the science behind environmental solutions cary institute of ecosystem studies is a private,...

Annual Report 2009

The science behind environmental solutions

Inside Cover Art and Photograph:Wappinger Creek/Lovelace (top) and Wappinger Creek/Spring (bottom) are two of several new paintings by landscape artist Rebecca Allan. During the spring of 2009, Allan took photos of several ecosystems on the Cary Institute’s grounds, to serve as the basis for paintings. An opening for her exhibit, Tributary, was held in our auditorium.

Table of Contents:

Letter from the President........................................................... 2Letter from the Chairman of the Board.............................. ....3 Research Review .......................................................................... 4-13Selected Published Books and Papers...................................... 14Major Scientific Staff Distinctions............................................ 15Education...................................................................................... 16-17Public Outreach........................................................................... 18Trails and Grounds.................................................................. 19 Scientific Seminars................................................................... 20Fiscal Year 2009 Operating Results........................................... 21Board of Trustees........................................................................ 22-23Staff................................................................................................ 24-26

The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is a private, not-for-profit environmental research and education organization in Millbrook, N.Y. For more than twenty-five years, Cary Institute scientists have been investigating the complex interactions that govern the natural world. Their objective findings lead to more effective policy decisions and increased environmental literacy. Focal areas include disease ecology, freshwater health, air pollution, climate change, conservation biology, and sustainable energy. Learn more at www.caryinstitute.org.

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Annual Report 2009 1

There has never been a better time for environmental science. I can’t remember when the issues facing the planet were so clear, the public mandate so

strong, and the desire to develop science-based policies so widespread. Huge challenges confront us in the areas of climate change, air pollution, freshwater health, sustainable energy, and conservation biology—all subjects where Cary Institute scientists can help inform policy makers from the local to national level.

Our strength lies in our ability to produce excellent, unbiased, collaborative, and long-term research about complex environmental issues. The Cary Institute’s staff contains leaders in the field of ecology, including two members of the National Academy of Sciences and five of the field’s most highly-cited researchers. During the past year, our scientists published 113 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, and their research was widely cited in the popular media, including the New York Times, US News and World Report, and Time magazine.

We are dedicated to connecting our findings with decision makers. Nationally, several of us have offered major input to the current U.S. Senate deliberations on a national response to global climate change. At the local and state levels, Cary Institute scientists address environmental issues whenever their expertise can be of use.

We are equally committed to education and outreach. This includes mentoring undergraduates, creating innovative ecosystem-based curricula, and advising graduate students―the next generation of ecologists. We also continue to engage public audiences through interpretive outdoor programs and an active public lecture series. Offerings have included scientific updates by Cary Institute scientists and lectures by outside luminaries, such as Eric Chivian, M.D. and Dr. Sylvia Earle.

Our accomplishments of the past year were made in a difficult economic environment. Challenges remain, however, I am confident that the strength of our science and programs will allow us to thrive. While we redouble our efforts to increase philanthropic support for the Cary Institute, we thank those who have supported us this year. Your generosity is vital to our mission―providing the science behind environmental solutions.

Letter from the President

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Annual Report 20092

William H. SchlesingerPresident

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In these challenging environmental times, it is a privilege to have the opportunity to support the Cary Institute’s outstanding work.

Under the capable leadership of Bill Schlesinger, the organization is connecting its tradition of exceptional science to the critical issues of the day–from air and water pollution to climate change, invasive species, and emerging infectious disease. Exciting new efforts are underway to link the Cary Institute’s findings directly to people’s everyday lives, whether they are policy makers, land managers, or families enjoying the campus grounds and interpretive trails in Millbrook.

Reading articles about the role that climate change plays in severe storm events and disease spread, I can’t help but appreciate the importance of understanding the natural systems on which all life depends, an endeavor to which the scientists and staff of the Cary Institute have dedicated their careers. Two recent hires, Drs. Shannon L. LaDeau and Emma J. Rosi-Marshall, are already infusing new energy and ideas into the organization’s freshwater and disease ecology programs.

Sustaining and expanding research efforts is never easy. The Cary Institute’s scientists have a remarkable success rate in securing grants from the National Science Foundation and other agencies―testimony to the strength of their work. But the generosity of private foundations and individuals is essential in supporting new research endeavors, adding flexibility to existing programs, and connecting research to real world solutions.

With the dissolution of the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, the Cary Institute is now responsible for managing its own endowment so that it provides a share of annual operating revenues. We are profoundly grateful to Ned Ames, Paul Guenther, and Phyllis Mills, of the Cary Trust, for their foresight and commitment to the Cary Institute’s mission.

My fellow board members and I are energized by the wonder and excitement of the Cary Institute’s work. In the coming year, I look forward to building many new friendships in an effort to strengthen and support the organization in its mission to understand and help protect the environment that sustains us all.

Letter from the Chairman of the Board

Bradford S. GentryBoard Chair

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Nearly one-third of all known plant and animal species are threatened with extinction; every twenty minutes, another species is lost.

There are many reasons for protecting species: maintaining crop diversity, unlocking pharmaceutical compounds, preventing the collapse of ecosystem services, and preserving charismatic animals, such as tigers and orangutans. As far as vertebrates are concerned, Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld has another compelling reason―biodiversity is good for human health.

In the temperate regions, including Western Europe and North America, infectious diseases are on the rise. More than 60% of emerging diseases are zoonotic in origin, meaning they are caused by pathogens that are maintained in non-human animals. Humans become ill when they come in contact with an infected vector, such as a tick or a mosquito.

Ostfeld and his research team have spent more than a decade unraveling how ecological conditions influence the risk of human exposure to Lyme disease. Rare until the 1980s, Lyme disease infects more than 27,000 people in the U.S. each year―and numbers continue to rise. If it is not properly diagnosed and treated, the tick-borne disease can cause chronic arthritis, neurological damage, and heart problems.

In the eastern U.S., Lyme disease is spread when black-legged ticks feed on mammals that are infected with Borrelia bacteria. Ticks are born free of the disease. During their 2-year life cycle, they take three blood meals―as a larva, as a nymph, and as an adult. Most human transmissions are from infected nymphs, which are abundant during the summer months and small enough to go undetected.

A combination of experimentation and long-term monitoring has revealed that when local vertebrate biodiversity declines, people are more likely to contract Lyme disease. Ostfeld notes, “In a very real sense, biodiversity is protecting us. When we maintain a rich community of mammals and birds in our forests, we reduce the number of ticks that are infected with Lyme disease.”

While many animals carry the Borrelia bacteria, they differ in the rate at which they transfer the infection to ticks. When larval ticks feed on white-footed mice―a species that thrives in fragmented and degraded environments―they are much more likely to survive to the next life stage, become infected with Lyme disease, and pass the disease on to humans.

Human Disease Ecology


Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld discusses a Lyme disease research project that received federal stimulus funding with Congressman Scott Murphy.

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When animal diversity is high, and ticks can feed on non-mouse hosts, such as raccoons, skunks, and ground nesting birds, transmission rates drop by more than 50%. Some species, such as opossum, are not only poor at transferring Lyme disease, they kill hundreds of ticks each day when they groom. And the presence of predatory animals, such as barred owls and foxes, help keep mouse populations in check.

By reducing encounters between ticks and white-footed mice, biodiversity reduces the prevalence of Lyme disease. Ostfeld and colleagues refer to this phenomenon as “the dilution effect,” and it has strong implications for land management. Ostfeld notes, “When the land is fragmented by development, mammal and bird diversity declines, predators drop out, and white-footed mice dominate the landscape. This creates the perfect setting for magnifying Lyme disease risk.”

