Becoming an Ecologist

Career Pathways in Science

AvJohn Wiens

Inbunden, Engelska, 2025

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Beskrivning

What forces influence a person’s decision to pursue a career in science? And what factors determine which among the many possible pathways a budding scientist chooses to follow?John A. Wiens traces his journeys through several subfields of ecology—and, in so doing, gives readers an inside look at how science actually works. He shares stories from his development as an ornithologist, community ecologist, landscape ecologist, and conservation scientist that convey the excitement of doing ecology. Recounting the serendipities, discoveries, and joys of this branching career, Wiens explores how an individual’s background and interests, life’s contingencies, the influences of key people, and the culture of a discipline can all shape a scientist’s trajectory. Becoming an Ecologist illustrates why ecologists ask the questions they do, how they go about answering them, and what they do when the answers are not what they expected.Bringing together personal narrative with practical guidance for aspiring ecologists, this book provides a window onto a dynamic scientific field—and inspiration for all readers interested in building a career by following their passion for the natural world.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2025-01-21
Mått:140 x 216 x undefined mm
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Antal sidor:280
Förlag:Columbia University Press
ISBN:9780231218047

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Mer om författaren

John A. Wiens turned a childhood interest in birds into a career in ecology. He served on the faculties of Oregon State University, the University of New Mexico, and Colorado State University, where he is University Distinguished Professor Emeritus. He then worked for the Nature Conservancy as chief scientist. His work emphasizes the ecology of birds, landscape ecology, and conservation.

Recensioner i media

This book explores what it means to be an ecologist, showing that it is a lifelong venture that can entail many pathways. Providing examples from his own journey, Wiens conveys deep knowledge about how an ecologist’s career can change over time, just as the field of ecology has developed over the years.

Innehållsförteckning

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Charting Pathways1. In the Beginning: Emerging of Interests2. Molding of Interests3. Starting on the Pathway to Becoming a Scientist4. Defining a Pathway5. Beginning an Academic Career6. Expanding My View of Grassland Birds7. Extending the Pathway: The International Biological Program8. Scrambling for an Explanation: Climatic Instability and Ecological Crunches9. Detouring to Another Pathway: Modeling Bird Bioenergetics 10. Moving from Grasslands to the Arid Shrubsteppe11. Challenging the Paradigm12. Changing Places: Pathways and Practicalities13. Testing the Paradigm: Are Australian Bird Communities Different?14. Shifting Directions in the Shrubsteppe15. Finding Things Out: Field Experiments in the Shrubsteppe 16. Becoming a Landscape Ecologist17. Dealing with Scale18. Following the Landscape Ecology Pathway19. Traveling Along Pathways with Students20. Pulled onto a Seabird Pathway 21. Dealing with Advocacy: The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill22. Shifting Pathways to Conservation23. Bolstering Conservation Science in the Nature Conservancy24. Doing Conservation Science25. Writing into RetirementConclusions: What Are the Lessons for Today’s Aspiring Ecologists?Appendix: Scientific Names of Species Mentioned in TextNotesBibliographyIndex