances their aspirations”. Currently, the lingua franca at international science meetings is English, which certainly discourages or prevents many talented scientists from sharing their science, networking with colleagues, and otherwise fully participating in international conferences. Indeed, many avoid attending annual conferences altogether due to language barriers. Emerging AI technologies may soon make it possible to attract a diversity of new voices into science. ESA members are from all over the world: representing 88 countries as of 2023. By giving individuals the option to deliver presentations in the language they are most comfortable with through real-time AI interpretation, we might honor our collective ancestral voices and diversify the messages of science.</p><p>To assess the quality of AI interpretation through real-time subtitles for spoken content, we used a common presentation software and a paid AI interpretation service, in which we paired an Asian language with a Latin language of similar interpretation difficulty. After the talks, we conducted a survey and held an audience discussion assessing our experiences with the AI interpretation. Attendees of the session spoke several languages, and most were early-career individuals, both of which may not be reflective of ESA membership as a whole.</p><p>There was much to be excited about. Of the attendees who completed the survey, 84% (27/32) indicated they were likely to attend future sessions with interpretation subtitles, 84% (27/32) rated the continued exploration of AI interpretation as important, and 97% (29/30) agreed that “AI interpretation technologies make scientific conferences more inclusive for non-native English speakers”. These results demonstrate support for AI interpretation as a means to enhance inclusion at scientific conferences, but there is more work to do to ensure that adequate consideration is given to how diverse individuals obtain and communicate information.</p><p>From our collective experience and discussion, we learned that AI interpretation is advancing rapidly, but is still not ready for widespread implementation: (1) The audience experienced cognitive overload with the lines of scrolling subtitles, which moved too quickly even with rehearsed pauses by the speakers; (2) As AI switched the grammatical structure from Asian languages to ","PeriodicalId":171,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment","volume":"22 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fee.2821","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating and elevating the role of wildlife road crossings in climate adaptation","authors":"Caitlin E Littlefield,&nbsp;Justin P Suraci,&nbsp;Julia Kintsch,&nbsp;Renee Callahan,&nbsp;Patricia Cramer,&nbsp;Molly S Cross,&nbsp;Brett G Dickson,&nbsp;Leslie Ann Duncan,&nbsp;Jonathan RB Fisher,&nbsp;Patrick T Freeman,&nbsp;Renee Seidler,&nbsp;Anna Wearn,&nbsp;Kimberly M Andrews,&nbsp;Marta Brocki,&nbsp;Norris Dodd,&nbsp;Jeff Gagnon,&nbsp;Aran Johnson,&nbsp;Meade Krosby,&nbsp;Matt Skroch,&nbsp;Ron Sutherland","doi":"10.1002/fee.2816","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2816","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Beyond the well-established benefits of wildlife road crossings and associated infrastructure—improving driver safety, reducing animal mortality, reconnecting habitats—there is another important but often underappreciated benefit: supporting wildlife and ecosystems in adapting to climate change. We explore this potential by (1) synthesizing the literature surrounding climate adaptation and wildlife crossings, (2) presenting a case study on how crossings support shifting animal migrations, and (3) describing key considerations for incorporating climate information into crossing prioritizations. Among other climate-adaptive benefits, research suggests crossings can support species range shifts and protect access to resources even as drought and human development compromise that access. Our case study outlines an approach for prioritizing crossing locations most likely to support animal migration both today and into the future. By accounting for such dynamics, wildlife crossings can be a cost-effective tool that protects wildlife as well as motorists and enhances the resilience of infrastructure and ecosystems in a changing world.</p>","PeriodicalId":171,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fee.2816","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143117183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bone gnawing in a Japanese squirrel","authors":"Kenji Suetsugu,&nbsp;Koichi Gomi","doi":"10.1002/fee.2813","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2813","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":171,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment","volume":"22 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142579627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deoxygenation—coming to a water body near you","authors":"Karin E Limburg","doi":"10.1002/fee.2812","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2812","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;\u0000 &lt;i&gt;“When you can't breathe, nothing else matters.”—slogan of The American Lung Association&lt;/i&gt;\u0000 &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The world's waters are losing oxygen, and we should be very concerned.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In 2017, Denise Breitburg, Lisa Levin, and I wrote a guest editorial for this column about ocean deoxygenation—the loss of dissolved oxygen in our oceans, estuaries, and coastal zones. At the time, deoxygenation was little known among many scientists, let alone the general public or policy makers, except as related to eutrophication. We pointed out that although many low oxygen events are tied to sewage pollution and agricultural runoff, deoxygenation is increasingly recognized as a climate-driven problem, affecting even waters without excess nutrients.