Larger mammals and carnivorous species are especially sensitive to land fragmentation. Their loss results in higher densities of white-footed mice and fewer non-mouse hosts. Surveys done in Dutchess County, New York found that when forest fragments fall below four acres in size, approximately 60-80% of ticks harbor the bacterium that causes Lyme disease―more than double the rate found in forests over 15 acres.

Using knowledge gained from the Lyme disease research, Ostfeld and colleagues have been investigating how the dilution effect applies to other infectious diseases. So far, they have found that reduced biodiversity increases the severity of West Nile virus, Hantavirus, schistosomiasis, and plague. It also amplifies parasitic infections in amphibians and the spread of a number of plant diseases.

“There is overwhelming evidence from many disease systems that biodiversity protects human health and preserves ecosystem services,” Ostfeld comments. Adding, “The importance of biodiversity needs to penetrate the policy dialogue at national and regional levels.” Next on his agenda: translating research findings into proactive strategies, to be employed in land management by governments and land conservancies.

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❝When the land is fragmented by development, mammal and bird diversity declines, predators drop out, and white-footed mice dominate the landscape. This creates the perfect setting for magnifying Lyme disease risk.

Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld, Disease EcologistCary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

For more than two decades, Dr. Gary M. Lovett has been working in the Catskill Mountains of New York. He set out to understand how atmospheric pollutants

such as nitrogen are retained and released by forested watersheds. Ecologists are interested in how forests process nitrogen because, in excess, it can strip essential nutrients from soils, acidify lakes and streams, and cause dead zones in coastal areas.

At first glance, the Catskill region seems a world away from industrial pollution. But due to its elevation and down-wind proximity to Midwestern power plants and East Coast cities, the region receives some of North America’s highest levels of nitrogen deposited from the atmosphere.

Forested watersheds differ in their ability to buffer nitrogen. Trees retain nitrogen in their biomass in proportion to how fast they grow. Nitrogen can also be retained in soil, and the soil under some tree species is more effective than others at doing this. As such, changes in forest composition can affect a watershed’s capacity to retain atmospheric nitrogen.

What determines the tree species living in a forest? In the Catskills, the biggest driver of species survival isn’t what’s falling from the air―it’s what’s eating the trees. When studying the response of forest plots to atmospheric pollution, Lovett noticed that dying trees were suffering from the added pressure of invasive insects and diseases.

Drawing an analogy to humans, Lovett noted, “For most trees, air pollution would be like having a chronic cold, which slows you down and makes you more susceptible to other stresses. On the other hand, being attacked by an invasive insect or disease is like being hit by a truck.”

He quickly realized that predicting how forests would respond to atmospheric pollution would require new insight into how forest invaders determine the survival of trees.

Global Change

Research support staff take measurements for a study that Dr. Lovett is leading about the impact of invasive pests on Catskill forests.


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Take the case of beech bark disease. In the Catskills, beech trees are being attacked by an invasive scale insect less than a millimeter in size. It punctures the bark of trees, creating wounds that facilitate the spread of a crippling fungus. Infested trees have large bark cankers, thin crowns, and weakened wood. Larger trees die; smaller trees are damaged and deformed.

In the Catskills, beech trees have suffered heavy losses. As the disease reduces the dominance of beech, a beautiful and long-lived tree, it also reduces the crop of beechnuts, which are an important food for many forest animals. The decline of beech may also diminish an important ecosystem service—the retention of nitrogen pollution by beech trees.

Lovett and colleagues, including Dr. Kathleen C. Weathers of the Cary Institute and Dr. Mary Arthur of the University of Kentucky, have found that in the Catskills, dying beech trees are often replaced by sugar maples. On sites where sugar maple becomes dominant, nitrate pollution leaches more readily into groundwater and streams.

Beech bark disease is just one of a suite of invaders shaping North America’s forests. Recent introductions also include the hemlock woolly adelgid, the emerald ash borer, and the Asian long-horned beetle. Climate change adds another layer of complexity. Warmer winters will expand the northern range of insect pests and change the distribution of tree species.

“If we want to manage healthy forests, we need to recognize that species play unique roles in the forest ecosystem. We also need to take into account the way that atmospheric pollution, exotic pests and pathogens, and climate change shape the composition of the forest and the ecosystem services that it provides,” Lovett comments.

With colleagues, he is developing a model that predicts how future shifts in tree species composition caused by climate change will alter the way that forests buffer atmospheric pollution and store carbon, with an eye toward informing management strategies.

But models can't predict the impact of new invaders, and in Lovett’s estimation, invasive forest pests and pathogens could be the most serious environmental change facing eastern forests. Until we have stricter federal regulations on the importation of plants and packing materials, invaders will continue to disrupt the composition of our forests.

In the coming year, working with partners at the Nature Conservancy, Lovett will contribute his expertise to a program that seeks to minimize the threats that atmospheric pollution and invasive species pose to the Catskill Mountain ecosystem. This program in turn, will help improve the ecosystem’s resilience in the face of climate change.


Dr. Gary M. Lovett, Forest Ecologist Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

❝Atmospheric pollution, exotic pests and pathogens, and climate change shape composition of the forest and the ecosystem services that it provides.❞


From the draining of sensitive marshland to the damming of major rivers, humans have molded freshwater ecosystems to suit their immediate needs―with little consideration given to environmental impacts. The Hudson River is no exception. As recently as the 1970s, large-scale dredging, filling, and shoreline development destroyed sensitive habitat, and millions of tons of raw sewage were pumped into

the river each day.

While serious challenges remain, the Hudson has been improving. Much of its recovery is tied to improved federal policies, concerned citizens, advocacy groups, and the emergence of management strategies that are based on sound science.

For more than two decades, Cary Institute scientists have been researching the ecology of the Hudson River. Their studies have helped make it one of the most scientifically scrutinized rivers in the world. From understanding the impact that invasive zebra mussels have on fisheries to monitoring the status of tidal habitats, their work has shed light on how large rivers function.

Clay Hiles, executive director of the Hudson River Foundation, comments, “When the Cary Institute first came on to the scene, relatively little was known about the freshwater tidal Hudson. The organization’s work on food webs, invasive species, nutrient pollution, and

shoreline habitat has been crucial in providing the baseline needed to preserve and protect the river. Moreover, Cary scientists, as individuals, have played an essential, invaluable role in connecting research findings to decision makers and resource managers.”

Long-term monitoring is a hallmark of the Cary Institute’s Hudson River Program. When zebra mussels arrived in 1991, our scientists were already analyzing the river’s food web. Dr. David L. Strayer notes, “We were in the rare position to record conditions pre- and post- invasion; impacts were dramatic. Zebra mussel populations increased rapidly, stripping 70 to 90 percent of plankton from the water. Loss of these microscopic plants and animals had ecosystem-wide ramifications, including declines in plankton-feeding fish, like shad.”

Now Cary scientists have seen survival rates of zebra mussels in the Hudson plummet to one percent of their former levels. While the overall size of the population has not declined, there are fewer adult

Freshwater Ecology

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zebra mussels in the river. In several parts of the river ecosystem, plankton are slowly recovering, native bivalves are beginning to return, and the river’s ecosystem may be escaping from the grip of this invader.

