Check out our new paper in Ecology, led by Edd Hammill at Utah State, testing the relationship between diversity and ecosystem function at the landscape scale. We used simulated landscapes of pond mesocosms to show the relationship between beta-diversity and two ecosystem processes (decomposition and primary production) strengthens as landscape heterogeneity in temperature and nutrient conditions increase. 




Hammill, E., C. P. Hawkins, H. S. Greig, P. Kratina, J. B. Shurin, and T. B. Atwood. Landscape heterogeneity strengthens the relationship between β-diversity and ecosystem function. Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2492 

Photo: Angus McIntosh, University of Canterbury 

Check out this new paper by Nicki Ramberg-Pihl and colleagues on the influence of lake attributes and predation on the distribution of a crayfish in New Hampshire!

A recent sampling trip to the Kenduskeag stream to look for smallmouth bass was covered by the monthly news blog for the Maine Sea Grant project. You can read the article here and learn more about the Sea Grant project Nicki is working on here

Isaac gave a talk entitled "Estimating predator diets using observational methods: A comparison of stable isotope and feeding survey methods", during a session on predation and predator-prey interactions at this year's Ecological Society of America meeting in Portland, OR. You can read his talk abstract here

Jack gave a talk entitled "Spatial turnover of benthic communities is greater across a freshwater tidal height gradient than between temporary and permanent ponds" during the Community Ecology session at this year's meeting of the Society for Freshwater Science in Raleigh, NC.

Nicki Ramberg-Pihl's work was featured in Maine Climate News. You can read the article which has great detail on her research into non-native species effects on native salmon here

Check out this paper by Novak et al., coauthored by Isaac Shepard, that has a novel approach to describing predator prey functional responses using intertidal dog whelks and their prey.

Tamara helped run this year's Insect Adventures event at Orono Public Library hosted by the Friends of Edith Patch. Tamara has been part of this great event since 2011. Great fun was had by all!