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2017 was the year when we learned that the oceans had lost ~2% of their oxygen inventory since 1960. Then in 2018, scientists led by Denise and Lisa published a groundbreaking synthesis of what we then knew about coastal “dead zones” and oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), those vast regions of the open ocean where oxygen depletion occurs naturally, which are expanding due to the physics of warming on ocean circulation and ventilation. And in 2019, the IUCN published a summary volume on ocean deoxygenation, which was featured at that year's UN Climate Change Conference (COP25). These works were supported by a UNESCO–Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission working group, the Global Ocean Oxygen Network (GO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;NE), whose mission is to promote awareness, stimulate research, and provide advice to policy makers on all aspects of ocean deoxygenation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Currently, efforts are underway to produce an open-access and community-driven Global Ocean Oxygen Database and Atlas (GO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;DAT), to make the growing volume of coastal and open ocean data accessible for displays and analyses. This will be part of the Global Ocean Oxygen Decade, a program within the UN Ocean Decade, and should help us with a better understanding of where problem areas are happening.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But deoxygenation is not limited to oceans: inland water bodies are also losing oxygen, due to a combination of warming, elevated organic matter loading from increased precipitation, longer seasonal stratification, and the attendant impacts of human population growth. In a survey of nearly 400 temperate lakes and reservoirs between 1980 and 2017, Stephen Jane and colleagues reported that surface waters lost &gt;5%, and hypolimnions &gt;18%, of their oxygen. Even rivers are deoxygenating, despite their flowing nature; Penn State's Wei Zhi and colleagues discovered that 70% of 580 rivers surveyed lost oxygen.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Colleagues of mine working in the Adirondack Mountains of New York are concerned about oxygen-related threats to coldwater fishes. Thermal refugia in Adirondack lakes are shrinking as hypoxic/anoxic periods extend longer into the fall. And in New York's Hudson River estuary, 28 years of high-resolution, continuous monito","PeriodicalId":171,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment","volume":"22 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fee.2812","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142579667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Citizen science as a valuable tool for environmental review","authors":"Corey T Callaghan,&nbsp;Carly Winnebald,&nbsp;Blaze Smith,&nbsp;Brittany M Mason,&nbsp;Laura López-Hoffman","doi":"10.1002/fee.2808","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2808","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Human development and population growth are placing immense pressure on natural ecosystems, necessitating the establishment of a balance between development and biodiversity preservation. Citizen science may serve as a valuable resource for monitoring biodiversity and informing decision-making processes, but its use has not been investigated within the realm of environmental review. We sought to quantify the extent to which citizen science data are currently being used, mentioned, or suggested in environmental impact statements (EISs) by analyzing more than 1300 EISs produced under the US National Environmental Policy Act. Among the sampled EISs, we found increasing incorporation of citizen science within the environmental review process, with 40% of EISs in 2022 using, mentioning, or suggesting use of such information, as compared with just 3% in 2012. Citizen science offers substantial potential to enhance biodiversity monitoring and conservation efforts within environmental review, but numerous considerations must be broadly discussed before citizen science data can be widely adopted.</p>","PeriodicalId":171,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fee.2808","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143114194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Co-benefits of and trade-offs between natural climate solutions and Sustainable Development Goals","authors":"Gaël Mariani,&nbsp;Fabien Moullec,&nbsp;Trisha B Atwood,&nbsp;Beverley Clarkson,&nbsp;Richard T Conant,&nbsp;Leanne Cullen-Unsworth,&nbsp;Bronson Griscom,&nbsp;Julian Gutt,&nbsp;Jennifer Howard,&nbsp;Dorte Krause-Jensen,&nbsp;Sara M Leavitt,&nbsp;Shing Yip Lee,&nbsp;Stephen J Livesley,&nbsp;Peter I Macreadie,&nbsp;Michael St-John,&nbsp;Chris Zganjar,&nbsp;William WL Cheung,&nbsp;Carlos M Duarte,&nbsp;Yunne-Jai Shin,&nbsp;Gerald G Singh,&nbsp;Nicolas Loiseau,&nbsp;Marc Troussellier,&nbsp;David Mouillot","doi":"10.1002/fee.2807","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2807","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Combating climate change and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are two important challenges facing humanity. Natural climate solutions (NCSs) can contribute to the achievement of these two commitments but can also generate conflicting trade-offs. Here, we reviewed the literature and drew on expert knowledge to assess the co-benefits of and trade-offs between 150 SDG targets and NCSs within 12 selected ecosystems. We demonstrate that terrestrial, coastal, and marine NCSs enable the attainment of different sets of SDG targets, with low redundancy. Implementing NCSs in various ecosystems would therefore maximize achievement of SDG targets but would also induce trade-offs, particularly if best practices are not followed. Reliance on NCSs at large scales will require that these trade-offs be taken into consideration to ensure the simultaneous realization of positive climate outcomes and multiple SDG targets for diverse stakeholders.