Strayer is cautious about being overly optimistic, “Zebra mussels are just one of a suite of invaders threatening the Hudson. New recruits, such as the Chinese mitten crab, are arriving all the time―and they pose a serious threat to native biodiversity.” Continued monitoring is essential to track new invaders and understand how zebra mussels may be moderating or changing over time. dge they had amassed and provided a system-wide view of the Hudson.” The Cary Institute’s monitoring efforts continue to evolve. In 2008, it helped launch the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System (HRECOS), a collaborative project that uses seven monitoring stations to provide continuous real-time data about conditions such as temperature, salinity, and suspended sediment loads. Partners include Columbia University, the N.Y. S. Department of Environmental Conservation, The Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, Stevens Institute of Technology, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Cary Institute scientists are also actively investigating the ecological roles played by different types of river habitat. Working with Cornell University, the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, and New York Sea Grant, Strayer and Dr. Stuart E.G. Findlay recently finished a project describing the distribution and function of submersed aquatic vegetation beds. These fragile underwater plants are important breeding grounds for fish; maps will help protect the plants from development and boating damage.

Strayer and Findlay are also contributing to a multi-partner project looking at how different types of shorelines function, with the goal of guiding future shoreline modifications and restoring degraded sites. Findlay comments, “Shorelines are one of the least understood river habitats. We use them as building sites and dumping grounds, but we rarely ask, what’s the best way to engineer them? How can we balance human needs with the health of the river?”

Drawing on their studies and input from engineers and social scientists, Findlay and Strayer will be exploring different physical options for shorelines, with an eye toward how they can be built better. Special attention will be given to the realities of climate change, which will cause sea level rise and changes in sedimentation. Protecting shallow waters, submerged plant beds, and tidal wetlands―along with human uses―will allow for ecologically valuable shorelines that bring people close to the river.


Dr. Stuart E.G. Findlay, Aquatic EcologistCary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

❝Shorelines are one of the least understood river habitats. We use them as building sites and dumping grounds, but we rarely ask, what’s the best way to engineer them? ❞

12

Conservation Biology

Clad in rubber boots, dip net in hand, Dr. Shannon L. LaDeau spent part of her summer exploring pools of standing water in Baltimore, Maryland. Her mission: to understand how environmental

conditions, such as climate and development, influence mosquito abundance. Mosquitoes are responsible for spreading a number of diseases in the eastern United States, among them Dengue, dog heartworm, and the focus of LaDeau’s research: West Nile virus.

West Nile virus first surfaced in North America in 1999. In less than a decade, it spread from the first reported case in Queens, New York to widespread occurrences in all of the 48 contiguous states. Researchers suspect that movements of mosquitoes and migratory birds played a key role in the virus’ rapid spread.

Infected mosquitoes concentrate their feeding activity on birds. They are the preferred hosts and the animals that suffer the greatest mortality from West Nile virus. To date, in post-mortem studies, pathologists have detected West Nile virus in more than 325 bird species. Mammals also catch the virus from infected mosquitoes, and mortality has occurred in humans and horses, but such transmissions are incidental.

In the wake of West Nile virus’ arrival, what has been the impact on North American bird populations? During her tenure as a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, LaDeau sought to answer this question by analyzing long-term data on bird populations collected by the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Her results, which were first reported in Nature and in a cover story in BioScience, demonstrated that the virus has caused dramatic declines in many bird species, with infection rates highest in disturbed landscapes.

American crows, blue jays, and American robins are among the most effective West Nile virus hosts; they are also several of the species that have suffered the most widespread population reductions. Declines were also seen in chickadees, eastern bluebirds, tufted titmice, ovenbirds, and house wrens. Birds residing in forests were impacted less severely than birds in urban areas, indicating that the risk of West Nile virus may be tied to environmental conditions.

LaDeau assesses species diversity and relative abundances of mosquitoes sampled from a pond.


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Though many of the birds suffering noticeable declines from West Nile virus are perceived as “common,” LaDeau is quick to note that they are likely warning signs of a larger problem. Dominant species are more apt to be recorded by the citizen scientists who collect data for the North American Breeding Bird Survey. The survey, which is conducted on roadsides during early morning hours, omits birds of prey, water birds, and nocturnal species.

American crow, American robin, eastern bluebird, and tufted titmouse populations have yet to recover to pre–West Nile virus numbers. LaDeau notes, “These birds could very well be the proverbial canaries in the coal mine. It’s highly likely that West Nile virus is also impacting less conspicuous species, like owls or hawks; it’s just harder to prove this statistically because abundance data for these groups are rare.”

She also notes, “When common species drop out en masse, it’s in our best interest to try and understand what is happening in the environment.” To that end, she has embarked on a field research program focused on understanding the role that climate and urban development play in fostering mosquito abundance. This, in turn, may shed light on why birds seem to be more severely impacted in urban areas.

By monitoring pools of water along a range of habitats that span rural, suburban, and urban environments in Baltimore, Maryland, LaDeau will reveal how mosquito populations change in space and time. Field results will be informed by long-term data on water, climate, and bird populations that are being compiled by the Baltimore Ecosystem Study. This will provide LaDeau with information about when birds are active, when mosquito vectors peak, and how land use and climate influence this co-occurrence.

While organizations like the Centers for Disease Control currently monitor how mosquito populations respond to rainfall, LaDeau’s research is unique in the way that it takes the larger ecological community into consideration. A National Science Foundation Urban Long Term Research Areas (ULTRA) grant will allow LaDeau and colleagues to expand the project into more urban sites in the coming year.

LaDeau’s West Nile virus research is one of several projects she is undertaking to examine how environmental conditions regulate the persistence of pests and pathogens that affect humans, wildlife, and forests.

Dr. Shannon L. LaDeau, Community EcologistCary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

❝ When common species drop out en masse, it’s in our best interest to try and understand what is happening in the environment.❞

When Dr. Charles D. Canham looks at a forest, he sees the trees. Trees can hold an increasing stock of carbon as they grow, removing carbon dioxide from

the atmosphere for decades or even centuries. How much carbon trees store is of critical importance to the nation’s policy makers, who hope trees will be a partial solution to climate change, and to local land owners, who may receive payments or credits for the carbon stored in trees on their land.

Many have said that the forests of the northeastern United States now hold their maximum stock of carbon, having grown up from farmland abandoned more than a century ago. After all, trees don’t grow forever. Canham has assessed the current state of eastern forests using the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data, which the U.S. Forest Service gathers from more than 10,000 plots that are revisited every five years. His work shows considerable potential for additional carbon storage during the next 50 years.

“Whether that storage comes to be and how fast depends a lot on the intensity of harvest,” says Canham. “In the near future, no harvest at all is best, but over the long run, moderate harvests may result in greater carbon storage in forests than a no-harvest option. Plantations with periodic clearcuts are the worst.”

Canham also focuses on the natural and human-induced changes in environmental conditions affecting tree growth in this region, working with Drs. Gary M. Lovett and Kathleen C. Weathers to examine changes in pests, pathogens, and atmospheric pollution. His work with Weathers shows that added nitrogen deposition from the atmosphere, where ammonia and nitric oxide are found as air pollutants, is likely to stimulate the growth of trees. Longer growing seasons and exposure to high carbon dioxide concentrations are likely to do the same. Canham’s work already shows a growth increase in recent decades that he and his colleagues attribute to nitrogen deposition.

Energy


Dr. Charles D. Canham talks to visitors about the effects of forest management on carbon storage.

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“Nitrogen is the plant nutrient most likely to be in short supply for trees, so it makes sense that adding more of it should make trees grow faster.” But, adds Canham, “as an air pollutant, nitric oxide raises the concentration of ozone in the atmosphere, which can slow the growth of trees. The balance between additional growth from nitrogen and reduced growth from high ozone is what we need to know.”