</p>","PeriodicalId":171,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment","volume":"22 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fee.2807","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clean thy neighbor: the mutualistic interaction between the cattle tyrant and the capybara","authors":"Guilherme Sementili Cardoso,&nbsp;Reginaldo José Donatelli","doi":"10.1002/fee.2805","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2805","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cleaning symbiosis is an ecological phenomenon characterized by a mutually beneficial relationship between two species, where one individual (known as the cleaner) removes external parasites, debris, or other unwanted material from the body of the host (referred to as the client). One remarkable example of cleaning symbiosis involves the interaction between birds and capybaras, as shown by the photograph. Capybaras (<i>Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris</i>) are large rodents that inhabit wetlands, such as the Brazilian Pantanal, where they are exposed to numerous ectoparasites, including ticks and lice. In these settings, certain bird species, such as the cattle tyrant (<i>Machetornis rixosa</i>), take on the role of cleaners by landing on the capybara's body, picking the parasites, and consuming them. Interestingly, this cleaning symbiosis is not merely a one-way interaction. Capybaras also play an active role by lying on the ground and exposing their heads, backs, and bellies, thereby allowing the birds easy access to body parts that would not be reached otherwise (<i>Biota Neotrop</i> 2010; https://doi.org/10.1590/S1676-06032010000100028).</p><p></p>","PeriodicalId":171,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment","volume":"22 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fee.2805","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142429147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Time to close the knowledge–practice gap in field teaching","authors":"Roxanne S Beltran,&nbsp;Nikolas J Kaplanis,&nbsp;Lina M Arcila-Hernández,&nbsp;Erika S Zavaleta,&nbsp;Robin C Dunkin,&nbsp;Abraham L Borker","doi":"10.1002/fee.2804","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2804","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;The stakes are high in nature's classrooms. When field-based teaching is successfully implemented, students benefit from knowledge gains and hands-on experiences while deepening a sense of connection to the outdoors. Our education research has shown that field-based undergraduate courses are also a powerful tool for recruiting and retaining diverse students in science. But not all field courses are equally effective. Barriers to participation and a lack of perceived value can discourage students from engaging in field courses. Poor course design or implementation can also cause detrimental student experiences and outcomes in the field. Although education research provides loose guidelines for how to best design field courses to attain desired enrollment and outcomes, formal training on how to teach field-based ecology courses remains rare. It is time to close the gap between what we know about effective field teaching and how it is practiced.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The burden on field course instructors in attaining desired outcomes and navigating teaching challenges is enormous. Field course instructors must go above and beyond typical class content curation to develop inclusive outreach materials and safety plans, drive large vans (often for extensive periods and over long distances in remote locations), build community and cultural norms, administer first aid, attend to mental health, supervise overnight camps and shared meals, navigate drug and alcohol policies, teach students with vastly different levels of preparation, and make impromptu adjustments in response to unexpected events. Instead of being formally trained in how to address these challenges, field course instructors often learn about logistical preparation and implementation through trial-by-fire, repeating mistakes made by previous instructors because of limited knowledge transfer. Likewise, graduate students who are awarded teaching assistantships often glean how to field-teach informally by mirroring instructors, similar to an apprenticeship. A lack of training in field teaching can limit student learning outcomes and experiences, even from the most well-intentioned instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The proliferation of teaching and learning centers at universities has led to transformative training programs for faculty, lecturers, graduate students, and postdocs in traditional classroom settings. These centers have partnered with faculty to develop teaching resources, facilitate departmental pedagogy workshops, fund course redesign efforts, and connect with institutional partners such as safety and accessibility offices. Applying such initiatives specifically to field-based courses is critical. We need field teaching training that attends to community standards, physical and psychosocial safety, equity, and stewardship of nature. This training should be offered to entire field teaching teams, including instructors, teaching assistants, peer mentors, and other staff. A toolkit of resources including field ","PeriodicalId":171,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment","volume":"22 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fee.2804","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142429146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}