Forest soils also contain a lot of carbon—usually more than the trees themselves. Work at the Cary Institute has tended to focus on the trees because the carbon in soils changes more slowly in response to changes in environmental conditions. Nevertheless, policy makers want to know about the total carbon storage in the New England region. Losses of soil carbon from faster decomposition could accompany increases in tree growth in a warmer climate.

Policy makers also want to know about the use of wood and other forms of cellulose for biofuels, which could replace fossil fuels and reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of petroleum. Former Vice President Al Gore reviews the comparative costs and benefits of various alternative, renewable energies in his new book, Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis.

Since trees accumulate new wood faster when they are young, Canham predicts that the widespread adoption of wood pellet energy could lead to a renewal of the forest products industry in New England, but also to a predominance of young plantation forests in much of the region. That has real implications for how the forests of New England will look to our grandchildren. Loss of native species to disease, climate change, and overgrazing by deer will also lead to forests that are very different from today.

Says Cary Institute President Dr. William H. Schlesinger, “Since the beginning of our history, humans have focused on wood as a source of energy. The convenience of fossil fuels allowed us to move away from wood for a couple of centuries, but we may well find ourselves back in a culture of cellulosic energy in the near future. That means that forests will have an important economic value that argues against the continued suburbanization of New England."

Dr. William H. Schlesinger, PresidentCary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

❝The convenience of fossil fuels allowed us to move away from wood for a couple of centuries, but we may well find ourselves back in a culture of cellulosic energy in the near future. ❞

Selected Published Books and Papers July 1, 2008—June 30, 2009

In the past year, Cary Institute scientists have published 113 papers or chapters in the primary literature of science. They include contributions to Biogeochemistry, BioScience, Ecology, Environmental Science and Technology, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Global Change Biology, Journal of Ecology, and Nature-Geoscience. Below is a selection; to view a full listing of the publications, please visit www.caryinstitute.org.

Books published

Likens, G. E. (Editor-in-Chief). 2009. Encyclopedia of Inland Waters. 3 Volumes. Elsevier, Academic Press.

Papers published

Allan, B. F., W. A. Ryberg, R. B. Langerhans, W. J. Landesman, N. W. Griffin, R. S. Katz, K. N. Smyth, B. J. Oberle, M. R. Schultzenhofer, D. E. Hernandez, A. de St. Maurice, L. Clark, R. G. McLean, K. R. Crooks, R. S. Ostfeld and J. M. Chase. 2009. Ecological correlates of risk and incidence of West Nile Virus in the United States. Oecologia 158:699-708.

Christenson, L. M., G. M. Lovett, K. C. Weathers and M. A. Arthur. 2009. The influence of tree species, nitrogen fertilization, and soil C:N ratio on gross soil nitrogen transformations. Soil Science Society of America Journal 73:638-646.

Groffman, P. M., K. Butterbach-Bahl, R. W. Fulweiler, A. J. Gold, J. L. Morse, E. K. Stander, C. L. Tague, C. Tonitto, and P. Vidon. 2009. Challenges to incorporating spatially and temporally explicit phenomena (hotspots and hot moments) in denitrification models. Biogeochemistry 93:49-77. DOI: 10.1007/s10533-008-9277-5.

Hopfensperger, K. N., S. S. Kaushal, S. E. G. Findlay, and J. C. Corwell. 2009. Influence of plant communities on denitrification in a tidal freshwater marsh of the Potomac River, United States. Journal of Environmental Quality 38:618-626.

Jordan, R., F. Singer, J. Vaughan, and A. Berkowitz. 2009. What should every citizen know about ecology? Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment Available as an e-view at http://www.esajournals.org/archive/1540-9295/preprint/2009/pdf/10.1890_070113.pdf.

Kelly, V. R., G. M. Lovett, K. C. Weathers, S. E. G. Findlay, D. L. Strayer, D. J. Burns, and G. E. Likens. 2008. Long-term sodium chloride retention in a rural watershed: Legacy effects of road salt on streamwater concentration. Environmental Science and Technology 42:410-415.

Kelly, V. R., K. C. Weathers, G. M. Lovett, and G. E. Likens. 2009. Effect of climate change between 1984 and 2007 on precipitation chemistry at a site in northeastern USA. Environmental Science and Technology 43:3461-3466.

LaDeau, S. L., P. P. Marra, A. M. Kilpatrick and C. A. Calder. 2008. West Nile virus revisited: sequences for North American ecology. BioScience 58(10):937-946.

Likens, G. E. and J. F. Franklin. 2009. Ecosystem thinking in the northern forest–and beyond. BioScience 59(6):511-513.

Lovett, G. M., T. H. Tear, D. C. Evers, S. E. G. Findlay, B. J. Cosby, J. K. Dunscomb, C. T. Driscoll, and K. C. Weathers. 2009. Effects of air pollution on ecosystems and biological diversity in the eastern United States. The Year in Ecology and Conservation Biology. 2009: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1162:99–135.

Martin, P. H., C. D. Canham, and P. L. Marks. 2008. Why forests appear resistant to exotic plant invasions: intentional introductions, stand dynamics, and the role of shade tolerance. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 3:142-149.

Lichter, J., S. A. Billings, S. E. Ziegler, D. Gaindh, R. Ryals, A. C. Finzi, R. B. Jackson, E. A. Stemmler, and W. H. Schlesinger. 2008. Soil carbon sequestration in a pine forest after 9 years of atmospheric CO2 enrichment. Global Change Biology 14:2910-2922.

LoGiudice, K., S. Duerr, M. Newhouse, K. A. Schmidt, M. Killilea, and R. S. Ostfeld. 2008. Impact of community composition on Lyme disease risk. Ecology 89:2841-2849.

Ostfeld, R. S. 2009. Climate change and the distribution and intensity of infectious diseases. Ecology 90:903-905.

Pickett, S. T. A. and M. L. Cadenasso. 2009. Altered resources, disturbance, and heterogeneity: A framework for comparing urban and non-urban soils. Urban Ecosystems 12(1):23-44.

Schlesinger, W. H. 2009. On the fate of anthropogenic nitrogen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106:203-208. [doi: 10.1073/pnas.0810193105 (selected for Faculty of 1000 Biology).

Solomon, C. T., J. J. Cole, R. R. Doucette, M. L. Pace. 2009. The influence of environmental water on the hydrogen stable isotope ratio in aquatic consumers. Oecologia DOI 10.1007/s00442-009-1370-5

Strayer, D. L. 2009. Twenty years of zebra mussels: lessons from the mollusk that made headlines. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 7:135-141. (selected for Faculty of 1000 Biology).

E n c y c l o p E d i a o f

inland watErs

Editor in cHiEfGene E. likens


HOnORS AnD AWARDS

Michael L. Pace, Ph.D. G. Evelyn Hutchinson Medal, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Award presented at Annual Meeting in Nice, France.

BOARD MEMBERSHIPS, ADVISORy PAnEL/COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS In nOn-PROFIT ORGAnIzATIOnS

Charles D. Canham, Ph.D.Adirondack Council, Board of Directors. Adirondack Land Trust, Board of Directors. Hudsonia, Board of Directors.Nature Conservancy, Adirondack Chapter, Board of Trustees.

Stuart E.G. Findlay, Ph.D.Hudson River Environmental Society, Board of Directors.Nature Conservancy, Eastern New York Chapter, Board of Trustees.

Peter M. Groffman, Ph.D.Dutchess Land Conservancy, Board of Trustees. Hudsonia, Board of Directors.

Gene E. Likens, Ph.D. Aldo Leopold Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors. Environmental Defense Fund, Honorary Trustee.Hudson River Foundation, Board of Trustees.Scenic Hudson, Board of Directors.

Gary M. Lovett, Ph.D.Cornell University Cooperative Extension Dutchess County Environment Program, Advisory Board

Steward T.A. Pickett, Ph.D.American Institute of Biological Sciences, Board of Directors.

William H. Schlesinger, Ph.D.Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Board of Trustees. National Parks Conservation Association, Science Advisory Committee. Natural Resources Defense Council, Board of Trustees. Southern Environmental Law Center, Board of Trustees.

Kathleen C. Weathers, Ph.D. Mohonk Preserve, Research Committee Chair, Board of Trustees.

Major Scientific Staff Distinctions EDITORSHIPS

Charles D. Canham, Ph.D.Journal of Ecology, Editorial Board. Journal of Vegetation Science, Editorial Board.

Jonathan J. Cole, Ph.D.Aquatic Biology, Editorial Board. Freshwater Reviews, Editorial Board. Ecosystems, Editorial Board.

Stuart E.G. Findlay, Ph.D.Aquatic Sciences, Editorial Board. Ecology, Board of Editors.

Peter M. Groffman, Ph.D.Ecosystems, Editorial Board.

Clive G. Jones, D. Phil.Functional Ecology, Associate Editor. Surveys and Perspectives Integrating Environment and Society, Editorial Board.

Gene E. Likens, Ph.D. Ecosystems, Advisory Board.

Gary M. Lovett, Ph.D.Biogeochemistry, Associate Editor.Ecosystems, Editorial Board.Ecology, Board of Editors.

Richard S. Ostfeld, Ph.D. Ecological Monographs, Editorial Board. Ecology, Board of Editors. Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Editorial Board.

Steward T.A. Pickett, Ph.D.Urban Ecosystems, Advisory Board.

David L. Strayer, Ph.D. Freshwater Biology, Special Issues Editor. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, Associate Editor. Kathleen C. Weathers, Ph.D. Biologist, Editorial Board. Tree Physiology, Editorial Board.



Many of the Cary Institute’s educational offerings fall under the umbrella of the organization’s Ecosystem Literacy Initiative (ELI). Led by

Dr. Alan R. Berkowitz, Head of Education, ELI works to connect students and teachers with current ecological information, including new research being generated by Cary Institute scientists. The initiative also strives to train the next generation of ecologists, with our scientists advising both undergraduate and graduate students and serving as guest lecturers at universities and colleges.

K-12 STUDEnTS

Educational outreach to K-12 students includes onsite field programs, an ecology day camp, classroom-based experiences, teacher training, and innovative curricula for teachers to use in the classroom.

Working with the Millbrook School system, Cary Institute educators have developed an ecosystem-based learning progression for elementary school students. A recent grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Math and Science Partnership program will broaden the scope of this effort to schools in New York and Baltimore, Maryland. Collaborating with the Baltimore Ecosystem Study and four partner sites throughout the country, Cary Institute educators are working with area teachers to hone lessons on freshwater resources, carbon and energy, and biodiversity―with applications to citizenship and place. Cary Institute educators also received funding to work with the Rhinebeck School district to develop a school-wide ecological footprint project.

This summer marked the second year of the Summer Institute for Teachers. Forty-three K-12 teachers attended the 2009 program. Team-taught by Cary Institute educators Cornelia Harris and Kim Notin, week-long summer sessions were offered for elementary and high school educators. Using lessons focused on the Hudson River and the Cary Institute’s forests and fields, participating teachers interacted with our scientists and learned how to integrate ecosystem concepts into their classrooms.

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Educators Erin Montgomery and Amanda Evans kayaking through a water chestnut bed at Norrie Point.


In 2008–2009, the Cary Institute held 33 Ecology Field Programs, reaching 1,032 K-12 students from the Mid-Hudson region. More than 75 students in grades 2-7 participated in our Summer Ecology Day Camp; donor support covered tuition for four children from disadvantaged families.

UnDERGRADUATES

Now in its 22nd year, the Cary Institute’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program is a model for research training. This year 342 students applied to the 12-week summer opportunity, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Ten students—drawn from schools across the country—were selected to hone their ecological skills while working with a Cary Institute scientist.

In addition to crafting an independent research project, REU students engage in the Cary Institute’s research community, participate in a career forum, teach middle school students, and present their findings in a formal symposium. 2009 projects included studies of the viability of forest-generated biofuels; the ecological impacts of the Chinese mitten crab, a new Hudson River invader; and connections among environmental conditions and tick-borne disease.

GRADUATE STUDEnTS

Members of the Cary Institute’s scientific staff currently advise 67 graduate students (61 Ph.D. candidates and 6 M.S. candidates) from 25 different universities, including 4 abroad. Arrangements between Cary Institute staff and these universities range from individual appointments and membership on graduate committees to externally-funded joint education programs, such as the series of NSF Graduate Training Grants involving Cary Institute and Cornell University.

Each year, we also conduct a graduate-level ecology course called the Fundamentals of Ecosystem Ecology (FEE) at the Cary Institute. The 2009 class had 18 students from 13 universities, including U.S. and international students. Topics included food webs, biogeochemistry, ecosystem energetics, ecological stoichiometry, urban ecology, heterogeneity, and invasive species. The course was led by Dr. Steward T. A. Pickett; thirteen of our scientific staff members served as instructors.

SCHOLARSHIP

Working with colleagues at the University of Montana, Dr. Alan R. Berkowitz is crafting an Ecological Society of America (ESA) Position Statement on ecosystem literacy and will be editing a book on the topic. The research is based on a survey on ecosystem literacy that was given to ESA members. Of the 1,000 respondents, more than 80 percent cited the importance of direct environmental experiences— field trips, outdoor study, or open exploration—as a vital pathway to ecosystem literacy.

Cara Krieg, a biology major from Grinnell College, spent the summer researching songbird communication.

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The Cary Institute is committed to connecting its research, programs, and core messages with public audiences. Methods of engagement include media

outreach, staff-authored newspaper articles, a public lecture series, and public education programs.

From July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009, the Cary Institute’s staff and programs were featured more than 142 times in print, internet, television, and radio media. Outlets included: the New York Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek, MSNBC, National Public Radio, Discovery News, Scientific American magazine, Discover magazine, and Conservation magazine.

Staff continued contributing to Ecofocus, the Cary Institute’s bimonthly column in the Poughkeepsie Journal. Through this forum, our scientists communicate their research to public audiences in the context of current environmental issues. Over 50 columns have appeared, covering topics such as mountaintop mining, watershed management, mercury pollution, Hudson River ecology, invasive species, and acid rain. Our scientists also contributed opinion pieces to outlets such as the Albany Times-Union and the Raleigh News & Observer.

Our public lecture series had an active year. Internal speakers included Dr. William H. Schlesinger (Improving the Global Environment: Essential Steps for the Obama Administration) and Dr. Shannon L. LaDeau (West Nile Virus in North America: Effects on Avian Hosts and the Environment).

Lectures were also given by Eric Chivian, M.D. (How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity), Dr. Sylvia Earle (The World is Blue: How Our Future and the Ocean’s Are One), Dr. Sandra Steingraber (The Ecology of Pizza: Or Why Organic Food is a Bargain), David Hackenberg (A Spring Without Bees), Tim Palmer (Trees and Forests of America), John Ozard (The Second

Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State), and Dr. Rutherford H. Platt (The Humane Metropolis: People and Nature in the 21st Century City).

In collaboration with the Millbrook Book Festival, the Cary Institute hosted an Open House Celebration in May 2009. The event, which included laboratory tours, a kick-off reception for the book festival, and a

panel discussion on Hudson River research, drew a large and enthusiastic audience. Author and conservationist Frances Dunwell was the featured speaker.

A number of outdoor public programs and environmental films were also offered. Highlights included a forest ecology walk hosted by Dr. Charles D. Canham, a GIS scavenger hunt for young naturalists, and a screening of Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai, an award-winning documentary film about Kenya’s Green Belt Movement.

Radio and print advertising continue to improve the Cary Institute’s visibility to regional audiences.

Public Outreach

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies� main campus.


While the Cary Institute’s 2,000-acre campus is first and foremost a site for conducting environmental research, portions of the grounds have been set

aside for public use. These include internal roadways, several hiking trails, and the Fern Glen, an assemblage of native plant communities.

Visitor kiosks, distributed throughout the campus, contain trail maps, interpretive brochures, and information about upcoming public programs, to help orient and educate visitors. We’ve recently added a new guide to 101 common birds that can be found in our fields, forests, and wetlands.

At the head of Wappinger Creek Trail, a new interpretative sign has been installed. Visible from the main visitor kiosk located off Route 44, the visually-rich sign is based on a series of paintings by artist Ján C. Porinchak. It introduces visitors to forest succession, including the impact that changing ecosystems have on soil quality and animal diversity.

The succession sign is the first in a series of educational signs being installed along our trail system. Their goal is to teach visitors about key ecological concepts, such as: what an ecosystem is, why ecosystems are important, and how Cary Institute research is vital to addressing current environmental issues.

The grounds serve as an outdoor classroom for our public and education programs. Study ponds orient young campers to aquatic ecology and our hiking trails are a popular site for bird walks, fall foliage explorations, and GIS scavenger hunts. We look forward to continued improvements in both access and interpretation.

Our trails and roadways are open to the public from dawn to dusk from April 1 through October 31. Internal roadway gates open at 8:30 a.m.; gates are locked at 7 p.m.

Trails and Grounds

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(Top): Ecologist Dr. Emma Rosi-Marshall and her family visit the new succession trail sign. (Bottom): Visitors look for birds in the Cary Institute�s lowlands.



Scientific Seminars September 2008

Dr. Eric ChivianCenter for Health and Global EnvironmentHarvard Medical School“How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity”

Dr. Lisa SchwanzCary Institute of Ecosystem Studies “Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in a Changing World”

Dr. Samantha ChapmanVillanova University “Synergy During Mixed Litter Decomposition: Why Ecosystem Function is Greater Than the Sum of its Parts”

October 2008

Ms. Janet Joseph New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)“Climate Change and Energy Policy in New York”

Dr. Ross VirginiaDartmouth College “Biogeochemical Cycling at the Extremes: The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica”

Dr. Marty Martin University of South Florida “Ecological Immunology: An Adaptationist Perspective on the Vertebrate Immune System”

Dr. Rebecca JordanRutgers University “Promoting Ecological Understanding Across Different Audiences”

November 2008

Dr. nils CarlssonLund University, Sweden“Native Predators and Exotic Prey”

Dr. Mary Ann McGarry Hubbard Brook Research Foundation “Ecological Literacy: What Difference Does It Make in People’s Lives? How Do We Measure It? How Do We Help Others Achieve It?”

January 2009

Dr. Trina McMahonUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison“Drivers of Microbial Community Dynamics in Freshwater Lakes: Expanding Scales of Space, Time, and Phylogeny”

Dr. Terry LoeckeCary Institute of Ecosystem Studies“Soil Heterogeneity and Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling”

February 2009

Dr. Shari MetcalfHarvard University Graduate School of Education“EcoMUVE: Promoting Ecosystem Science Learning via Multi-user Virtual Environments”

Dr. Erica SmithwickPennsylvania State University “Climate, Fire, and Thresholds in Landscape Carbon Storage: Are Lessons from the West Applicable to the East?”

Dr. Sarah DavisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign“Ecosystem Nitrogen Budgets in a Carbon-based Economy”

March 2009

Dr. Morgan ErnestUtah State University “Zero-sum Dynamics, the Niche, and Metacommunities: A Desert Rodent Perspective”

Dr. Roxanne MarangerUniversité de Montréal“Nitrous Oxide and Carbon Dynamics in the Amundsen Gulf of the Arctic Ocean”

Dr. Adrien FinziBoston University“Nitrogen Limitation and Terrestrial Carbon Storage: Scaling from Microns to the Globe”

Dr. Andrew FriedlandDartmouth College“Carbon Implications of Fuel Switching from Oil to Wood Across the Northern Forest”

April 2009

Mr. Brad GentryYale University “Emerging Markets for Ecosystem Services: Integrating Science, Business, and Policy”

Dr. Laurel LarsenUnited States Geological Survey“Biophysical Feedback, Stability, and Catastrophic Shifts in a Patterned Everglades Landscape”

Dr. Sylvia EarleNational Geographic Society“The World is Blue: How Our Future and the Ocean’s Are One”

Dr. Wally FulweilerBoston University“Climate Induced Changes of Benthic-Pelagic Coupling in a Temperate Estuary”

May 2009

Dr. Brett Goodwin University of North Dakota “Spatial Ecology of Prairie Insect Communities”

June 2009

Dr. Rutherford Platt University of Massachusetts Amherst “The Humane Metropolis: People and Nature in the 21st Century City”

Dr. Kenneth Schmidt Texas Tech University “The Ecology of Information: The Significance of Making Informed Decisions”

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Jeff Garcia, crew leader, setting up a mist net, used to capture birds for banding.

Research

Research Support

Education/Outreach

Administration

Physical Plant

Grounds/Visitation

Fundraising

Capital Expenditures


Fiscal Year 2009 Operating Results

Sources of $10.4 Million in Operating Support

Uses of $10.4 Million in Operating Expenses

Federal Grants

Other Grants

Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust

Endowment Income

Gifts/Other

17%

33%

25%

18%

7%

54%

3%

3%4%

7%

15%

10%

4%


A special collection of advocates, our Board of Trustees plays a pivotal role in guiding the Cary Institute into the future. Trustees hail from a range

of backgrounds, from academia and banking to charitable institutions and environmental not-for-profits. They share the common goal of helping the Cary Institute advance as a center for ecological excellence.

OFFICERS

Bradford S. Gentry, Chair New Haven, Connecticut Senior Lecturer and Research Scholar, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University

Steven M. Benardete, Vice Chair Amenia, New York Board of Directors, Dutchess Land Conservancy

Edward A. Ames, Secretary New York, New York Trustee, Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust

Sallie W. Chisholm, Ph.D., Secretary Cambridge, Massachusetts Lee and Geraldine Martín Professor of Environmental Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Member, National Academy of Sciences

John E. Rorer, Treasurer New York, New York Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, American Museum of Natural History

William H. Schlesinger, Ph.D., President Millbrook, New York President, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; Member, National Academy of Sciences

Board of Trustees MEMBERS

Irene W. Banning Pine Plains, New York Board of Managers, The New York Botanical Garden

Tim Bontecou Millbrook, New York President, Tamarack Preserve LTD

Stephen R. Carpenter, Ph.D. Madison, Wisconsin Stephen Alfred Forbes Professor of Zoology, University of Wisconsin; Member, National Academy of Sciences

Geoffrey W. Dann New York, New York Investment Advisor and Vice President, Lingold Associates LLC

Rodolfo Dirzo, Ph.D. Stanford, California Bing Professor in Environmental Science; Member, National Academy of Sciences

Dan Gabel New York, New York President, Hagedorn & Company

Anne A. Hubbard Bronxville, New York Board of Managers, The New York Botanical Garden

Edith W. Kean New York, New York Board of Managers, The New York Botanical Garden

Gretchen Long, Past Chair & Honorary Trustee Wilson, Wyoming Trustee Emeritus, National Parks Conservation Association

A symbol denotes that a board member’s tenure ended during the time period covered by this report.

Thomas E. Lovejoy, Ph.D. Washington, D.C. Biodiversity Chair, The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment

Mark Masselink Darien, Connecticut Portfolio Manager, Moore Energy Fund

Jerry M. Melillo, Ph.D. Woods Hole, Massachusetts Director and Senior Scientist, Marine Biological Laboratory

Robert C. Quinlan New York, New York President, Quinlan Development Group LLC

Paul G. Risser, Ph.D., Past Chair & Honorary Trustee Norman, Oklahoma Chair and Chief Operating Officer, University of Oklahoma Research Cabinet

Allan P. Shope Wassaic, New York Board of Directors, Dutchess Land Conservancy

Elizabeth Farran Tozer New York, New York Interior Designer

Julia Widdowson Millbrook, New York Board of Trustees, American Farmland Trust

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A Lawrence�s warbler on our grounds. This unusual species brought many birders to the Cary Institute in April.


Office of the President William H. Schlesinger, President Holly A. Talbot, Assistant Director and Comptroller Deborah M. Fargione, Assistant to the President

Communications Lori M. Quillen, Director Pamela A. Freeman, Communications AssistantLeslie V. Tumblety, Communications Associate

Comptroller’s Office Holly A. Talbot, Assistant Director and Comptroller Susan M. Parrella, Staff Accountant Gail R. Schwartz, Payroll Specialist/Staff Accountant Barbara A. Scotto, Receptionist Joanne Venturini, Accounts Payable Specialist/Staff Accountant

Development Olivia van Melle Kamp, Director Victoria A. Doyle, Development AssociateJanet Graham, Database SpecialistClaudia Rosen, Director of Events

Education Alan R. Berkowitz, Head of EducationBess Z. Caplan, Education Program Leader Cornelia B. Harris, Education Program Leader Kimberly K. Notin, Education Program Leader Patricia S. Zolnik, Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program Coordinator

Grants Administration and Compliance Marie F. Smith, Manager Patricia A. Kennedy, Compliance and Grants Assistant/ Housing CoordinatorLynn J. Sticker, Grants Assistant

Grounds Raymond J. Winchcombe, Manager Todd M. Croshier, Senior Groundskeeper

Administrative StaffBarry L. Haydasz, Seasonal Horticultural Assistant Michael J. Kearins, Assistant Groundskeeper Allan E. Kling, Grounds Foreman Susan M. Williams, Seasonal Horticultural Assistant

Human Resources Sarah J. Bakke, Manager

Information Services & Library Amy C. Schuler, Manager

Information Technology Elizabeth P. Hayes, Director Jonathan G. Keeling, Computer/Database Support Specialist

Physical Plant Fred J. Merritt, Manager Shellie L. Barrack, Custodian II Dennis M. Cahill, Security Guard Paul A. DeBonis, Maintainer Richard S. Farfaro, Supervising MechanicHarry C. Haskins, Security Guard Randall F. Irish, Lead Custodian Robert C. Madsen, Senior Maintainer Richard T. Merry, Maintainer Joseph P. Mills, Weekend Security Guard Robert W. Myers, Maintainer Teresa J. Rahilly, Custodian I Jeffrey D. Weber, Senior Maintainer

Rachel L. Carson Analytical Facility Denise A. Schmidt, Director of Laboratory Research Facilities and Analytical Services Linda A. Grapel, Lab Technician II Milada Vomela, Lab Technician II

Safety Lau-Réné A. Manuel, Safety Officer

As of December 1, 2009

Scientific Staff


The combined expertise of the Cary Institute’s scientific staff make the organization one of the world’s leading centers for ecological research. Areas

of excellence include freshwater ecology, air pollution, climate change, disease ecology, and conservation biology. By improving our ability to understand the natural environment, Cary Institute research plays a role in shaping effective management and policy decisions.

Alan R. Berkowitz, Ph.D. Plant Ecologist, Head of EducationEcosystem literacy; urban and schoolyard ecosystems; education research; undergraduate and teacher education; fostering a diverse ecological profession

Charles D. Canham, Ph.D.Forest Ecologist Dynamics of forest ecosystems; effects of climate change on tree population dynamics; invasion of northeastern forests by exotic tree species; watershed-scale analyses of nutrient loading to lakes

nina M. Caraco, Ph.D.Biogeochemist Ecosystem impacts of invasive species in the Hudson River; humans, nutrients, and eutrophication of aquatic systems

Jonathan J. Cole, Ph.D.Limnologist Carbon cycling in inland waters; regulation of aquatic bacteria; gas flux; biogeochemistry

Stuart E.G. Findlay, Ph.D.Aquatic EcologistDetritus dynamics; microbial ecology; interactions between stream water and shallow groundwater; dissolved organic carbon; ecology of the Hudson River and tidal wetlands

Peter M. Groffman, Ph.D.Microbial Ecologist Terrestrial microbial ecology; ecosystem and landscape biogeochemistry; transformation of environmental pollutants

Clive G. Jones, D. Phil.Terrestrial EcologistEcosystem engineering: environmental modification by organisms; ecological engineering: ecological processes for sustainable environmental management; acorn connections: complex interactions in oak forests; ecological synthesis, integration, and theory

Michael W. Klemens, Ph.D. Research and Policy ConservationistInterface of land-use planning and ecosystem protection; biodiversity conservation; turtle ecology; genetics of polyploid Ambystomid salamanders; vernal pool ecology and fragmentation response

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Postdoctoral researcher Dr. David Richardson collects water chemistry samples in Red Water Creek, a stream feeding into Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire.


POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHERS

Amy J. Burgin, Ph.D. Microbial EcologistMicrobial community composition and biogeochemical processing; microbial metabolism and links among biogeochemical cycles, particularly nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon

nils O. Carlsson, Ph.D. Aquatic EcologistInvasive species, aquatic ecosystems, and predator-prey relationships

Terrance D. Loecke, Ph.D.EcologistLinkages among the controls on carbon and nitrogen cycling and how climate change may alter the significance of these controls in the future

M. Andrea Previtali, Ph.D. Animal EcologistThe role of climatic factors, human disturbance, and pathogens on the dynamics and life-history parameters of small mammals

Shannon L. LaDeau, Ph.D. Community EcologistClimatic and anthropogenic influences on pest and pathogen dynamics; ecology of disease transmission in forest and urban ecosystems; avian community response to multiple stressors

Gene E. Likens, Ph.D.EcologistFounding Director and President (1983-2007)President Emeritus (2007-present) Ecosystem analysis; biogeochemistry; limnology; effects of air pollution on ecosystems

Gary M. Lovett, Ph.D.Forest EcologistForest nutrient cycling; responses of forest ecosystems to stress; impacts of air pollution and exotic species on forests; atmosphere-canopy interactions

Richard S. Ostfeld, Ph.D.Disease EcologistEcology of infectious disease; links among biodiversity, habitat destruction, and disease transmission; community responses to pulsed acorn production; white-footed mice as a “hub” species

Steward T.A. Pickett, Ph.D.Plant EcologistThe function of spatial heterogeneity in ecosystems; ecological studies of urban systems

Emma J. Rosi-Marshall, Ph.D.Aquatic EcologistEcosystem function in human-dominated systems; agricultural stream dynamics; pharmaceuticals and ecosystem function; influence of dams on food web dynamics; large river ecology

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Turkey egg

William H. Schlesinger, Ph.D.Biogeochemist and PresidentGlobal element cycling, with an emphasis on the role of forests and soils in climate change; desert ecology and desertification

David L. Strayer, Ph.D.Freshwater EcologistFreshwater ecology; distribution and roles of freshwater invertebrates, especially bivalves and meiofauna; ecology of alien species; conservation ecology

Kathleen C. Weathers, Ph.D.Ecosystem Ecologist Biogeochemical linkages across atmosphere-terrestrial-aquatic systems; importance of fog in ecosystem function; effect of biology on geochemical cycling; ecosystem function in heterogenous landscapes

Raymond J. Winchcombe, B.S.Wildlife Biologist and Manager of Field Research FacilitiesWhite-tailed deer population management


David C. Richardson, Ph.D.Aquatic EcologistEcology of lakes and streams; communication of real-time scientific data with citizen scientists; controls on non-point source pollution in aquatic ecosystems; dynamics of dissolved organic carbon in streams; lake metabolism

Lisa E. Schwanz, Ph.D.Animal EcologistEvolution and ecology of phenotypic plasticity, particularly in response to variation in climate, parasitic infection, and maternal reproductive ability

ADJUnCT AnD VISITInG SCIEnTISTS

Juan J. Armesto, Ph.D. Forest EcologistCatholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile of Chile, Santiago, Chile Mary A. Arthur, Ph.D.Professor of Forest EcologyDepartment of Forestry, College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky

Jesse L. Brunner, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Wildlife PathologyDepartment of Ecology and Forest Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Mary L. Cadenasso, Ph.D.Assistant Professor Department of Plant Sciences, University of California at Davis

Daniel J. Conley, Ph.D.BiogeochemistMarie Curie Chair, GeoBiosphere Centre, Department of Geology, Lund University, Sweden

Brett J. Goodwin, Ph.D.Associate Professor Department of Biology, University of North Dakota

Jorge Gutierrez, Ph.D.Research Scientist Departmento de Biología Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina

Steven Hamburg, Ph.D. Forest Ecologist Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University; Chief Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund, New York

Jonathan M. Jeschke, Ph.D.Research FellowDepartment of Biology II/Evolutionary Ecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany

Felicia L. Keesing, Ph.D.Associate Professor Department of Biology, Bard College

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Cornell student Cayelan Carey working on Lake Sunapeeunder the advisement of Dr. Kathleen C. Weathers.

Mary Killilea, Ph.D.Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Biology, New York University

Antonio Lara, Ph.D. Forest Engineer Faculty of Forest Sciences, University of Chile

Kathleen M. LoGiudice, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorDepartment of Biology, Union College

Michael L. Pace, Ph.D.Professor Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia

Michael J. Papaik, Ph.D.EcologistCentre d’Étude de la Forêt (CEF), Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Scott J. Meiners, Ph.D.Plant EcologistDepartment of Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University

Eric M. Schauber, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorCooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Southern Illinois University

Kenneth A. Schmidt, Ph.D.Associate Professor Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University

Radka Wildova, Ph.D.Plant EcologistDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

RESEARCH SUPPORT Holly J. Beyar, Administrative Assistant, Baltimore Ecosystem Study Donald C. Buso, Manager of Field Research, Hubbard Brook Thomas J. Butler, Manager Ithaca Precipitation Chemistry Site James J. Coloso, Associate Research SpecialistEric R. Davison, Biodiversity SpecialistJohn D. Dillon, Senior Research Specialist Shannon T. Duerr, Senior Research Specialist Amanda M. Elliott, Senior Research Specialist David T. Fischer, Manager of Hudson River Studies

Matthew P. Gillespie, Assistant to the Scientific Staff Victoria R. Kelly, Manager of Environmental Monitoring Program David N. Lewis, Research Specialist Phyllis C. Likens, Administrative Assistant, Hubbard Brook Heather M. Malcom, Senior Research Specialist Lisa D. Martel, Senior Research Specialist Brenda L. Minicucci, Data Entry Assistant Lora E. Murphy, Computer Programmer Kelly M. Oggenfuss, Senior Research Specialist Robin M. Schmidt, Assistant Research Specialist Kirsten Schwarz, Associate Research Specialist Deanna L. Sloniker, Assistant Research Specialist Andrew R. Snyder, Assistant Research Specialist Bethel G. Steele, Assistant Research Specialist Jonathan M. Walsh, Information Manager, Baltimore Ecosystem Study Marshall B. West, Assistant Research Specialist Tamera E. Wooster, Senior Research Specialist

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A Waterman Bird Club member discovering mushrooms.


Cary Institute of Ecosystem StudiesBox AB2801 Sharon TurnpikeMillbrook, NY 12545(845) 677-5343

www.caryinstitute.org

Photos: Cover, (left to right/top to bottom) Cornelia B. Harris, C. L. Goodale, Pamela Freeman, Pamela Freeman

P.2 Lisa M. Dellwo, P.3 Lisa M. Dellwo, P.4 (left to right) Raphael Notin,Jared Zergini, Cary Institute archive, Raphael Notin, P.5, (left to right)Diane Stamatelatos, Raphael Notin, Barry Haydasz, Raphael Notin, P.6(left to right) Kate Poaster, Gary M. Lovett, Mary Lane, Barry Haydasz,P.7 (left to right) Lisa M. Dellwo, Gary M. Lovett, Jaret Zerbini, LisaM. Dellwo, P.8 (left to right) Cornelia B. Harris, Chris Bowser, Cornelia B.Harris, Patricia Zolnik, P.9 (left to right) Cary Institute archive, HeatherMalcom, Cary Institute archive, Cornelia B. Harris, P.10 (left to right)Pamela Freeman, Charles Brutlay, Pamela Freeman, Marek Kosmal, P.11(left to right) Tom Grill, Francesco Cura, Ron Chapple, Gregg Williams,P.12 (left to right) Marcio Silvo, C. L. Goodale, Vicki France, RobertFullerton, P.13 (left to right) Pamela Freeman, Charles D. Canham,Kalee Kreider, Predrag Navakovic, P.14 Barry Haydasz, P.15 (left to right) M. E. Dueker, Heather Malcom, Kathleen C. Weathers, M. G. Eliassen, P.16 (left to right) Pamela Freeman, Cornelia B. Harris, Pamela Freeman, Pamela Freeman, P.17 (left to right) Lisa Gizzarelli, Kim Notin, Patricia Zolnik, Pamela Freeman, P.18 (left to right) Julie Podpora, Julie Podpora, Pamela Freeman, Julie Podpora, P.19 (left to right) Barry Haydasz, Barry Haydasz, Barry Haydasz, Quinn Emmering, P.20 (left to right) Lori Quillen, Deborah Fargione, Lori Quillen, Jim Gilbert, P.21 (left to right) Milada Vomela, Pamela Freeman, Charles D. Canham, Julie Podpora, P.22 (left to right) Barry Haydasz, P.23 (left to right)Barry Haydasz, P.24 Victoria Kelly, Barry Haydasz, Lisa M. Dellwo, Victoria Kelly, P.25 M. G. Eliassen, Patricia Zolnik, Sarah Fernald, Pamela Freeman, P.26 Heather Malcom, Cornelia Harris, M. G. Eliassen, Pamela Freeman, P.27 Nick Baer, Kirsten Schwarz, Jonathan Walsh, M. G. Eliassen, P.28 Deborah Fargione, Pamela Freeman, Pamela Freeman, Pamela Freeman

Box AB (2801 Sharon Turnpike), Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-5343 • www.caryinstitute.org

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